Thank you yo NetGalley and the publishers. This story and writing style was unfortunately not for me, but the world building could definitely appeal to others!

This book was my first YA thriller and the bar has been set really high for future thriller reads. Cory Anderson's writing is beautiful and the storytelling was amazing. It's hard to believe that this was their debut novel, every word, every action was so meticulously plotted and it just sucked me into the story. The characters were just perfect and believable in the context of the story. I particularly loved the dynamic between Ava and Jack. The story stuck with me after I finished reading the last page.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. This is a young adult thriller that follows two brothers who are searching for their incarcerated father's hidden money after the death of their father. The search is complicated by the fact that they aren't the only ones looking. The book was a very good debut, but I found it took a number of improbable twists and turns.

I quite literally had no idea what this book was about before starting it (plot, genre, whatever) and was really surprised. ‘What Beauty There Is’ by Cory Anderson is a young adult thriller centered around two brothers fighting to survive in the wake of their mother’s death. They are being pursued by dangerous men in search of money their father hid before going to prison. It’s a beautiful story about how far we’ll go for love and family, being forced to grow up too fast. I really appreciated the relationship between the two brothers, how they took care of each other the best they could. My heart hurt for them. The story is fast-paced, driving, and full of tension. I recommend it!

I think the writing was really good, but I am not the target audience for this particular story. I do think readers of this genre will enjoy it, however. The writing itself carried me through with great prose and style.

Thanks to Roaring Book Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Anderson does a great job of exploring themes like survival, brutality, and finding beauty in unexpected places. The characters are complex and well-developed, which makes the story all the more engaging. And even though it deals with heavy topics, it navigates them thoughtfully and never feels preachy or heavy-handed.

I really enjoyed the pacing and was hooked until the very end. Overall, I'd give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

DNF; I tried my best to get into this book, but I just knew it was going to be too depressing within the first 30 pages and didn’t really want to subject myself to that. Also, I didn’t really love the writing style. It didn’t feel like it flowed well, and it took me far too long to realize there were two POVs.

UPDATE FROM 02/26/2023: Well... I finished this book finally. And my rating remains the same, unfortunately. I 100% see how others will enjoy this book, and I think I would have more if this was in a film/television format. However, in a literary sense it just didn't work for me. There was too much repetition, and the inside of Jack's brain was too much for me. Matty/Maddy (I listened to the audiobook format to try and get through this and it helped a bit but now I know how to spell nothing) was the best character and I am happy that he ended up getting a happy ending; he deserved nothing but the best. But, while it was poetic and I understood the underlying messages, it just wasn't for me. Maybe it will work better for someone else!

Wow. This story was delivered beyond my expectations. Such a well written and beautifully heartbreaking story.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of What Beauty There Is by Cory Anderson.

Jack is a young man who has just lost his mother, leaving him and his little brother all alone. Determined to keep his brother out of the foster system, Jack will stop at almost nothing to make enough money for them to survive. Ava Bardem has been aware of Jack for some time, understands what a dire situation he is in. She finally makes the choice to help them, even knowing that it means betraying her family...

Whew, put on your winter coats and wrap yourself tight, this is going to be a cold and dangerous adventure! I don't think I expected it to be as dark as it was, but it worked. I liked the forbidden love story, and just how low they were willing to sink to fight for what was right. It did drag a bit, some of the violence seemed to go on and on. But overall a worthwhile dark winter read.

I wanted to read this book after a friend raved about it. The blurb sounded very intriguing so I was excited to dive in. While the story line in and of itself was interesting, the book alternates differing points of view across chapters and introduces what I felt like at times to be new characters in a way that left me somewhat confused.

I did love and appreciate the bond between siblings and how hard Jack worked to protect and care for his brother Matty. I did unfortunately find myself losing interest and/or skimming the pages quickly in order to just see where the story was ultimately going to lead. The book has some darker themes throughout, which I don't mind. I think there was a good story here, unfortuantely the execution just fell flat for me and the author's writing style wasn't my favorite.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

3.5 stars

Sad and bleak story of brothers, one too young to make a difference, and one too old to stand by and watch his brother go into state care.

Story of the brothers is moving, and sadly similar to a lot of real stories, but with good movement. Reads easily.

Review published on Goodreads, 19 September 2021:

I'm not sure what to say about this book. It was a super strange read for me. The characters are odd, the plot is odd, the prose is odd, and the storytelling is—you guessed it—odd.

The three kids at the story's center are sympathetic, but they're not very fleshed out, which makes it hard to really know them. Jack and Matty's relationship feels authentically close, but Jack and Ava's is insta-lovey and forced. Since they basically speak in monosyllables to each other in every conversation (and there aren't many), I'm not sure how they know each other well enough to love each other, you know? Speaking of, Anderson's prose is stark and staccato. This is, admittedly, not my favorite narrative style. It echoes the novel's bleak atmospheric setting, adding to the overall mood of the story, but it also feels cold and distancing to me. Some of her words definitely sound like poetry, which is lovely at times, but also abstract and confusing. I had trouble understanding what Anderson was trying to say at times and I have a degree in English! Teen readers may be equally or even more lost. The plot is what kept me reading this book. It moves fast, building in suspense as it goes. Although it's dark, depressing, and violent, it did keep my interest. The finale, though? Wow. It's grim and not very hopeful, which made the whole tale just feel a bit pointless to me. So, yeah, I had a hard time with this book. While it kept me reading, it didn't feel all that satisfying to me overall. In fact, it felt almost unrelentingly sad and depressing. For me, then, WHAT BEAUTY THERE IS was just an average read.

This book is my first by this author so I wasn’t expecting a lot. Even so, I found the characters were bland and just did not excite me.

Wow, wow, wow. I am not sure I can find the right words to describe the impact this story had on me. The story centers around Jack and his brother Matty, who both live in extreme poverty. While their dad rots away in prison, their mom ends her life, leaving with Jack to make a decision: lose his brother to foster care, or take action into his own hands.

When Jack becomes linked to Ava, his classmate, everything changes. Ava's father isn't one of the good guys, and it soon becomes evident that he and Jack are fighting on opposite sites.

Even this description, as vague as it is, does not do this book justice. It's hard to believe that this is Cory Anderson's first novel... it's stellar, heartbreaking, poignant and mesmerizing.

If there's one book you read this year, make it this one.

📚 I read this book last June and I just noticed that this was a NetGalley arc that I never reviewed. Ugh! I have no idea why I skipped posting a review about it, or how I didn’t even notice it until now… but I’m making up for that because this was a great book.

📚 This book makes you feel something. You can’t avoid it. It’s sad, hopeful, intense, painful, lonely, heartbreaking, and heartfelt. It’s quite a ride emotionally.

📚 The relationship between Jack and his little brother Matty is worth reading the book for. The things they go through, and how Jack protects Matty while experiencing things no kids should, was heart-wrenching and beautiful in equal measure.

📚 Jack, Matty and Ava are so well-written that you want to reach into the pages and help them through the mess they are in. Honestly, you don’t read a book like this, you experience it.

📚 This book is a dark thriller and quite intense at times, and there may be triggers for some people (suicide, abandonment, abuse, murder, etc), but at its core it is a beautifully written love story. Love between brothers and new love between Ava and Jack. It’s worth reading.

📚 A sequel is forthcoming according to Goodreads and I’ll be first in line to read it.

Thank you @NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group / Roaring Brook Press for an eARC of this book, which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. And I apologize for my terribly late review.

This story was so haunting and I'm still thinking about it. The characters were very well developed, flawed yet relatable, the world building was amazing, and the plot was unique. I am grateful for the opportunity to read.

This book is dark and emotional. There are a lot of heavy topics addressed and the patron/reader definitely needs to know there will be sadness when they approach this book. Anderson paints a desperate picture of a boy who is trying to survive and save his younger brother by sheer will. He has such strength and love.
I wish Anderson wrapped up the story and kept this as a stand alone. There were some loose threads left for a hinted sequel.
Thanks for the ARC! We have this book now in our library and I've book talked it to students with positive reception.

Unfortunately the writing style for this story just didn't work for me. I think that this new series will find its audience but sadly it just wasn't for me.