A review by marceelf
Cruel Beautiful World by Caroline Leavitt
5.0
http://www.anurseandabook.com/2017/01/cruel-beautiful-world-by-caroline-levitt.html
What a book. I've always loved Caroline Leavitt, her "Girls In Trouble" was one of my favorites, but this new book is by far her best. She writes about complicated relationships in all of her books, but this story of two sisters was especially melancholy.
Lucy is seduced by her teacher, she runs away seeking the excitement of a grown up life. But she finds that the life she has run to is actually much more confining than her life with her sister and their loving guardian.
Charlotte is left behind, trying to follow the rules, trying to pursue her dreams of being a vet and being the remaining "good" child. She is sick with worry, but also a little angry with Lucy's immaturity and the selfishness of leaving a loving family and not making any contact.
As Lucy begins to grow tired of her solitary life, she branches out, making secret friends, working a secret job, and beginning to realize that the life she left behind may not have been so bad after all. But her boyfriend is becoming increasingly paranoid, and unhinge - by the time Lucy reaches out to her sister, tragedy strikes.
The story is as much Charlotte's as Lucy's. The bond between sisters is a weird thing - it's a twisty relationship that thrives in chaos as much as in peace. Everything your sister does has a weird ripple effect on you, even when they aren't near you.
Definitely one of Leavitt's best - and I encourage everyone to read all of her books.
What a book. I've always loved Caroline Leavitt, her "Girls In Trouble" was one of my favorites, but this new book is by far her best. She writes about complicated relationships in all of her books, but this story of two sisters was especially melancholy.
Lucy is seduced by her teacher, she runs away seeking the excitement of a grown up life. But she finds that the life she has run to is actually much more confining than her life with her sister and their loving guardian.
Charlotte is left behind, trying to follow the rules, trying to pursue her dreams of being a vet and being the remaining "good" child. She is sick with worry, but also a little angry with Lucy's immaturity and the selfishness of leaving a loving family and not making any contact.
As Lucy begins to grow tired of her solitary life, she branches out, making secret friends, working a secret job, and beginning to realize that the life she left behind may not have been so bad after all. But her boyfriend is becoming increasingly paranoid, and unhinge - by the time Lucy reaches out to her sister, tragedy strikes.
The story is as much Charlotte's as Lucy's. The bond between sisters is a weird thing - it's a twisty relationship that thrives in chaos as much as in peace. Everything your sister does has a weird ripple effect on you, even when they aren't near you.
Definitely one of Leavitt's best - and I encourage everyone to read all of her books.