Waited longer than I meant to read this. I think if I had read this when it first came out I would have found it compelling. Now, however, it felt a little exploitative.

A well written book on a hard subject matter.

Well written characters that have some extremely hard times and often upsetting scenes

Thank you Netgalley for a copy for an honest review

What in the world did I actually just read? It feels icky, but like a beautiful love story at the same time. This type of story was out of my comfort zone but kept my interest from page one. I love the varying points of view and perspectives. I think this type of writing style really helped show how the situation impacted each person individually.

This book didn't provide any warm fuzzies but I was happy to have experienced it.

Trigger Warnings for this book- child abuse, domestic abuse, implied sexual abuse, drug use, alcoholism, eating disorders

I went into this book without reading any other reviews or really even a blurb. There were parts of this story that were really uncomfortable if you stopped to think about them, but also very believable in relation to the story. I would recommend if you might be triggered to check the trigger warnings.

That said, this story is rich in characters. The two main characters are well developed to me and I can relate to them. I know people who are like them who might have found themselves in this very situation. Of course people would have looked sideways, but no one ever sought to make the situations that led to this outcome not happen either.

Wow - this was at the same time a compelling yet difficult read. The writing was absolutely beautiful.

Young Wavy has a difficult childhood and seeks solace in a family friend Kellen. As Wavy grows up, her dependency and attraction to Kellen grows; while his to her does as well.

I had to separate myself from the story and just allow the characters to speak their truth. Once I was able to do that, it was a much more enjoyable read for me.

5 stars. This is an amazing book and I'm so happy that it is the first book I finish in 2017. Review to come.

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things is going to be polarizing and divisive. It was beautifully written but uncomfortable. I’m going to keep this brief, many have gone in to the details, but I think this is the type of book you have to read and decide for yourself.

It’s not hard to see why Wavy and Kellen would’ve been drawn to each other, but it was difficult to read. The abuse Wavy endured was heartbreaking and Kellen’s father figure role made their relationship all the more complicated to grasp. I mostly tried to read the story and save space for non judgement. It was written so beautifully, despite the subject matter.

Again it was a rough read, but decide for yourself on the nitty gritty.

this one ultimately ended up being a DNF for me -- I've personally lived through some challenging/abusive sexual situations and this one hit a little too close to home with some of its themes and content matter. it's a bizarre and intense one that I wouldn't. recommend for most people, especially those with sensitivities around sex/drugs/hard lifestyles.

There were things that were very hot button and things I really couldn't get behind, but overall I did enjoy this novel. I'm still baffled that this is a debut. It is extremely well written and embraces all sorts of shades of gray. Even though I didn't agree with things in this book, I do think a lot of it was handled well and did show that even some hot button issues are not black and white. 3.5 stars. I would definitely read something else by this author.

Read my full goodreads review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1635128002

This book certainly isn't for everyone, but I loved it. It's one of those book that has stayed with me all this time. In fact, I was recently discussing it with a group of friends and we were all remarking on how much we liked it. Even though it dealt with a subject matter that would typically be unsettling, it just worked and made sense.

I went into this book with an open mind, but also open eyes. I had read reviews and thought I would still give it a go. Wavy was a character that broke my heart. She endured so much. Unfortunately, I couldn't get past the fact that this was sexual abuse of a child. The writing that I made it through was good, but I could not finish this book. It was just not for me.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MY ARC THIS WAS MY BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR 2019!

Okay. First things first, the books topic is highly controversial. You may find that reading this is going to stir up a multitude of feelings. Especially when you come across the first sexual scene with Wavy 13 years, and Kellen 26ish years… It doesn’t matter what way you put it, a sexual/romantic relationship between a child and adult is wrong. Especially a child that has experienced the amount of trauma that Wavy has in this story. And that can most certainly make reviewing this story difficult for some. For me, this is something I deal with through work, study, and research. I read this story and saw two very broken people who need a lot of therapy.

Now that that’s out of the way, the creation and execution of this story was brilliant. There was a very authentic feel about the characters. It did pull you in, it did make you feel, and it certainly made you think about it for days afterwards. That’s the mark of an excellent story. I always enjoy when chapters are given solely to a character, it enables you to connect on a more personal level with the character. Get to know them, get inside them, get closer to them. For me, that’s why I read: I like to get lost in a book and in the characters world.

So a word or warning, this story is extremely controversial. But it’s also wonderfully crafted, so if you can get past the topic, and appreciate how it’s put together, I think you’ll enjoy it.

This was one of my favorite novels from 2017. The writing was absolutely gorgeous, the characters felt so real, and the subject matter, although difficult to read at times, was incredibly intriguing. I will read anything else Bryn Greenwood decides to publish.

This book! Holy cow...this book is all that I can say! It probably has the most fitting title that I have EVER seen in a book with certainly All the Ugly and Wonderful Things. This has got to be one of the most thought-provoking books that I have ever read! And this book left such a lasting impression on me!

What a character Wavy is! That poor girl, such a strong a resilient thing! The story is full of heartbreak but at the same time love. It's difficult to explain without just telling you to READ IT! You won't be sorry!

All The Ugly and Wonderful Things has hints and moments of loveliness and page upon page of ugliness.

Sparing nothing, the author tells the story of the virtually silent child, Wavonna, known as Wavy, whose entire childhood is marked by the kind of ugly perversion that the phrase,” Sex, drugs, and rock and rock and roll,” implies. Want a thriving meth lab to entice you? Got it. How about some drunken and lewd carousing? Check. Murder? Got that, too. Mix in one very strange romantic entanglement with two of the strangest characters I’ve encountered outside of Charles Dickens, one so far under the age of consent that she should not know anything about provocative seduction, and that’s this book.

It is hard to say that I liked this book. It was too long, for one thing. The characters are written as though they have little to no affect, but I believe that’s purposeful to establish the dark reality these people inhabit. I did admire the craft of the author in creating this twisted tale. But the ending, so neat and tidy after the virtual horror show that makes up most of the story fell flat to me.

I give this three stars: four stars for writing and two for the tale itself,

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review,

The cast of characters in this novel is the prototypical dysfunctional family: Dad cooks meth and abuses women and lives with various girlfriends, mom is psychotic, the kids are barely taking care of themselves, and the oldest girl has a distressing relationship with one of her dad's business partners: the business being selling drugs. Things gradually go off the rails and this novel goes from dark to uncomfortable to a complete train wreck. While you won't like the characters and the plot line will make your uncomfortable, it is a very well drawn novel.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

As the daughter of a drug dealer, Wavy knows not to trust people, not even her own parents. It's safer to keep her mouth shut and stay out of sight. Struggling to raise her little brother, Donal, eight-year-old Wavy is the only responsible adult around. Obsessed with the constellations, she finds peace in the starry night sky above the fields behind her house, until one night her star gazing causes an accident. After witnessing his motorcycle wreck, she forms an unusual friendship with one of her father's thugs, Kellen, a tattooed ex-con with a heart of gold.
By the time Wavy is a teenager, her relationship with Kellen is the only tender thing in a brutal world of addicts and debauchery. When tragedy rips Wavy's family apart, a well-meaning aunt steps in, and what is beautiful to Wavy looks ugly under the scrutiny of the outside world.

This caught me by complete surprise. I am not going to give a lot away in these comments but what I will say is this: for some people, Lolita was over-the-top. If that was you, don't read this book. Not that they are the same story but your sensibilities may not cope with the gritty realism of this novel.

The story-telling is uncompromising. It is hard to read at times. It can be a little confusing at times (there are quite a number of narrators) and it can be confronting.

But, ultimately, what it is can be summed up in one word. Compelling.

I have seen a number of reviews from people claiming this book "sexualises children" or "promotes paedophilia." These are possibly the same people who have no trouble reading books like 50 Shades that promotes violence against women.

Read this book. Be optimistic. Be appalled. Be amazed. Be disgusted. Just read it.


Paul
ARH

So many ugly things. They just couldn’t overcome the wonderful things. Kellan truly felt like he was the only person that fully understood and loved Wavy.

This books was amazing! The topic was definitely delicate and at time I thought I wasn’t going to be able to finish the story but the book continued to draw me in. In the end it’s a story of survival. Being dealt a certain deck of cards does not mean you can come out on top. I thought the characters in the book were well built. The story line was delicate but mesmerizing all the same.

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.