What Beauty There Is by Cory Anderson is an absolutely fantastic debut novel about Jack and his younger brother Matty. Jack is forced with the decision to either lose Matty to foster care or find the drug money that sent his father to prison. Then, they meet Ava, who has her own complex past.

This was a fantastic debut novel, with absolutely beautiful writing. This story flew by. It was emotional and chilling, with characters that were robust and realistic. I read this book in one sitting because it drew me in and kept me there. I loved this story and the emotional roller coaster it took me on! I can't wait to read more from Cory Anderson. If this book hasn't been on your TBR yet, it needs to be!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/Roaring Book Press for the ARC. This did not affect the contents of my review. All opinions are honest and my own.

Phenomenal book! Such a quick read, one you can't put down. The chapters are short and there is so much emotion behind each character.

Jack will do anything to save his brother but his choices have landed them in some trouble. Ava wants to help them but little does she know she's living with the monster that wants to destroy them.

You find yourself hoping against hope that the good prevails, but never really knowing what's going to happen. The story unfolds quickly and then it's a wild ride.

Great book!

This story was unbelievable sad. I almost put it down and started something else, but pushed my way through the stilted writing (some people call it poetic prose, but I don't). The action started RIGHT away, even though you don't know it's the action when you first start.
This is not for a faint of heart, but for readers who enjoy survivalist stories and realistic fiction adventure/treasure hunt stories.

I had pretty good expectations for this as the synopsis sounds great and the cover is very pretty. But I was sadly a bit disappointed by it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy for review.

Okay, wow! What Beauty There Is was so much more than I thought it was going to be! This was such an emotional story that I was in tears at times. I felt so much for Jack and his little brother Matty. I was rooting for them the whole time. When Ava came into the story, it would only made me love it that much more. Readers will be drawn to the atmosphere, the prose, but mostly the characters. This is a story not to be missed.

3.5/5 stars.

This book started out very strong. The first chapter hit like a truck and immediately drew me in, but unfortunately I didn't feel like that momentum continued to the end. Every chapter begins with an italicized commentary from Ava, which at first was mysterious and interesting, but later became a bit tedious to read, since I wanted to get to the action instead. The characters could have been explored a bit more overall, along with Ava and Jack's relationship, which seemed sudden.

I had no big problems with the writing style, but some may find it a bit stiff. Short back and forth conversations that ended with "Okay" occurred a lot, and also became a little repetitive. But besides that, I loved reading about Jack trying to protect his brother.

WOW. This book is gorgeously written, heartbreaking, dark, and hopeful. The main characters are so strong and even though we just get bits and pieces of their backstory, you still feel a connection to them and are rooting for them from start to finish. This is a very atmospheric book (I felt cold the entire time!) and as a reader, I felt like I was right there with the characters. This is a powerful debut and I have already purchased a copy for my classroom. An author to watch for sure!

Hopeful and devastating, at once a page turning thriller, and a beautiful romance. WHAT BEAUTY THERE IS is a stunning book that made me cry more than once :)

An incredible book that made me feel intense amounts of pain with every single word I read. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. A heavy book, but amazing nonetheless.

I don't usually read thrillers but I'm trying to step out of my genre more than normal this year and I was pleasantly surprised by this one.

This was a nice fast paced and thrilling book. I felt connected to the characters and they felt real to me. I recommend this to friends.

This beautiful piece of work ripped my heart apart and sewed it back together. I can’t say much else beyond that: Cory Anderson’s prose is a work of art.

Ordinarily I only give books a 5-star review if I plan to reread them. I don't think I can reread this one, but that doesn't mean it's not worthy of 5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of this book.

Content warnings: Gun violence, suicide, child kidnapping, child abuse,

"Sometimes you read something and the whole world becomes very simple. You step out of yourself, and you see the truth clearly. And you think, 'What total shit'."

"He was right. What you put in your heart will make you hurt. But it will be the most spectacular kind of hurt. It will light you up and burn you. It will knock you down. It will break you apart. And it will make you different."

This is a seriously heart-breaking book to read. It's beautiful in its own way, with Jack being so determined to make sure he and his little brother Matty survive, with Ava being there and wanting to help them, being drawn to them when she spent her entire life trying to keep from feeling anything. But it's a hard read. There were times I had to put it down, when I couldn't bear to read anymore. And when I hit 70%, I had to know how it would end. I skipped ahead, skimming the last 30% of the book. I went back and dutifully read the last 30% for real, and even though I knew what was coming, it didn't matter. I ugly cried reading the ending of the book.

The thing that strikes me about this book is that to a certain degree, it's too realistic. I don't mean that in a bad way - Anderson does a great job, believe me. But it's a scenario that seems far too real, one you could easily picture hearing about on a true crime podcast. And as for the justice in the world? There's some, I guess, but also like reality there's not enough. There's a somewhat happy ending, for sure, but it's bittersweet. The characters in this book just feel so real that what happens to them will make even the hardest person shed at least a few tears. It's worth reading, for sure, but know what you're getting into - and have tissues handy. This book will undoubtedly stick with me for a long while.

What Beauty There Is is a story of familial love and first romantic loves. It’s about trying to live outside your family’s mistakes and doing whatever it takes to take care of who you care for most.

Jack Dahl comes home one day to find that his mother has taken her own life. With is father in prison, he is the only one there to take care of his younger brother Matty. So Jack does a series of things to ensure that his brother doesn’t get put in the foster care system. This includes looking for a money that his father has hidden somewhere.
This book Is a contemporary and mystery mashed into one. There is the suspense of Jack trying to take care of Matty and him looking for the money. Jack meets Ava who is the love interest and happens to be the antagonist daughter. Anderson does not shy away from brutal content and it is on page. There’s murder and abuse. It was unexpected but I enjoyed it.
The writing of was evocative and emotive. The character work is top tier and I cared so much about what happened to them. I never questioned Jack or Ava’s motivation for what they did. They behaved like two teenagers out of their depth. I definitely will pick up something else from this author.
If I had to pick a con, it would be that it took me too long to orientate when this was taking place. There were times where it seemed like it was taking place in the past, maybe the 50s or 60s, but in actuality it was set in present day in a small town in Idaho. Not a huge con but it was something that took me out of the story.
Overall, this is the type of contemporary that I love. It wasn’t just a love story or a story full of tragedy, although there is both of those things. The author was able to still maintain a hopeful note throughout that didn’t make reading this book so sad. It’s definitely a gut punch though.

Love motivates against all odds…
The brutal winter of Idaho, with its frigid cold and bone-chilling wind, is a dangerous place that shows no mercy. This desolate landscape is a reflection of life for seventeen year old Jack Dahl, who is having to salvage the shattered family left behind by his convict father, sent to prison for a drug deal gone wrong. When one thing after another leaves Jack and his little brother, Matty, alone on the verge of starvation with the threat of separation by DHS, Jack determines to do whatever is necessary to see them through this, even if it means tracking down the drug money his father hid before his arrest. While Ava Bardem has never lacked the material comforts of life her existence has been no less bleak being raised by Victor Bardem, a ruthless man who controls with cold fear and manipulation and has taught Ava there is no room for love if you want to survive. As Lehland Dahl’s former associate Victor has been obsessed with finding the missing money. When he learns that Jack is sniffing around for it, Victor sets his crosshairs squarely on Jack. Yet, Jack receives help from the most unlikely source, Ava. Her choice to go against her father might be the only thing that makes the difference or it will lead to a terrible end for Ava, Jack, and Matty.

What Beauty There Is takes you on such a compelling and captivating journey. While the scenery is dark and depressing, the characters have a depth and veracity that makes you forget they are fictional. The layers of Jack and Ava’s essence reveal a depth of character that is innately good and tenacious. Even when the choices they are forced to make are not “good” their intentions never stray from the selfless determination to do whatever they can for the people that mean the most to them. This is even more evident when confronted with a ruthless and deprived being like Victor Bardem. Be forewarned, this is a heart-wrenching and heart-racing story that will have you anxious to turn the page yet unable to put it down.

Cory Anderson”s debut novel What Beauty There Is exceeds one’s expectations of a rookie author. Written from both Ava and Jack’s perspective with each chapter starting with Ava’s voice in narrating the cryptic implications of their story then moving to Jack’s point of view for the flashback to the real time events. This creative technique contributes to the high level of suspense that saturates this dark and brutal thriller. Cory has also found the perfect balance between the thrilling action, as Victor stalks Jack and Ava, and the intimate personal experiences between Jack, Ava, and Matty which ultimately makes this a story of sacrificial love and hope.

A haunting story of survival when it seems like the whole world is against you. First things first, make sure you check trigger warnings for this book because it starts off pretty intense. I was caught off guard as we dove in deep right at the beginning.

Jack, Matty, and Ava's journey is tough, emotional, and bittersweet. Jack's grit is inspiring. Living in poverty and taking care of his brother while his father is in jail and his mother is on drugs. Matty is the much needed sweetness to this story. I wish we had seen a bit more on Ava's background growing up with her father.

This story was so human and so raw. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a darker survival story that is character-driven.

There were some parts that were a bit confusing and I wish the secondary characters had more depth.

What Beauty There Is is very a very sparse, stark book. It tells the story of Jack, a teen whose dad is in prison and whose mom can't take it anymore and dies by suicide. Without parents, Jack and his brother Mattie are terrified they will be separated. Jack feels that if he can just find the money that his dad hid before going to prison, he can take care of both of them. But there are other people after the money, too, and Jack is quickly in their sights. My heart was in my throat through this whole book, and while I initially had trouble connecting, everything fell into place for me and I ended up loving the style, and appreciating Ava's dreamlike prose woven through Jack's story.

Oh man, what a book! A huge part of me wanted to start the book over as soon as I finished it and the other part knew I needed to breathe.

I really suggest just opening up this story and diving right in.

A relentless, edge-of-your-seat YA thriller that will haunt and devastate you! Wow, this book is astounding! The mood is gritty and bleak throughout, with characters that burrow under your skin and break your heart. I loved the pacing and twists, and the sweet bits of hope sprinkled at the end. I see this is a series, so I can't wait to read the next installment!

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Roaring Brook Press for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a story largely reminiscent of The Lovely Bones, though this one is a bit more pedestrian. We have poverty, drugs, and the constant struggle for survival. Jack's struggle to keep himself and his brother alive and out of the system, his dilemma about the drug money, would be enough to make this compelling. But Anderson adds in romantic entanglement, constant action, and some needlessly graphic gore. While the story was initially interesting, I found it tiresome as the book progressed and the criminals played a larger role in the plot. Criminals who were more parodies than complex characters.