Summary
Our main character, Wavy, an eight-year-old girl, who is raised in a difficult home of substance abuse and drug dealing meets and falls in love with an older man, Kellen. He is an ex-con who works for her father selling drugs. The story follows them as they navigate their relationship, even if it is technically illegal.
Review
If you’re looking for a quick recommendation, yes, I would definitely recommend this book!
This is one of my all-time favorite books. It’s difficult to give the book justice when it sounds unnatural, but trust me, every time I’ve recommended this book, it comes back with high remarks. I know it’s not for everyone. As I looked through other reviews, I found that most people either loved or hated it. If you found Lolita a repulsive book, then this might not be the book for you. But I would recommend giving it a try. I sincerely hope that they teach this book in college English classes someday, I believe it is that well-written and powerful.
My favorite part about this book was definitely the characters. They are all strong, unique people, who are relatable and genuine. Wavy and Kellen are the perfect match and it’s interesting to watch as they move through their relationship. Now, the plot certainly isn’t anything like a mystery that keeps you turning the pages as quickly as you can, but the story keeps you going. I needed to know what would happen to Wavy and Kellen when others found out about their relationship.
I know I didn’t race to the ending, but when I got there, I was a little sad the book ended. It was a happy ending, in case you’re worried because I know I can get a little stressed about the ending when I need to know if it’ll be all right for the characters. It’s always sad when such a good book comes to a close. I believe what really made the book for me was the writing. It’s a lot like Lolita in that the writing is so beautiful that the subject matter isn’t quite as disturbing.
The author, Bryn Greenwood does a wonderful job of bringing every aspect of the story to life through her writing. If you’re curious, she recently came out with another book called The Reckless Oath We Made. If you enjoy this book, maybe check out her most recent publication.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this to a busy mom. It’s sure to inspire and move through the characters, the plot, and the writing. The ending is a happy one, but it is difficult to move on from this book to another. Take some time to digest this one before moving on to the next.
Rating
Five out of five stars
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If you enjoyed my review of All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood, you might also like Midwives by Chris Bohjalian. Check out my review!
If you’re interested in purchasing All the Ugly and Wonderful Things, here are some quick links to buy the book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. And, if you’re interested to see what others think, here’s the link to the book on Goodreads.
