Jack comes home to discover his mother has committed suicide and left him to care for his little brother Matty while facing eviction from their rental property. Wih no-one to turn to and fearing social services will split them apart, he visits his father in jail to ask him about the rumoured suitcase full of money his father stole and never returned. His father gets angry and hits Jack before prison guards intervene but also brings attention to himself in the form of Bardem, one of the other robbers who was swindled out of money by Jack's father.
While being chased by people for money and the police, Jack is helped by Bardem's daughter Ava who puts Jack and Matty up in a hotel with her own money. Eventually all the worlds collide when Matty is kidnapped by Bardem and Jack and Ava must find the suitcase and bring it to Bardem to save Matty's life.
Gripping, Tarentino -like story with violence and poverty and crime at every turn; all set against a backdrop of Ava's poetic remarks at the start of every chapter narrated by Jack.
One for older readers. ( )

I won a giveaway for this one (thanks!). It arrived today as I was about to go and prepare dinner. I opened the package, and was completely struck by the cover and the flourishes. I figured I'd go ahead and get started by just reading a few pages before getting back to my previous plans, and then next thing I knew, I was already halfway through the book.

It's so beautifully written, and I felt invested in the characters. My heart ached for them, they warmed it, and it raced as I awaited their fates. This has definitely turned out to be one of my favorite reads so far this year, and I don't think I'll be able to recommend it enough. ( )

Oh, this book hurt my heart. It started with a sense of foreboding that only deepened and intensified the more I read. I loved Jack, Matty and Ava. They were three beautiful young people, three shining lights, in a world of darkness. They had to fight to stay alive, battling against the harshness of their environment, the greed of men and the unfairness of life. I wanted them to win. I wanted them to find safety and happiness. I wanted them to live normal lives.

The author's writing was incredible - powerful in its sparseness and emotional intensity. It was raw and real and heartbreaking. Ava's parts, especially, were lyrical and haunting, and they deeply moved me. The descriptions of the desolation and freezing conditions Ava, Jack and Matty faced had me cranking up the heat and snuggling deeper under the duvet.

"What Beauty There Is" was not an easy read. There was pain, cruelty, evil, hopelessness and despair that brought me figuratively to my knees. However, the rare shards of happiness, hope and love uplifted me and the tense plot kept me reading. This novel will not appeal to everyone but I loved it. An incredible debut. ( )

This book rocked my entire world. Upon seeing the cover, it instantly drew me in but the story line hooked me. From page one, I knew this was going to be a unique plot line that was sure to hook me! This story mostly follows Jack, his brother Matty and Ava (a deep female character with complexities which quickly grew to become my favorite character in the book!). We see the struggle of these characters bond to the past, relationships between mothers & fathers, to family.. loyalties and most of all - the struggle of simple survival. I’ve never read a book that was written quite as this was one and it was very welcomed. It was a definite page turner and I read it in one day! I literally could not put it down. I hate marking inside my books but there were so many tragically beautiful, quotable lines in this book I had to keep a small journal nearby to write them down for future use. Cory Anderson is sure to become a very beloved author with a long career ahead of her. I loved the book so much that I followed her on Instagram to ensure I didn’t miss any news on follow up books or novels. I’m so happy I read this and already recommended it to my huge book club, friends and family. You will NOT regret reading this story! ( )

"His touch like a bright, yellow day. I am holding his hand. What Beauty there is in this world."

Thank you, Roaring Brook Press, and Bookishfirst for a finished copy in exchange for an honest review!

In the beginning, there is no beauty in Jack, Matty, and Ava’s life. Jack is searching his home for his mother and finds her in the last place he would guess she would be in. He walks into a room where his mother has hanged herself. Jake buries her in the frozen Idaho ground in the middle of winter and tells his little brother Matty that she has gone on a trip. This beginning had my heart pulled tight. To imagine that happening is so sad and the writing is almost poetic drawing out so many emotions. I had the sense that Jack was just going through the process without truly feeling the loss of his mother. His focus is on protecting his brother and keeping him out of foster care. Their father is in prison for some horrible crimes so Jack hides himself and Matty in order to keep him safe.

Throughout the book, Jack is protecting his brother with the little money they have. The power has been cut on their house and they have been told they have to move out in 2 days because it is being auctioned off. I had to keep reminding myself that Jack is only 17 because at points he seems so much younger and in others, he seems so much older. At such a young age he has to deal with so much tragedy.

I thought the book had a nice pace. It was fast and a lot of things happen that keeps the book moving forward. I was on the edge of my seat a few times. Jack has to deal with the people who are trying to find the money his father hid also. This of course gets him into a lot of different tense situations. Then we have Ava who is the daughter of Jack’s father’s partner. Jack does not know who Ava really is but even with Ava’s background, she does her best to help Jack and Matty.

I think I would have liked to see a little more development in Jack and Ava’s relationship. There isn’t a lot between them, and the book doesn’t develop their relationship very much. I can tell the book is trying to build their relationship off of the trials they are going through, but they hardly talk and so for me, there needs to be something else to build their relationship on.

The beginning of each chapter had a section told from the first-person point of view of Ava. It was basically like a narration of her leading us through the story and telling us her thoughts on events. Some people have said they don’t like this but I actually found this to be a unique touch that helped build the tension through foreshadowing. I found it very engaging and it made me want to read because it starts the chapter off by telling you just enough without the actual information, so I wanted to read on.

I have to say the ending left me a little confused and wondering a lot of different things. The ending left me needing more and I need clarification, so I am eagerly waiting for the next book. This type of book isn’t really the writing and plot that I would think of being a series, but I guess it is.