What Beauty There Is

This book was released only five days ago, yet I can see it eventually being used in classrooms...like holy moly, is it dark and eerie and emotional and lyrical all at the same time, with some of the best characters I've read and a beautiful, atmospheric storyline. Blown away. Speechless. Just wow, Anderson. How have I not heard of this author before??!

Man, listen...this books starts off heavy. And stays pretty heavy throughout. It's a very haunting and heartbreaking book. And with that comes trigger warnings such as suicide and that's right off the bat. Then there's absent parent, enclosed spaces, gore and murder to name some. So I want to say that right at the beginning and not the end but when I say it can be a heavy book for some I mean it's HEAVY.

Jack Morton has had to grow up and do it fast. Life has not been easy for him at all and all he has left is his little brother. Now he has to decide if he will let his brother go to foster or find the drug money his father hid. Jack doesn't know Ava Bardem. But Ava know Jack.

Ava Bardem was told her whole life by her father to love and trust no one. And she has to choose...find the money for her father (who was Jack's father partner in crime) or help the brothers get the money so they can survive.

This was all in all a very good thriller that gave me more than I was expecting to be honest. Especially for YA, which is a plus for me.

Wow! What a truly excellent book that was!!! I've just read it in one day!

The book was heartbreaking and difficult to read at times. I was really pulled into the story and found myself just hoping against hope for a good ending for Jack, Matty and Ava.

It was beautifully written and so evocative. As I was reading, I found myself feeling sadness, agony, fear, anxiety along with Jack, Matty and Ava. Their strength and sheer force of will was something to be greatly admired. At some points I honestly didnt't know how they kept going especially Jack!

This has to have been my best read of 2021 so far and it bought to mind Chris Whitaker's We Begin At The End.

Thank you to PH and Cory Anderson for the chance to read this excellent book.

I would definitely highly recommend it to all.