I loved this memoir. It was raw, honest, and hard to put down. Although it is very triggering as it talks about incestual sexual abuse, you really were able to feel the emotion throughout the book and the pain that Andrea felt/feels.

What struck me the most was how Andrea managed to weave such trauma with a strong, distinct voice that never felt self-pitying, but instead deeply reflective and human. Her storytelling is vivid and unfiltered, pulling you into her world with such intensity that I often found myself needing to pause to take a breath.

Despite the heavy subject matter, a powerful undercurrent of resilience and hope prevails. Andrea’s journey toward healing—through therapy, self-awareness, and reclaiming her narrative—felt like a lifeline for anyone who has ever experienced deep emotional wounds. It’s a brave and necessary story that exposes the generational silence and denial often surrounding abuse, especially within families that appear “perfect” from the outside.

This memoir isn’t just a story of trauma—it’s a story of survival, truth, and breaking cycles.

A very emotional book that brought me to tears. It is a very well-written book about childhood trauma, specifically intrafamilial child sexual abuse. I read it in one night only because I had to know that Andrea received the help she needed to survive.
My heart goes out to the author. Any survivor of sexual abuse will find self-sabotage familiar. If only it were as easy to "forget about it and move on" as we are sometimes told.
This is a great book that readers of any genre would find interesting.
I was happy to accept the gift of an advanced reader copy of this book from She Writes Press and NetGalley.

I highly recommend this inspiring memoir! Andrea Leeb’s book is searingly honest, with profound insights helpful to anyone touched by abuse. Her memories of being sexually abused as a child, and the painful aftermath that follows, are candidly recalled. Confusion, emotional blunting and sometimes complete shut-down, result in a lack of trust in everyone, These are the tragic results of being groomed to keep secrets. She blamed herself because others told her it was her fault. How terrible not to be believed or appropriately supported as a young girl/woman! Outward appearances of a happy family life fooled those around her. Unaddressed family secrets grew for years. Lack of responsible parenting, and a cycle or threats and rewards offered by the perpetrator, kept her off-balance. Being labeled “emotionally disturbed” and having, at times, conflicted feelings about her abuser, added to her early shame. It is difficult to find the self-awareness of knowing what actually happened to you in such an environment, but she heroically does so. Now painfully honest about her emotions, she reveals how silence, especially while staying outwardly busy and successful, can keep a person stuck in corrosive shame and in lonely isolation. She followed her family paradigm about outward appearances in that way. Her memoir is redemptive. By speaking to wise, trauma-informed people, she finds a way out of self-blame. She comes to trust others by listening to those who empathize and understand her. She sees her perpetrators stay in denial, which baffles her at times, yet she ultimately accepts their limitations. She knows that people sometimes create a false reality to excuse their mistakes. This way, they evade facing the pain they have caused others. Abusers continue to punish those who speak truth. The author gains wisdom about her life when she finally speaks out. Her insight: emotionally numb feelings result when you bury memories you just wish would disappear. When not faced, they harm and haunt you. Through therapy and self-reflection, she finds acceptance and happiness within. She also attracts empathetic people who understand her. Because of her own suffering, she learns to feel deeply for others. No longer doomed to wear a scarlet letter, she breaks free and puts down the enormous burden that was never her’s to carry. That responsibility belongs to the perpetrator, even if that person is remains unrepentant. She carries on without apology to discover a new life of possibility.

An incredibly well-written recount of horrific child abuse and the last impacts it had on the author.

This was a stunning read. It took a little bit to get me interested, however once I was about 1/4 of the way in I was hooked. An incredible journey that I feel privileged to have been able to read about. I would recommend this book those interested in memoirs about trauma, sexual assault, and the growth that happens after trauma.

This is one of the better memoirs I have read this year. It’s not long and drawn out but compact and full of information about her life.
She also keeps you wanting to know what happens to her next without necessarily leaving you on a cliff hanger at the end of every chapter.
I would recommend this to a book club.

This book was so good I really enjoyed the story I really love the authors writing skills I what amazing story .

Thank you to NetGalley, the publu6, and author for the privilege of reading this emotional and life changing book.

I readd this book in less than a day from cover to cover. Andrea's story of abuse was hard to read, but helped me immensely. Although I did not suffer physical abuse our home was one of fear and mental and emotional abuse. My father regularly beat and abused my brother and as a child I felt guilty not being able to help him. In those days people looked the other way.

Years and years of therapy have helped, but I still live with guilt and shame and enormous trust issues. Relationships are hard

I understand Andrea's love for her mother. I do not understand my Mother not stepping in an allowing the abuse. It is hard to reconcile that anger with the live a child has for a parent.

Confusd and guilt ridden I have survived.

I recommend this book to all survivors and those who seek to understand and help those they love who are suffering or struggling as survivors.

First, I would like to say thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC. This is a haunting memoir. I wanted to crawl into the book and save 4 1/2 year-old. Andrea. It was an absolutely heartbreaking read. Page after page, I became angrier and angrier at how many people failed an innocent child. And page after page, I applauded Andrea for somehow managing to live through the horrors she experienced.

Such a Pretty Picture is one of the most beautifully written memoirs I've read this year. With raw honesty and lyrical prose, the author recounts her experiences with familial abuse, sexual assault, and suicidal ideation in a way that is both deeply affecting and profoundly authentic. The writing doesn't just tell you a story, it immerses you in it, evoking an emotional intensity that stays with you long after the final page. This memoir powerfully illuminates the long-lasting impact of sexual abuse on young women and children, showing how trauma echoes into adulthood. Despite the heaviness of the subject matter, the book is ultimately a testament to resilience and healing. I'm grateful the author had the courage to share her truth-- and to find, through that process, a measure of peace.

Such a Pretty Picture is not just a beautiful memoir; it's an important one.

I have set myself a goal to read more non fiction and so when I saw this cover it just grabbed me and I knew I had to read it. It was such a thought provoking read with some heavy moments but also some really lighthearted and funny moments. I really enjoyed it

Andrea Leeb, you did a beautiful job writing about the worst parts of your life. Because of your courage, others can read this memoir and not feel so alone. Thank you for that.

If you loved I’m Glad My Mom Died or The Glass Castle, this memoir should be on your list. It’s raw, emotional, and incredibly brave. Andrea shares her story of childhood abuse and the long road to healing with such honesty that it really hits you. Her journey is heartbreaking but also full of strength and hope. It’s not an easy read, but it’s an important one and one that sticks with you long after the last page.

Andrea Leeb’s debut memoir will wrench open a reader’s heart. SUCH A PRETTY PICUTRE delivers an unapologetic journey into the trauma of childhood sexual abuse. From the opening chapter, the innocent moment of a four-year-old’s bath at the hands of her father, sets the stage for a decade of shame and fear. The writer is led to believe that she is to blame for what her father does to her, and anything less than her silence will destroy the family. Her mother, aware of the abuse, turns a blind eye, and does nothing to protect her daughter.

SUCH A PRETTY PICTURE exposes exactly how abuse can hide in plain sight. Andrea writes with an emotional detachment, an unflinching look at her world, that draws the reader close to every painful moment. Her prose is spare, yet impactful. The reader cannot look away, as if the act of looking might somehow save the child.

Andrea’s triumphant success, finding her true self in the middle of confusion and shame, is a testament to the writer’s tenacity. Her struggles to recover balance and healing, gift the reader with a hopeful note, that resilience and recovery, no matter how messy and no-linear, can be attained.

An important and must-read book that will linger in the reader’s mind long after turning the last pages.

Tw -
* child SA
* incest SA

Honestly this book absolutely broke me, such an intense read to read about Andrea Leeb and her traumas growing up
I feel absolutely privileged to have been able to read this early as an arc read

It was utterly heartbreaking and intense,
Andrea Leeb is an incredibly strong woman

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is such an emotional story. The abuse and grooming by Leeb's father is appalling but what makes it worse is her mother's willful blindness from the very first incident.
The trauma that follows from being abused by boys and the damage it has on her future relationships is very apparent. Therapy is so important in working through the trauma.

A heartbreakingly dark memoir. The author had to endure so much, it is truly shocking and was a difficult read.

I received a copy for review. All opinions are my own.
Wow what a captivating story of what the author had to endure in her life starting when she was a young girl. Her story helps show what happens when we hold trauma in and how it can affect so many other aspects of our lives until we decide to face it head on. By sharing her story, as hard as it may be, this book can help others not feel so alone. I am grateful she chose to share her story.

Wow. I finished this one in a single sitting - this was a tragic and dificult read, but also a powerful and important one.

I appreciated Andrea sharing her story in such a raw and authentic way - it highlights that trauma doesn't just impact us in the moment, but that it follows us and impacts future relationships and life moments. SO many people failed her, yet she somehow still managed to pick herself up to seek help, strength, and hope through everything, something that many of us are too fearful of doing. On top of that, it was beautifully written - "unputdownable" while also sharing the horrific truth behind the abuse she endured. An easy 5/5. Thank you so much for this ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this raw and heart-wrenching memoir by Andrea Leeb ARC.
I admire the courage it took for her to write and tell us her darkest and most personal moments. This book deals with heavy topics that may be triggering. It touches on sexual abuse, incest, and grooming by her father. The lack of emotional support in her life was appalling. I understand that it was a different time and such topics weren't considered so seriously yet it still shocks me how every adult in her life failed her. Andreas writing style is perfect, you feel connected to her experiences and pain. I highly recommend this memoir to anyone looking for something honest and impactful that will leave you wanting more and more.