What to say about a book like this? That's it's beautifully written? That you find yourself caring immensely about the two main characters? Or that it's a dangerous and disturbing plot line that deals with an inappropriate love? But if Wavy and Kellen don't care for each other, who will? Because these two have both had miserable lives without the benefit of anyone to take care of them, let alone love them. This book just rocked me. It had me questioning my assumptions about right and wrong.

This is a travesty that I am just noticing I neglected to give feedback on this book. It was absolutely gut-wrenching and powerful. It was so sad, but I felt compelled to finish up to the last page. I have recommended this book time and time again because it was so good. Definitely not for the faint of heart, but an amazing book for readers of contemporary fiction.

This is, perhaps, one of the most controversial and challenging books I have read. I have very mixed feelings about the story, but marvel in Greenwood’s abilities to write such captivating characters.

Let me be clear, I do not think this book is for everyone- it is an emotionally disturbing read and often felt like an attempt to normalize or empathize with criminal behavior.

This is the story of Wavy who is neglected and unloved by her parents. Her whole world changes though when her meth-dealing father’s wingman, Kellan, becomes a fixture in her life. Kellan provides the things she and her brother need like food, and helping her with school, and making sure she has shoes…

You know, the stuff your parents are supposed to do.

Lines become quickly blurred though when Wavy develops a crush on Kellan and the two become inseparable. She is a CHILD though and Kellan goes along with Wavy’s story for a while, until it is no longer a story, but the truth.

It is interesting though that I had very strong convictions about it being about pedophilia and my friend called it an unconventional love story. I think it has, perhaps, a lot to do with what you have witnessed or experienced in your own life and your own personal triggers.

If you are looking for a controversial read, this would be it. As a parent though, one can’t help but think of your own children and how heartbreaking Wavy’s story is. This child was robbed of a childhood by everyone in her life and the scenes are brutal to even read.

Overall, a solid story, even with the triggers.

Trigger warnings- pedophilia, child sexual abuse

Loved this book but it was a difficult read due to the content. As a result, I have been very selective about who I have been suggesting read it.

I know this novel is controversial in its subject matter, but only an author this talented could create such sympathetic characters and a compelling story out of it. I highly recommend it!

All The Ugly and Wonderful Things is a beautifully written story full of tragedy and love. It is heartbreaking, painful, ugly, and so amazing. I fell into the story and the characters and it pained me to read the last word. This is one of the best books I've read this year.

This novel really pushed my thinking about right and wrong. I found myself struggling with internal conflict about wanting Wavy and Kellen to be able to have a relationship and thinking that this is wrong on many levels. Though uncomfortable to read at times, I found that I couldn't stop reading.

Wayvonna Quinn was born in the back of a stranger’s car while her parents hitchhiked across Texas. Eight years later, her circumstances have improved. Barely.

Now living in a dilapidated farmhouse, Wavy’s trying to parent her infant brother. Her father runs a meth lab on the property and her mother barely functions. To say her life is difficult is an understatement. She is poor, abused, and afraid.

Then she meets Kellen. Kellen changes her life, they take care of each other—and care for each other, in a world that doesn’t want them. Aside from Wavy’s brother, Kellen is the only wonderful thing in her life. But when tragedy upends and exposes Wavy’s family, her life looks ugly to the outside.

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things (I received my review copy from the publisher) is an unexpectedly touching novel. Filled with tragedy and told effortlessly from multiple narrators, Bryn Greenwood’s novel is one that will stick with me for a long time. It’s a story that challenges the way you view the world. How and when is love appropriate? Are certain lines, if crossed, a forgivable offense? Can a 14 year old, who is an adult in nearly every way possible, be capable of adult feelings?

As Wavy falls in love with Kellen, a man who is much too old for her, the novel needs to be read with empathy and understanding. Greenwood does not romanticize the relationship; she is not sentimental about Wavy and Kellen. Instead she presents their brutal, hard-won existence with an honest, straightforward appeal that is, well, very appealing. I sincerely hope readers give this one a chance. It’s not an easy book to read, but it is worth it.

PS: Lolita it is not. Thankfully.

This book made me feel very emotion possible, I wanted to cry, scream in frustration, flinch, and even recoil in disgust. I rooted for the main character, Wavy, while I wasn't quite sure what exactly I was rooting for. I rejoiced in Wavy's small triumphs, while I hoped for so much more for her. I felt hope and heartbreak all at once. Wavy's story was tragic and depressing, but her courage and resilience were uplifting. The good people in her life didn't do enough for her, while the one person willing to do everything for her couldn't honestly be called good. Brilliantly written, Bryn Greenwood sums it all up in the title: this book is ugly and wonderful and everything in between.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fan TASTIC read , starting with the names Wavy and Donel, going through a drug fueled life (read the blurb i dont do spoilers)
This took me on an emotional rollercoaster with a few different characters, It gives the story from a few different peoples views so its good to get the whole picture , you dont get that in many reads , its a real integral part (for me) I couldn't put it down! I will be honest and say I thought it was going to be the usual 'oh poor me' story but i was totally and utterly happily blown away by how wrong I was.
I love love loved it , it will catch so many out in a great way.



I do hope there is more from Bryn Greenwood there is an amazing new , fresh writer there.

This book is beautiful and horrifying. It is so well written, but the content makes it impossible to feel a simple "it was great" or "I loved it". I did like it a lot, but I also hated it and was angered by it. Although theres's something to be said for a book that can elicit that type of reaction.

Definitely one of my favorites of 2016! I have recommended it so many times!

Alright, the reviews for this one are all over the place, and I can absolutely understand why. I went into this one knowing that it was about a very young girl (Wavy) in a relationship with an adult (Kellan). I was fully prepared to be completely weirded and grossed out. Surprisingly, why I did not approve of a romantic relationship in the least when it started, by the end, when she was an adult, I was rooting for them to be together.

The author managed to portray the actions and motivations of the characters with so much depth, that they became more than just a "pedophilic relationship". To me the book was so much more than that and there were times where Kellan was the only one looking out for Wavy and who gave a damn whether she lived or died. Without his help and support, there's a chance she may not have even had a chance to grow to adulthood with the family life she had.

<i>All the Ugly and Wonderful Things</i> was a perfect title for this book because life is full of ugly, horrible things that happen, but also wonderful, beautiful moments that lift you up when things seem bleak.

My favorite book of the year! I can't get it out of my mind. Im still torn on how I feel about the ending and relationship. Definitely a must read! It will make for great book club conversations!

Wow! I'm kind of at a loss for words. This book was incredible and I could not put it down. When I did put it down, I was thinking about it constantly. I was enjoying it so much, that I almost felt wrong for enjoying it because of what it is about. Still, I loved the book and it will stay with me for a long time.

** spoiler alert ** It's been a long time since I smashed through a book in effectively a day. It took me a week to get through the first 3 chapters, then I read the rest on a Sunday. Absolutely enthralling.

It's ugly, it's wonderful. Also, deeply disturbing, I can't believe I found myself behind effectively a paedophile to get the girl. But there you go, there's plenty of opaque boundaries, in life and in this book. I'm sure it will stay with me for a long time.

There are romances that claim to be unique, and there are some that are just so.
Wavy and Kellen are as different as they come.... a frail , damaged girl and a giant biker are poles apart not just in their appearance or age but in their very being. But there is something that draws them together and keeps them so❤...
Wavy is raised by parents who fail miserably at being so...her childhood is ruined and she is pushed around until she is back and living with her family who run a meth lab making her a strange little girl who barely eats , utters a word or so but fiercely protects her younger brother .
She meets Kellen - a beefed up mechanic who works with her father. A friendship develops between this unlikely pair and transforms to love...they are an odd couple, but they have the most beautiful and wholesome relationship that goes beyond their differences . There are some beautiful moments in the book , the writing is interesting- keeping things clipped and precise but enjoyable just the same. They grow together and the relationship they share is simply too sweet ..while things start falling into place, their life is simply torn apart by unexpected turn of events..maybe i was too engrossed in the relationship between the protagonists that I did not see the climax coming . The book post the climax is just as interesting and the end is kinda predictable, but essential just the same. I loved the lead characters , especially Wavy as she is very unconventional and her knowledge and love for stars makes me partial towards her.
I only regret that there weren't too many memorable quotes in the book.
Overall : started my year with a romance, and not complaining about its mushiness at all :)

We are introduced to Wavy as a five-year-old who has landed in her Aunt Brenda's house after both of her parents have been arrested. (Wavy's mother Val is a drug addict who cares about little in life, and her father Liam is a neglectful meth manufacturer and drug runner.)

At first glance, Wavy is an odd duck, rarely speaking a word, refusing to eat in front of anyone, and shunning any physical contact. She appears to "have a screw loose", but given time and patience a person will find that there is a method to her madness, and brilliance behind her baffling behavior. She's mature beyond her years, and possibly even a genius, and there is deep emotion bottled up under that still surface.

Things don't go well at Aunt Brenda's, whose rigid personality doesn't mesh with this odd duck who does nothing normally. With Brenda at her wit's end, it is Wavy's grandmother who steps up and takes in Wavy. She is everything Brenda is not, accepting Wavy for who she is, reasoning out what will work with her wacky behavior. Things are good, but they can't last. Wavy's mother gets released from jail, and it is back to an invisible life with a mentally unstable mother.

Once her father is released from prison, it isn't long before Wavy finds herself in the position of big sister to new baby Donal, and before long she is more of a mother to Donal than their own mother.

Wavy meets 24-year-old Kellen (her father's co-worker) on a day she thinks is her 8th birthday, but doesn't know for sure as she doesn't have a current calendar. Kellen wrecks his motorcycle after being startled by the beautiful little girl walking out of a field in the night, looking like an angel. A relationship quickly builds between them, as he becomes her protector and friend, and she becomes something of a caretaker of him, like a wife or mother.

Through the years, Wavy and Kellen are constants in one another's life-- two lost ships gravitating toward one another, one finding stability in the other.

Wavy teaches Kellen about astronomy, pointing out and reciting the names of the constellations in the sky, and Kellen becomes her home. They become family.

When Wavy is in high school, we learn where the title for the book comes from, but uncertainty and loss continues throughout Wavy's childhood, and she eventually finds herself lost without Kellen.

This is a unique novel that you hesitate to even pick up, as the subject matter seems so distasteful, with what seems to be a predatory man and an impressionable young girl. Interestingly enough, the tables are sort of flipped and Wavy is the predator and Kellen the impressionable one. She is an old soul, and while Kellen grounds her, I think that Wavy expands him and his world with her big intellect and powerful love.

As I began the story, I was intrigued to see whether the author could accomplish making the male character likable, and their relationship acceptable. I thought she did a great job of walking a line, taking you to the edge of "unacceptable" and only making you "uncomfortable".

I must agree that I think that is one of the things that made me uncomfortable with this story-- it was how natural their relationship felt, how "right" it seemed, and then the mental reminder of how young this girl was and how inappropriate their relationship would be under any other circumstance. But in this circumstance, in the desolation of her heart and the emotional abandonment and abuse, it felt "right". I became grateful that Kellen was there for her, that he took care of her when no one else did.

My final word: I loved this story! I loved the author's writing style which was easy-to-read, but lyrical at moments. She took on the daunting task of how to make a man that could (or even should) be viewed as a pedophile and make him likable, and how to take an uncomfortable relationship and make it feel not only comfortable, but even fated and necessary. It makes you (or I think at least most) see that Kellen is not really a pedophile-- he is not a predator of children, not a threat to children, and in fact Wavy was more the predator, and Kellen her savior. And yet it still feels uncomfortable to say that, because my mind says "this is wrong" while my heart says "this is right". Kellen and Wavy were as fated as the stars they liked to watch and call by name. And in the end, their love feels not inappropriate or dirty or ugly, but instead it is one of the wonderful things.

This was a beautiful, unconventional love story. It's definitely controversial, but I think the author wrote it in a way that works. I really liked Wavy as a character. This story is so well written that I think even those who are disgusted by the age difference between the characters can appreciate the author's telling of the story.