Cory AndersonRezensionen

audio fiction, suspense/drama (~9 hrs or 7hrs20min at 1.2x speed; 2 narrators) - teen Jack Morton tries to keep himself and his little brother Matty out of foster care; 17 y.o. Ava Bardem tries to protect them and herself from her merciless/murderous father (Victor Bardem) during one cold, snowy winter in Idaho. CW/TW: a suicide/discovering of a body, violence.

The story progresses steadily (if a bit predictably) with plenty of suspense and drama (with both families being rife with criminal activity and untimely death) and likeable protagonists (esp. Matty; Ava's voice is sometimes overly saccharine for a character that supposedly won't allow herself to trust or love anyone, but she doesn't have as much of a role in telling the story and mostly chimes in to add foreshadowing).

published April 5 2021

Jack comes home to discover his mother has committed suicide and left him to care for his little brother Matty while facing eviction from their rental property. Wih no-one to turn to and fearing social services will split them apart, he visits his father in jail to ask him about the rumoured suitcase full of money his father stole and never returned. His father gets angry and hits Jack before prison guards intervene but also brings attention to himself in the form of Bardem, one of the other robbers who was swindled out of money by Jack's father.
While being chased by people for money and the police, Jack is helped by Bardem's daughter Ava who puts Jack and Matty up in a hotel with her own money. Eventually all the worlds collide when Matty is kidnapped by Bardem and Jack and Ava must find the suitcase and bring it to Bardem to save Matty's life.
Gripping, Tarentino -like story with violence and poverty and crime at every turn; all set against a backdrop of Ava's poetic remarks at the start of every chapter narrated by Jack.
One for older readers.½

I won a giveaway for this one (thanks!). It arrived today as I was about to go and prepare dinner. I opened the package, and was completely struck by the cover and the flourishes. I figured I'd go ahead and get started by just reading a few pages before getting back to my previous plans, and then next thing I knew, I was already halfway through the book.

It's so beautifully written, and I felt invested in the characters. My heart ached for them, they warmed it, and it raced as I awaited their fates. This has definitely turned out to be one of my favorite reads so far this year, and I don't think I'll be able to recommend it enough.

Oh, this book hurt my heart. It started with a sense of foreboding that only deepened and intensified the more I read. I loved Jack, Matty and Ava. They were three beautiful young people, three shining lights, in a world of darkness. They had to fight to stay alive, battling against the harshness of their environment, the greed of men and the unfairness of life. I wanted them to win. I wanted them to find safety and happiness. I wanted them to live normal lives.

The author's writing was incredible - powerful in its sparseness and emotional intensity. It was raw and real and heartbreaking. Ava's parts, especially, were lyrical and haunting, and they deeply moved me. The descriptions of the desolation and freezing conditions Ava, Jack and Matty faced had me cranking up the heat and snuggling deeper under the duvet.

"What Beauty There Is" was not an easy read. There was pain, cruelty, evil, hopelessness and despair that brought me figuratively to my knees. However, the rare shards of happiness, hope and love uplifted me and the tense plot kept me reading. This novel will not appeal to everyone but I loved it. An incredible debut.½

This book rocked my entire world. Upon seeing the cover, it instantly drew me in but the story line hooked me. From page one, I knew this was going to be a unique plot line that was sure to hook me! This story mostly follows Jack, his brother Matty and Ava (a deep female character with complexities which quickly grew to become my favorite character in the book!). We see the struggle of these characters bond to the past, relationships between mothers & fathers, to family.. loyalties and most of all - the struggle of simple survival. I’ve never read a book that was written quite as this was one and it was very welcomed. It was a definite page turner and I read it in one day! I literally could not put it down. I hate marking inside my books but there were so many tragically beautiful, quotable lines in this book I had to keep a small journal nearby to write them down for future use. Cory Anderson is sure to become a very beloved author with a long career ahead of her. I loved the book so much that I followed her on Instagram to ensure I didn’t miss any news on follow up books or novels. I’m so happy I read this and already recommended it to my huge book club, friends and family. You will NOT regret reading this story!

"His touch like a bright, yellow day. I am holding his hand. What Beauty there is in this world."

Thank you, Roaring Brook Press, and Bookishfirst for a finished copy in exchange for an honest review!

In the beginning, there is no beauty in Jack, Matty, and Ava’s life. Jack is searching his home for his mother and finds her in the last place he would guess she would be in. He walks into a room where his mother has hanged herself. Jake buries her in the frozen Idaho ground in the middle of winter and tells his little brother Matty that she has gone on a trip. This beginning had my heart pulled tight. To imagine that happening is so sad and the writing is almost poetic drawing out so many emotions. I had the sense that Jack was just going through the process without truly feeling the loss of his mother. His focus is on protecting his brother and keeping him out of foster care. Their father is in prison for some horrible crimes so Jack hides himself and Matty in order to keep him safe.

Throughout the book, Jack is protecting his brother with the little money they have. The power has been cut on their house and they have been told they have to move out in 2 days because it is being auctioned off. I had to keep reminding myself that Jack is only 17 because at points he seems so much younger and in others, he seems so much older. At such a young age he has to deal with so much tragedy.

I thought the book had a nice pace. It was fast and a lot of things happen that keeps the book moving forward. I was on the edge of my seat a few times. Jack has to deal with the people who are trying to find the money his father hid also. This of course gets him into a lot of different tense situations. Then we have Ava who is the daughter of Jack’s father’s partner. Jack does not know who Ava really is but even with Ava’s background, she does her best to help Jack and Matty.

I think I would have liked to see a little more development in Jack and Ava’s relationship. There isn’t a lot between them, and the book doesn’t develop their relationship very much. I can tell the book is trying to build their relationship off of the trials they are going through, but they hardly talk and so for me, there needs to be something else to build their relationship on.

The beginning of each chapter had a section told from the first-person point of view of Ava. It was basically like a narration of her leading us through the story and telling us her thoughts on events. Some people have said they don’t like this but I actually found this to be a unique touch that helped build the tension through foreshadowing. I found it very engaging and it made me want to read because it starts the chapter off by telling you just enough without the actual information, so I wanted to read on.

I have to say the ending left me a little confused and wondering a lot of different things. The ending left me needing more and I need clarification, so I am eagerly waiting for the next book. This type of book isn’t really the writing and plot that I would think of being a series, but I guess it is.

I started this book expecting primarily an adventurous quest-for-the-missing money story, with a bit of heartwarming brotherly storyline on the side. Both of those items were definitely present, but as a whole the book was so much MORE than what I was expecting.

First, the treasure hunt storyline: High school student Jack finds himself (and his younger brother Matty) suddenly orphaned and imminently homeless. His father is currently serving time in prison for a robbery, and the stolen money was never recovered. Jack figures his best hope is to find the money and use it to make a new life for himself and Matty. Unfortunately, the original owners of the money are also highly motivated to retrieve it, and Jack's sudden interest attracts their attention. This is a ruthless faction with no scruples regarding threatening or hurting children (or anyone else in their way) to get what they want. As Jack takes increasingly greater risks to try to insure his future, the reader is taken along on a crazy ride with plenty of twists, turns, and danger. I enjoyed this cat-and-mouse game, and speculating about where the money might be and who (if anyone) would find it.

While the adventure storyline was very good, the character storyline and development was even better. My favorite part of the whole book was reading about Jack's relationship with Matty. This young man, who never had an easy life with reliable adults to guide him, has somehow grown into an incredibly caring and responsible teen who will stop at nothing to make sure his little brother feels safe and loved. When Jack's new friend Ava is added to the mix, things become even more complicated (and more beautiful). Ava has issues of her own, and it was interesting to watch how her presence affected the boys' lives, as well as Ava's own. Profound (and often poetic) observations from Ava start each chapter.

Overall, I enjoyed this book immensely. It's easily one of my favorites of the year so far; expect to see it on my Top 10 annual wrap-up.

Definitely five out of five slices of perfect Havarti!

The cover of What Beauty There Is is beautiful and intricate, like a work of art. The story is set in the depths of winter in rural Idaho. The main characters are Jack and Matty Dahl, whose father is in jail for a convenience store robbery, and whose drug-addicted mother has just committed suicide. They have no resources, no home and are fighting for survival. Jack is desperately trying to find the money from the robbery that his father hid years ago. The adults in the life of these boys have so far, failed them. Jack does not seek out help from authorities because he is worried his little brother Matty will be taken from him. They are helped by Ava Bardem, the daughter of Victor, a ruthless and violent criminal, who was involved in the same crime as Jack's father. Ava has been isolated by her father and has no one else. Victor is also after the hidden money.
The writing is beautiful, raw, detailed and lyrical. The bitterly cold winter is so well-described, like a beautiful but dangerous character, a constant threat to Jack, Matty and Ava. The plot is perfectly paced, haunting and heart-wrenching. with skillfully built tension. The characters have depth and the reader can feel their struggle and emotions. This dark story will stay with you. I really look forward to reading the sequel.

Book source ~ TWR Tour

Jack Dahl and his younger brother Matty are in a bad place. Their life has imploded and Jack is trying to keep them together. But they need money to survive. The only thing he can think to do is go after the drug money his dad stole and then hid. But when he goes to the prison to ask his dad where the money is and his dad refuses to tell him, that’s when things get worse. So much worse.

Ok, so this book will not only rip your heart out, it will stomp on it then kick it around a bit before devouring it whole. If you don’t come away from this read with an aching chest cavity then you aren’t human. I read with an impending sense of doom. Each turn of the page I was filled with such horrific dread at what I was sure was coming that I got to the point, there toward the end, that I didn’t want to finish it. But I had to. I. Had. To. It was their story and they deserved nothing less. So, I hitched up my Big Girl jammie bottoms, took a deep breath, and continued on to the end. Whew!

The things that happen make me wish I was a superhero that could save the day for all people like Jack, Matty, and Ava. This is a story that will stick with me for a very long time. Jack and his stoic strength, Matty with his faith in his brother, and Ava. Oh, Ava. I can’t even imagine what it was like for her all those years. And that ending. Fuck, that ending. I really thought this was a one off, but now I see it’s a Book 1. Holy shit. Do I have the strength to continue their story when it comes out? Only time will tell. I mean, time heals a broken heart, right? Right?

Oh the feels. Death, suicide, child abuse, hunger, so much hardship and yet it was beautiful. Jack a teen, is stronger than most adults, when his mother commits suicide he is alone, his father in prison. He struggles to keep his brother with him, hiding their mothers death from authorities. Desperation drives him to his father who stole money and stashed it somewhere near just to feed his brother. His father is not a nice man, and Jack doesn’t get the help he wants. What he gets is even more hardships.
These kids are put through some seriously hard times. This book is very visually written, I could see and feel it all. I cringed, cried, and cheered, such a great read.
I received a copy of this book from the publishers for an honest review.

What a beautifully dark, raw, and painful story.

What Beauty There Is was incredibly difficult for me to put down once each character was introduced. It's a potent storyline, that really captured my attention! The way Jack is so determined to care for Matty and how Ava slowly gets swept up in their lives...it was fluid and all came crashing together in the end. I will say, the ending was a bit of a downer (only because I was rooting for something different), BUT it definitely left me interested to read the next book and that's fairly typical of series openers.

There's a narrative at the beginning of each chapter and for me, some of it felt unnecessary and left me a bit confused. Though, other parts added to the ambiance of the story nicely...so it'll be up to each reader to decide if that's something they enjoy as I'm kind of indifferent to that part of the writing.

Overall, I definitely recommend checking this one out if you're looking for a heart-wrenching, thrilling read.

Huge thank you to Roaring Brooks Press via NetGalley for the e-arc and via BookishFirst for the advanced finished copy to read and review honestly.

"I told Jack to stay away. He'll make you hurt, I said. He'll take what matters most. He'll do it with a smile and then he'll smoke a cigarette. Jack didn't listen."

Jack's father is in prison for killing a man during an armed robbery, and the briefcase full of money has never been found. His father double-crossed some dangerous people, including Bardem, the father of Ava, the new girl at school. When something happens to their mom, Jack desperately needs money to take care of his little brother, Matty.

This book is simultaneously gorgeous and gritty, with characters who win your whole heart. There's Matty, who's seen too much, but is still desperately clinging to a childhood represented by Hot Wheels cars and cereal in bed. There's Jack, who'll do anything to protect Matty and keep the family together after they lose both parents, even go up against drug dealers in search of the briefcase of money his dad hid years ago. He doesn't stop even when the bullets start flying. And then there's Ava, the daughter of the boy's father's sworn enemy, who wants to care about someone despite being taught not to by her monstrous father. Sparks fly immediately between Jack and Ava, despite her trying to stay away from him. But when she decides to make his problems her own, she dives in with her whole heart.

Each chapter starts with a poetic musing or story, which we quickly understand is Ava's perspective. "What made you? How did you form? From where did your layers and your curves and your holes come? Your gentle and your savage places? The bright and the deep hallowed dark. The valleys and cliffs of your soul. The loud and silent. For what does your heart beat? I think about these things."

The ending was ambiguous, but I hear there's a sequel, so I'll forgive the book that. It's worth reading for the beautiful language and the gripping characters. Cory Anderson is a new voice to watch in YA.

Trigger warning: Suicide and violence.

Thank you to BookishFirst and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book.

Well this was disappointing.

The writing was good, totally up my alley; Anderson is great at tone and using sparse language effectively and in the beginning this is what really had me excited to read more. There were moments, though, usually in dialogue, that I found unconvincing. I couldn't suspend my disbelief for portions of the book which made it hard to stay invested. The main characters, Jack and Ava, didn't help any as I didn't particularly like either of them. I thought they were bland, and the author tried way too hard with the romantic tension.

As for the story, it wasn't bad. It started off strong, but around halfway in I really started to lose interest. Reading became a slog. To make matters worse, the ending was unsatisfying... Oh, but there seems to be a reason for that. This book is apparently the first in a series, and the ending implies that the sequel will be a retelling, which, seriously? Well, no matter what the sequel is like, it won't make this book any better and I won't be reading it.

*I received an early copy of this book through BookishFirst