I didn't know I needed a box of tissues for the first 10% of this book. What Beauty There Is, is probably one the best books I've read this year. As a parent I couldn't help but want to hug Jack and little Matty. We follow a young boy name Jack who basically witnessed his mother commit suicide in thier house. To protect his younger brother he lies and hides her body. His father is in prison and knows that he left money behind. To feed his younger brother and himself, not lose and not lose their house he goes looking for it. I just want to say thank you for this early copy and will definitely will be recommending this book to the right audience as it has many trigger warnings.

The writing was beautiful, but I did not feel connected to the characters and I found the plot highly unbelievable.

This book is so raw and unflinching. It grips you from the very start and doesn’t let go. The writing is beautiful and the characters are immersive. But I found some of the abstract style to be a little confusing. I didn’t always know what was going on. And the ending completely baffles me. I don’t know if I missed something, but I would like an explanation.

“What beauty there is in the world.”

Wow. This book just completely destroyed me. I was not expecting the emotional roller coaster that this book would bring.

Jack and Matty are two brothers that only have themselves. They’ve lost everything. Jack is the big brother who’s job is to care for sweet little Matty. He’s faced with two options, lose Matty to social services or find the drug money his father hid and went to jail for. His choice takes him on a dark and dangerous path.

This book is beautiful. From the story to the haunting prose. The characters were so realistic
Cory Anderson did a fantastic job! Jack and Marty’s relationship was my favorite part about the story. I could feel the love they had for each other.

This is a tough book to read but we have to remember this is the reality for a lot of kids. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys YA.

I’m not going to lie, I requested this book mainly because of the attractive cover + I was thinking this would be like a dark fantasy story. But this isn’t a fantasy, its a coming of age YA thriller; tender yet tense that would make any reader fall in love with the literature. The characters are poignant and symbiotically compliment the plot and storyline. I don’t believe this is Anderson’s debut novel *mindblown*

I’m still recovering from this story. Please experience this book! The one that should not be missed. Thank you Macmillan/Roaring Brook Press & Netgalley for the arc.

I can’t believe how much I love this story! The gorgeous lyrical writing, the characters, the setting, all of it was absolutely flawless in execution. I finished the book with tears in my eyes and my heart aching. Jack Dahl is such a fierce protector, not just of his little brother Matty but of Ava too. This book absolutely exceeded all of my expectations and I am just in awe. Well done Cory Anderson, well done indeed!

This book ripped my soul to pieces. It’s beautiful and lyrical and heartbreaking. I love the author’s style of writing. Jack and Matty are so well written and you live with them through this journey, holding on to hope for their survival. Just overal a really great book.

A boy and his brother.  A girl and her father.  A long lost briefcase full of cash.  Time is ticking.

I was really excited to ready this one after seeing all the 5 star ratings.  But somehow, it just fell flat.  Don't get me wrong, the writing was absolutely gorgeous.  But the story itself just didn't really grab me.  I wasn't convinced of the relationships here and all the characters just felt flat and two-dimensional.  I felt a tug of affection for Mattie, but no one else really made me care.  However, all things considered, a solid 3 stars.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Children should not be held responsible for their parent’s choices. Ava, Jack, and Matty (Oh! How I love Matty) are really good kids despite the horrific choices their parents have made (and continue to make). Ava has been taught that to love someone is a weakness that she will not be able to overcome. She must now decide whether living without love is a life worth living.

A harrowing, violent, heart-in-mouth ride that you will not be able to shake. And there will be a sequel!!!

Holy cow, what an absolutely hard book to review, but one that is a must read! Beautifully written, with suburb character development, and emotionally gripping writing! It’s one that is quite tense, but emotional, and will definitely grip you in its clutches until you finish the last word! It’s also one that sort of leaves you speechless, making reviewing it very tough! So, I must just say I highly, highly recommend this book, as I promise it’s not one you want to miss! It’ll stick with you much longer than after you have finished that final page! Don’t delay, grab today and prepare for an emotional, tense ride!

Will buzz around and use low Amazon reviewer number!

On this episode of Everything is Canon, Steve talks to Cory Anderson all about her fantastic debut What Beauty There Is, which is being described as “An exhilarating, emotionally powerful and superbly written thriller that’s Winter’s Bone meets The Road.”

What Beauty There Is definitely is all of those things and a whole lot more as its stark and haunting prose creates an atmosphere you won’t soon forget. By injecting a lot of her own truth into the story, Cory’s debut is a powerful tale about brutality, beauty, and people mostly just trying to survive any way they can.

Please follow the link below where the author and I talk about the thrill of her debut, the sometimes difficult and personal road it took to get here, the fact that there isn’t a sequel and why that’s okay, and much, much more.

https://www.cinelinx.com/off-beat/shows/everything-is-canon-what-beauty-there-is/

Thank you Net Galley for giving me the pleasure of reading this title.
4-stars
Cory Anderson's novel What Beauty There Is is a story of brothers who are left to care for themselves. The only way they would be able to do it is to find the "treasure". The treasure being the money that his dad may or may not have hidden before going to prison. This is a classic treasure/cat-and-mouse adventure with a disturbing story line. The writing is beautiful. The story is too dark for my tastes, but people who love dark and twisty titles will enjoy this.

This was a beautiful poignant story that surprised me. The writing was stunning, the characters where so complex and well written that it was easy to connect with them. This book is really heart wrenching. The book was just really well done. It's hard to believe it is a debut novel.

I just have to say how happy I am that this book is set in my state of Idaho! The author perfectly captured the majestic eastern Idaho landscape. You’ll feel a chill in the air with her vivid descriptions of the harsh winter conditions that Jack faces.
This book is geared towards teens, but it reminded me of “Winter’s Bone” and a Coen brothers movie. But amid all of the action and violence is a heartwarming tale about familial love and the bond between siblings. This seems to be the first book in a series so I’m looking forward to the next installment.

this book was completely unexpected, So intense, so heartfelt, so deep. told in beautiful prose. it's truly one of those reads that will stick with you long after you've finished it.



I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Two strong characters, a boy and a girl, both high school age face unimaginable challenges in #whatbeautythereis by Cory Anderson. It is hard to believe this is a debut novel as it is so inventive, harsh in a lyrical way, and will affect you deep down as it stays with you long after the last page is read. I look forward to the sequel and can’t imagine how it will measure up to this. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

This was definitely a different book from what I've been reading lately. It's a sad story of two brothers left alone and trying to survive on their own. Jack is the older brother and is afraid to tell the sheriff that his mom died in case they take away his younger brother Matty. He can't get a job in his dying town so he decides to look for a briefcase of money his dad stashed before going to prison.

Jack isn't the only person interested in the money and when he starts making waves he gains the attention of Ava's father Victor. He is not a good man and is willing to kill for the money, so Ava tries to help Jack and Matty. Ava isn't in the book that much, she's more of an omniscient narrator who pops in sometimes. I did appreciate her helping the boys and her friendship with Matty was adorable.

This doesn't have that much action, but I was invested in seeing Jack and Matty survive. I felt so bad for the boys and their suffering broke my heart. It was comforting knowing the sheriff cared about them and was looking for them, but I was never sure if he'd find them before something terrible happened.

The ending does leave a loose end that I assume will be dealt with in the sequel. I thought this could have been a standalone easily, but I'm interested in seeing where this goes.

<i>I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. Thank you to MacMillan Children's Publishing Group for the copy.</i>

This novel was unique and beautifully written. It had the trappings of a classic while also feeling contemporary. While I was invested in the characters, I struggled to wrap my head around the setting and had difficulty placing the book’s timeframe. I also found that Bardem’s tendency to speak in riddle-like turns of phrase took me out of the story and felt unrealistic. Overall, I enjoyed the book and think that many of my students would, too. I look forward to seeing what this author does next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for this ARC!

TW: Suicide, murder, violence

This was a beautiful and moving story about two brothers trying to survive sad circumstances. This book definitely hooks you in. I particularly loved Jack and Matty’s bond, which was the driving force throughout the whole story. Jack wanting a better life for himself and Matty leads him down an insanely sad and violent road. The author’s writing was well down and easily read.
I wouldn’t categorize this as a page turner personally, but I did find it very suspenseful! I did find some of the flashbacks and point of view changes confusing sometimes. However, I did enjoy reading it and would recommend it to others!

This dark and desperate story about teenage Jack and his six-year-old brother, Matty, nearly broke my heart. It begins with the loss of their mother (TW: suicide) after which Jack is forced to care for Matty entirely on his own with no resources. He reaches out to his father, in prison for a crime that included stealing a great sum of money that was never found. If Jack can find the money, he and Matty will be set. But Jack's visit to his father sets off a chain of events that will become increasingly dangerous for Jack and Matty. They have one ally, Ava, the new girl at school that becomes entangled with Jack accidentally and then helps during an emergency. But Ava is the daughter of Jack's father's enemy, which will only serve to complicate the story and its conclusion even more.

This book was dark and heavy. I could feel Jack's desperation and weariness as he moved from one unwinnable situation to the next. But there was true, authentic beauty in the love and kindness expressed between Jack, Matty, and Ava - the kind that reminded me of the things in this life that are truly worth living and dying for. Those few moments took my breath away, and helped me read on through Jack & Matty's continued strife.