literatureleaf's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Age: 18+
Reading time: 2 days
Difficulty level: 2 out of 5
Overall Rating: 7.5/10
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things follows protagonist Wavy as she comes of age in a small midwestern town where the most lucrative business opportunity is dealing, and by default doing, drugs. Her parents are caught up in this lifestyle, and the raising of her younger brother, Donal, falls to her. That is, until she meets an unlikely savior in the form of Kellen, a beefy biker who does business with her father. As Wavy ages, her relationship with Kellen deepens into something seen as wrong and broken by the world, but beautiful to them.
This book had more than a few moments that caused me to stop reading and gasp, or even throw the book across the room. I alternated between feeling visceral disgust, complete shock, deep sadness, and genuine compassion for what I was reading. The writing was raw and inspiring, yet easy to digest. The plot was solid, and, again easy to follow without feeling too simplistic or childish. The characterizations were executed extremely well, and the author was able to invoke genuine feelings of empathy for characters that, by and large, society sees as inhuman and disgusting in the real world.
The story is told through the viewpoint of many different characters throughout the book, including Wavy herself, Kellen, Wavy’s cousin Amy, and several adults who witness different aspects of Wavy and Kellen’s relationship throughout the story. I thought these differing perspectives added a lot of depth to the book, and the contrast between how Wavy and Kellen viewed their bond, and how it appeared to the rest of the world, was painfully realistic and raw. It also served to remind the reader of the innate inappropriateness of the relationship that they may have found themselves beginning to root for.
Despite how much I enjoyed this book, I must admit that it was not perfect. Overall, the first half of the book was much stronger than the latter half. There is a turning point in the story that results in the separation of Wavy and Kellen, and from there the story moves through time at a much faster pace. The overall chapter length becomes shorter, and much of the beautiful prose and stylistic character and setting depictions from earlier in the book become scarce. I felt rushed while reading the second portion of this book, as if the author was just hurrying through events to get to the end.
Character development was also lacking in the latter half of the book. I thought that Wavy and Kellen became stagnant, almost as though they were stuck at the same ages they were when they first separated. This felt unrealistic to me, as the amount of time that passed during their separation would almost certainly result in neither character feeling the same when they finally reunite. The second part of the book also has a much more dramatic feel to it than the first half. Certain sequences feel dramatized for dramas sake, and the actions and feelings of the characters did not reflect how the author had set them up to think, feel, and behave throughout the course of the story.
Regardless of the flaws of this book, I would wholly recommend it to anyone looking for a quick and easy read that will leave you thinking about it for weeks to come. This book toes the line between order and deviancy, love and hate, and empathy and disgust, while simultaneously taking the reader on a beautiful ride of lyrical prose, genuine dialogue, and thought-provoking interactions that will leave them questioning everything they thought they understood about life, love, and growing up.
Reading time: 2 days
Difficulty level: 2 out of 5
Overall Rating: 7.5/10
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things follows protagonist Wavy as she comes of age in a small midwestern town where the most lucrative business opportunity is dealing, and by default doing, drugs. Her parents are caught up in this lifestyle, and the raising of her younger brother, Donal, falls to her. That is, until she meets an unlikely savior in the form of Kellen, a beefy biker who does business with her father. As Wavy ages, her relationship with Kellen deepens into something seen as wrong and broken by the world, but beautiful to them.
This book had more than a few moments that caused me to stop reading and gasp, or even throw the book across the room. I alternated between feeling visceral disgust, complete shock, deep sadness, and genuine compassion for what I was reading. The writing was raw and inspiring, yet easy to digest. The plot was solid, and, again easy to follow without feeling too simplistic or childish. The characterizations were executed extremely well, and the author was able to invoke genuine feelings of empathy for characters that, by and large, society sees as inhuman and disgusting in the real world.
The story is told through the viewpoint of many different characters throughout the book, including Wavy herself, Kellen, Wavy’s cousin Amy, and several adults who witness different aspects of Wavy and Kellen’s relationship throughout the story. I thought these differing perspectives added a lot of depth to the book, and the contrast between how Wavy and Kellen viewed their bond, and how it appeared to the rest of the world, was painfully realistic and raw. It also served to remind the reader of the innate inappropriateness of the relationship that they may have found themselves beginning to root for.
Despite how much I enjoyed this book, I must admit that it was not perfect. Overall, the first half of the book was much stronger than the latter half. There is a turning point in the story that results in the separation of Wavy and Kellen, and from there the story moves through time at a much faster pace. The overall chapter length becomes shorter, and much of the beautiful prose and stylistic character and setting depictions from earlier in the book become scarce. I felt rushed while reading the second portion of this book, as if the author was just hurrying through events to get to the end.
Character development was also lacking in the latter half of the book. I thought that Wavy and Kellen became stagnant, almost as though they were stuck at the same ages they were when they first separated. This felt unrealistic to me, as the amount of time that passed during their separation would almost certainly result in neither character feeling the same when they finally reunite. The second part of the book also has a much more dramatic feel to it than the first half. Certain sequences feel dramatized for dramas sake, and the actions and feelings of the characters did not reflect how the author had set them up to think, feel, and behave throughout the course of the story.
Regardless of the flaws of this book, I would wholly recommend it to anyone looking for a quick and easy read that will leave you thinking about it for weeks to come. This book toes the line between order and deviancy, love and hate, and empathy and disgust, while simultaneously taking the reader on a beautiful ride of lyrical prose, genuine dialogue, and thought-provoking interactions that will leave them questioning everything they thought they understood about life, love, and growing up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content, Drug use, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Animal death and Eating disorder
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