All the Ugly and Wonderful Things

by Bryn Greenwood

"As the daughter of a drug dealer, Wavy knows not to trust people, not even her own parents. It's safer to keep her mouth shut and stay out of sight. Struggling to raise her little brother, Donal, eight-year-old Wavy is the only responsible adult around. Obsessed with the constellations, she finds peace in the starry night sky above the fields behind her house, until one night her star gazing causes an accident. After witnessing his motorcycle wreck, she forms an unusual friendship with one of her father's thugs, Kellen, a tattooed ex-con with a heart of gold. By the time Wavy is a teenager, her relationship with Kellen is the only tender thing in a brutal world of addicts and debauchery. When tragedy rips Wavy's family apart, a well-meaning aunt steps in, and what is beautiful to Wavy looks ugly under the scrutiny of the outside world. Kellen may not be innocent, but he is the fixed point in Wavy and Donal's chaotic universe. Instead of playing it safe, Wavy has to learn to fight for Kellen, for her brother, and for herself."--

• ISBN10: 1250074134
• ISBN13: 9781250074133
• Publish Date: 9 August 2016
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 8 August 2022
• Imprint: Thomas Dunne Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

Laurie from Barks Books Nonsense recommended All the Ugly and Wonderful Things and based on her recommendations I tried it. I went into this book with my eyes wide open and based on the reviews I knew this would be a controversial story, which is not for everyone. If you are not afraid to have your moral compass tested, you will enjoy this story for what it was meant to be, a story of finding love (although complicated) under unexpected circumstances and with the most unlikely person. A story that will have you questioning your moral values while entertaining you and keep you turning the pages, as you need to know how it will end.

[Bianca]

Right up until that moment it was sweet and funny. Odd couple that they were, they had a real connection. Then he tugged her boot off and kissed the bottom of her bare foot. I could see him doing that kind of thing to his own kid, but she wasn’t. She was somebody else’s little girl.

— It's controversial, dark, and truly disturbing but I thought it was a really beautiful and compelling book. Ugly and wonderful.

[Eve1972]

WOW, so I don't think I can write a review that would do this book an ounce of justice, but I'll give it my best shot...



Originally I was going to give this one a pass. The ages of the two main characters , and the subject matter just didn't sit right with me as a mother of a 14 and 11 year old. I just didn't think I could go into this with an open mind. That said, I kept seeing all these 4 and 5 star reviews, and I'll admit, my curiosity got the better of me. And man am I glad it did.

This was one of the most heart wrenching, uncomfortable, and amazingly written books I had read in a LONG time. Each and every character was so well written. There are multiple POVs throughout that slowly peel away layer upon layer of this beautiful and often times disturbing story. Wavy broke my heart. The things this poor girl has been through destroyed me. Kellan was her everything. Her port in the storm that was her life and her his.

Look, this is going to be one of those books that you either LOVE or you HATE. I'm not sure there is a lot of middle ground with this one. Yes the subject matter is disturbing. I'm don't think there will be too many people who are NOT disturbed by the friendship (love) between Wavy and Kellan. In the context of this story though, it worked.

Amazing, simply one of the best books I had read so far this year.