What Beauty There Is
by Cory Anderson
Pub Date: 06 Apr 2021
read courtesy of http://www.netgalley.com

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I couldn't put this book down. The author told a unique tale with interesting details that I've never read anywhere else. It was refreshing to be surprised and engrossed in spite of the somber subjects. The multiple threads of the story are tightly and expertly wound together. The characters have distinct and believable personalities. The setting was described with chilling results (pun intended.) Even the style of writing, which was quite accessible, had layers of nuance depending on which character was speaking or being spoken about. [Not a spoiler alert, but... I finished the book a few hours ago, and it took me until I started writing this to realize why each chapter was written in two different fonts. So cool!]

An aside that I don't think too many YAs would perceive, but the characters of Doyle and Midge reminded me of the law enforcement characters from the movie "Fargo." It's a testament to the author's writing ability to get a regional accent and speech pattern so right in writing as opposed to an aural medium.

You'll have to excuse me... I think I'm going to go re-read the story now.

This story grabbed me and would not let go. If you’re looking for something gritty, suspenseful, and heart-achingly tense, this is it.

18-year-old Jack Dahl has had a rough life. At the book’s outset, his father is in jail for stealing money from a dangerous drug dealer. His mother is addicted to pain medication and can barely function. Jack’s always been the one responsible for taking care of his little brother, Matty. Now, they’ve got less than fifteen dollars left, Jack can't get a job, and the water and electricity have been turned off. They’re running out of two things crucial for surviving the bleak Idaho winter—food and heat.

As a last resort, Jack sets out to find the money his dad went to jail for stealing—money that seemingly disappeared the day of the arrest. But at every step, Jack has three different men trailing him, hoping Jack will lead them to the money. One is deadly, one is kind, and one is so dangerous he’s almost not human.

Cory Anderson’s storytelling and writing skills are immensely powerful. She builds and manages suspense so well - there were so many times I felt main character Jack was mere seconds away from a bitter end. My heart was aching the whole time I was reading.

The setting was bleak and quiet - and beautiful in its own terrifying way. I could feel the painfully cold winter creeping into every corner and stealing every last bit of warmth from homes, from hearts. I loved the impeccably well-drawn characters, and their voices will echo in my heart for a long time.

This was an adrenaline-fueled, bloody, and intensely suspenseful ride, and one I'm so glad I got on.

I absolutely loved Anderson's style of writing. The prose in this book is beautiful, and one that will sit with me for a long time. What Beauty There Is was heartwrenching, and an emotional rollercoaster.

This destroyed me, along with my expectations. I was not anticipating the tenderness in these pages, the delicate parts that wrenched my heart and ripped it in two.

Jack’s plight is agonizing. Living in truly abject poverty, with a father in prison, a mother he finds dead, a little brother, and a swiftly dwindling supply of money and food, his circumstances are terrible. Rather than relinquish his brother to social services, he buries his mother and sets out to find the money that landed his father in prison. It’s a deadly quest, one that almost kills him until Ava—the daughter of his father’s enemy—saves his life. Their lives intertwine in a way that makes you wish they could just run away from it all, but the money is soaked in blood, and Ava’s father will not let them go. Have some tissues on hand, this one made me cry several times. Five stars.

Breathtaking prose, characters to break your heart, and an edge-of-your-seat, can't-look-away plot. It's devastating as Cormac McCarthy's NO COUNTRY but doesn't leave you as hopeless.

A beautifully written emotional thriller with a bit of mystery. Indelible characters that capture you. Great pacing with tension throughout.

For me, this story was heartwarming, exciting, and sorrowful, and I appreciated that it could tap into several of my emotions. Furthermore, messages about love, sacrifice, and devotion are woven throughout the storyline, which give even more depth to the plot.

A real page-turner. And I look forward to reading future books by Anderson.

Thank you NetGalley and Roaring Brook Press for an opportunity to read an eARC and provide a review.

Jack has to make a choice: lose his brother to foster care, or find the drug money that sent his father to prison. It’s a great book with a lot of mystery and I really enjoyed it and if you enjoy mystery I would recommend reading it.

What Beauty There Is was a beautiful emotional journey that I was certain was going to break my heart. We follow Jack, a teenager deep within the cycle of poverty- father in prison, mother on drugs, no food, no utilities and a sibling to care for- and he still has to make it school on time. Almost instantly, his fight to stay with his brother begins. What begins as a battle of not knowing where the next meal will come from quickly turns into a battle of life or death as Jack gets involves in the same situation that landed his father in jail. When Ava enters the picture, it seems to change the game. She continues to pull Jack and Matty out of bad situations, but Jack doesn’t realize how involved she is. How the story connects can either save or destroy the brothers.
This book covers some tough situations that might require a trigger warning for some readers, but I felt like the author really handled the some of the gruesome scenes without being grotesque. I really enjoyed the depth and departure from middle class suburbia typical of the YA genre, and I finished the book really satisfied with the ending.