Release Day Review - All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things 

by Bryn Greenwood 

Release Date: August 9th, 2016 

Genre: Literary Fiction

Synopsis:

As the daughter of a meth dealer, Wavy knows not to trust people, not even her own parents. Struggling to raise her little brother, eight-year-old Wavy is the only responsible "adult" around. She finds peace in the starry Midwestern night sky above the fields behind her house. One night everything changes when she witnesses one of her father's thugs, Kellen, a tattooed ex-con with a heart of gold, wreck his motorcycle. 

What follows is a powerful and shocking love story between two unlikely people that asks tough questions, reminding us of all the ugly and wonderful things that life has to offer.

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BETUL'S REVIEW

**ARC provided by author/publisher in exchange for an honest review**

After reading a review by a friend I was very intrigued to get my hands on this book. I didn't completely understand what I would get myself into when I started this book. I went in with a very open mind. I am a big fan of taboo reads and not many things really surprise or turn me off in books. This book definitely was taboo but on the other hand the characters in this book are not the characters you find in your every day novels. 

Wavy is a little girl with so much responsibility and has been hurt so many times in her life. My heart BROKE for her, there were a couple of scenes that had me crying because nobody really understood her. To people she is weird, antisocial and does things "normal" people wouldn't do. She was unique and so grown-up for her young age. She was fearless and strong, and I just couldn't wait to see who she would grow up to be. Her parents are no good drug dealers/users and don't pay her any mind. They have scarred her so badly with their horrible behavior and teachings. She only has her younger brother who she is very protective of. 

They are all alone until they meet Kellen who takes a role as their protector. Kellen has his own problems but I just loved how he took Wavy under his wings and helped her out so much. Their friendship was one of a kind and so heartbreakingly beautiful. This friendship turns into more. I had mixed feelings because of the age difference (especially because Wavy was underaged). There was definitely very inapproprate things happening but I think I could overlook them because Wavy wasn't your typical young girl. In her young life she had been through things others wouldn't go through in their lifetimes. There were a couple of times she came across as immature but other times so grown up.

I was blown away by this book. Wavy and Kellen were both two broken souls that healed each other. This book isn't for everyone because of the taboo elements. Be open minded if you do decide that you want to give this book a chance. I don't think I'll be able to forget this book easily, it has wormed its way into my heart. The characters are very dear to me! I love that there are multiple POVs and that they aren't very long. It really gave a great perspective of how the outside looked into Wavy and Kellen's life. How they were experiencing her "weird" behavior. All the Ugly and Wonderful Things is one of my favorite reads this year and I can't wait to read more from this author. I am very impressed with her writing. She is definitely an author to look out for.

About the Author

BRYN GREENWOOD is a fourth-generation Kansan, and the daughter of a mostly reformed drug dealer. She earned a MA in Creative Writing from Kansas State University and continues to work in academia as an administrator. Her short fiction has appeared in Chiron Review, Karamu, The Battered Suitcase, and Menda City Review. She is the author of the novels All the Ugly and Wonderful Things, Last Will, and Lie Lay Lain. She lives in Lawrence, Kansas.

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