This is not a happy book. It is, however, very well written.

The characters are compelling and likeable. You root for them throughout. However, the amount of terrible things that befall them were triggering for me, and made it incredibly hard to keep reading at times. It took me far longer to read this than I thought it would, because I kept having to take breaks to read other books and give myself time to process.

I kept reading because I was hoping for a redemption in the end...and found the ending disappointing--highly unsatisfying.

To be honest, I would not have continued reading this book had I not been reading and reviewing via an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. My sincere thanks for the opportunity to read. Just, fair warning to all--this book is hard.

TWs: suicide, opiate addiction, Child Protective Services/foster care, neglect, child abuse, child abduction, (Possibly) child molestation

This is a title that I was invited to review, and I gave it a try but I just could not get into it... The writing style was stark, the characters felt oddly flat to me, and I just couldn't get into it. Many other reviewers seem enraptured by it so take a look for yourself before judging, but I personally couldn't find my way into this one.

Cory Anderson’s novel “What Beauty There Is” will chill you to your bones, only to remind you what warmth feels like.

Jack Dahl’s life is looking bleak. With his father in jail with no sign of parole and a mother who has given up on hope, Jack becomes the sole provider for his younger brother Matty. Money quickly becomes an issue for the two and Jack is tempted into retracing his father’s footsteps, looking for an answer to their money problems.

When Jack bumps into newcomer Ava at school, it’s clear she’s something special, so why does everything she say have a double meaning?

In this quick paced, sweaty palmed tale, Anderson paints a thrilling portrait of what it means when you leave a boy to fend for himself and the one he loves most. Readers will root for the Dahl brothers as they navigate the treacherous decision of who they can and cannot trust. Being on the run is all fun and games until Jack realizes not everything is what is seems.

While not all questions are answered by the end of this story, readers will quickly fall in love with the Dahl brothers and Ava, three souls who deserve so much more than the hand they are dealt.

"What Beauty There is" is a hauntingly beautiful book about survival and doing whatever it takes to care for the ones you love. I loved the way this story was written and well it flowed from one page to the next. I moved through this book with ease and was captivated by the characters and how writing made this story come to life in such a vivid way. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to my students and to anyone who wants a heartfelt read.

***** I received an ARC from NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my honest review. *****

What an unusual, memorable story! It's hard to describe this book, but while it had bleak aspects, it also felt strangely hopeful. The writing was elegant and the story flowed easily. I will be thinking about this book for some time to come.

If I had realized that this book was going to be the first in a series, I probably never would have requested it because the last thing I need in my life is to be invested in a YA series of books, particularly one that is only on book #1.

BUT.

I'm so glad I did request and read this book because I ended up LOVING it.

This book hit so many of the weird things that I like but barely ever get to read about. Bone-chillingly cold setting that makes me want to be snuggled under a blanket the entire time I am reading it? Check. Characters struggling to survive against all odds with a tiny amount of money and some ingenuity? Got it. Pursuit by random, shadowy "bad guys" that are completely unimportant other than to get the characters on the run and hiding out in questionable locations? ABSOLUTELY.

I loved reading this book and was sad to finish it (this book hasn't even technically been released yet, so I'm obviously going to be waiting a while to get my hands on the second one), but there are a couple of things that could have been done better and kept it from being a five star read for me. The insta-love was way too quick and without any explanation whatsoever. The two main characters go from not even knowing each other to being all-in and ready to die for one another literally overnight without even so much as an in-depth conversation between the two of them. Most of the story is told in third person, but there are these little snippets at the beginning of each chapter in first person, and they were mostly super cheesy and took away from the story instead of adding to it. Later in the book, the perspective suddenly changes to first person for a short time, and I thought it was a bad choice. And finally, the villain was so overdone...I could tell what the author was going for (a cold, untouchable, scary-smart mastermind), but the end result was a cringe-inducing caricature of what a teen boy in a fedora hopes to grow up to be.

Where this book really shines is in Jack and Matty and their struggle for survival in a world that is stacked against them. I got very invested in Jack and his love for his brother Matty, and even in the romantic tension between Jack and Ava (although I wish it had been better developed). The prose is unique and might not be for everyone, but for me it was just different enough to be intriguing without going over the top. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a unique YA read that is not an epic fantasy (bonus points if you're into the hurt/comfort trope).

*eARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"My life has faded to floating bits of black and white, but I remember minutes with Jack in color, in a vivid haze of red and yellow and blue."

Yes, the whole book has stunning prose throughout. It's a book you read slowly, let it absorb into your soul, and reread to understand from the beginning.

Jack and Matty are on their own. It's up to Jack to keep them together and against all the odds stacked against him, he's determined and pretty tough. He's amazingly tough and strong.
Ava has something in common with Jack that she's afraid for him to learn. She's had to learn to be tough as well, but for different reasons than Jack.
They both have to escape all the adults hunting them down who want to hurt them, and they do get hurt. This is one of the reasons I had to put the book down. It was so dark at times it hurt my soul.

Possible triggers: suicide, abuse, adults hurting children, homelessness, food anxiety, death.

Thanks to netgalley and Roaring Book press for the early read!

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

I really wanted to love this book. I thought I was going to love this book. And the other early reviews of this book are glowing. But a lot of this book felt very off to me.

The premise drew me in. Jack's mom commits suicide, leaving him to take care of Matty. He has to be careful not to let anyone know she has committed suicide because he knows they will take Matty away. They have less than $20, no food, no heat. So Jack decides to try to find the money that his father stole that landed him in jail. Jack's dad's partner is not in jail but is on his tail, also wanting the money and not stopping at anything to get it. 

But a lot of the book felt gratuitous. It felt unrealistic in many ways. It was ... boring.The ominous first person reflections in the beginnings of the chapter didn't work for me. More character development was needed. And the ending felt rushed and unresolved. 

This book has been compared to The Road, which I absolutely hated, so I guess it's no surprise I didn't like this one. 

TW: suicide, violence

I am obsessed with this book. Spare, haunting prose, an emotionally intense plot, and a setting that will chill you to the bone, you'll be rooting for Jack, Matty, and Eva through the very last page.

Well written, very original, and engaging. This story type isn't my usually go to, but it left me itching for more and sad when the last page ended.

To be fair, this review is based on the first 30% of the book, I tried really hard to get into it but just couldn't and finally had to move on. The start of this book feels super slow to me, which was surprising since it was blurbed as "edge-of-your-seat, can't-look-away."

But honestly I would probably be okay with the pacing if the writing style worked for me. The voice is incredibly stark and minimal, and I can understand the choice, it's unique and stylistic, but it kept me at arm's length. The bare bones, sometimes stilted wording pushed me away rather than pulled me in. The situations that the characters are going through make me want to care about them, but I feel like I'm fighting against the wiring style in order to do it.

I feel like for others, who enjoy this writing style, this could be an amazing read, it's just not for me.

Rating 3.5

It's hard for me to rate "What Beauty There Is" because there are some things I loved and some that I hated. Let's start with the writing style. While I understand what the author was going for I do not think their style of writing was for me. In the beginning the writing kept taking me out of the story and almost made me not continue. The writing was well done and this could have just been a personal problem and something others might not notice. I struggled with the first half of the story but it started picking up for me around 75% through. While the first half was progressing it all seemed to deal with the same issue over and over and this felt a little tedious. While I liked Jack's character he never seemed to learn from his mistakes and I was hoping for more from him. What we did learn from Ava was interesting and I'm not left wanting more. I enjoyed seeing the different perspectives from the side characters and how that helped shape the story. The description in the book was well done making the reader feel as though they are right beside Jack. In my opinion, this book was written to be a movie. How it unfolds and how the characters act would be perfect for the big screen. Overall, this book was good if you want a book filled with over the top drama, action, violence, and insta-love. 

**Received an advanced copy through NetGalley in return for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

This book had such promise but the conversation felt SO stilted that it really ruined the entire book for me.

✨REVIEW✨

📖 What Beauty There Is by Cory Anderson

Rate: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Genre: Teens & YA, Mystery & Thrillers
Pub. Date: April 5, 2021
Pages: 368


Thank you so much Cory Anderson, NetGalley, and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for giving me this amazing opportunity to read this book. Reviews are up in Goodreads, NetGalley, and Amazon.

Three words for this amazing book: heartbreaking, suspense, and brilliant.

BUT FIRST...

Let’s start with the cover. The cover is so gorgeous, I NEED to grab one right after they’re released!! I personally love the bright blue combination with light yellow dots in the background and design. Who doesn’t love a pretty cover?! I do 🙋🏻‍♀‍

The book itself left me SPEACH. LESS.
What Beauty There Is had a sense of classic ness and raw. I felt the pain of every character especially Atlas who’s a character that goes through so much loneliness, struggle, and pain but finds inner strength.

I felt that Cory Anderson really thought over every word she wrote before jotting it down to the pages because it felt as if I was in the story. Living through it. AMAZING. BRILLIANT. Overall, I loved the book and would 100% recommend.

This book had a perfect plot, perfect pacing, action, and of course adventure! However, I was a bit sadden that I finished the book because I didn’t want to leave the lovely characters.

SYNOPSIS:
What Beauty There Is is Cory Anderson's stunning YA novel about brutality and beauty, and about broken people trying to survive—perfect for fans of Patrick Ness, Laura Ruby, and Meg Rosoff.

To understand the truth, you have to start at the beginning.

Winter in Idaho. The sky is dark. It is cold enough to crack bones.

Living in harsh poverty, Jack Dahl is holding his breath. He and his younger brother have nothing—except each other. And now Jack faces a stark choice: lose his brother to foster care or find the drug money that sent his father to prison.

He chooses the money.

Ava Bardem lives in isolation, a life of silence. For seventeen years her father, a merciless man, has controlled her fate. He has taught her to love no one. Now Victor Bardem is stalking the same money as Jack. When he picks up on Jack’s trail, Ava must make her own wrenching choice: remain silent or speak, and help the brothers survive.

Choices. They come at a price.

Jack has to deal with problems that most teenagers don't. Instead of worrying about homework, he's worrying about being about to put food on the table for his little brother Matty. His mother is dead and his father is in prison and he's scared of being separated from his brother. His only choice to to find the money that lead to his father' going to prison. Only, he's not the only person looking for that money. Ava's father is also looking for the money. Her father has controlled her life for far too long and now she's ready to regain some of that control.

This isn't lighthearted and it deals with sensitive topics like murder and suicide, but overall I enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and plot driven. I could see this appealing to both the YA and adult audiences.

**Review to be posted to goodreads and blog closer to publication date.

This had me holding my breath most of the time but that made it so much fun!
This book was wonderful! Full of exciting wonderful heartfelt book!
So much emotion is written in this novel!
I'm excited to see if there will be a second book!

I received an ARC Kindle edition of this book from NetGalley.

Let's get the trigger warnings out of the way: suicide, child abuse, graphic violence, kidnapping, murder

This is one of those books that will leave you speechless (in a good way). It's a fast paced read and the suspense will keep pulling you along. There is some graphic violence, but it does not slow the story at all.

Based on what I am seeing, this book is the start of a series. The book offers closure so it will be interesting to see where the second book takes us. I look forward to it.

I read this book as part of the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 2021 - A book that's published in 2021.

I have mixed thoughts on this book.

I thought it was a great story idea and well told. I loved who the characters were. I could totally see this as a movie..

But... yes, there is a but.. But it felt as if this book were TOO story driven. Personally, I like to "feel" for the characters - good or bad. When i am held in suspense for a story, I want it to be because I care what happens to the characters, not just because I think it's really interesting.

That being said I have felt that way about great literature (like Mice and Men), so take it with a grain of salt. I do want to thank the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the advance copy to read. This did not impact my review.

Where do I begin?! This was a beautiful, haunting and rare book that stays with you long after you read it. From the beginning sentences, I was immersed in the brutal, yet tender story that unfolds. Poetic and unrelenting, the story takes the reader on a journey that is reminiscent of Fargo meets No Country for Old Men meets a love story and what you will do to keep family safe.
I highly recommend this extraordinary YA novel for high school and public libraries. I can't wait to read what Ms. Anderson writes next.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

What Beauty There Is gives us a fast-paced adrenaline rush with each chapter. 17 year old Jack remembers the good times with his family before drugs and prison took over. Now he must protect his little brother Matty and make sure they stay together. The new girl at school, Ava, opens each chapter to draw new pangs of suspense. Stolen money, an evil man out for revenge, and a harsh winter environment all contribute to the anticipation. Is Jack doomed or will everything be okay? Where is the briefcase and would it even help? Who can you trust? This book is about survival. There are bad people/bad families, but some good too in the world. I totally loved this book until the last 2 pages. I read them twice but just didn't get that wrap up. Otherwise, 2 thumbs up!