A review by fifteenthjessica
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

William Waters quickly falls in with love Julia Padavano and her big family, who are in many ways, the opposite of his repressed and sad childhood home that was always in the shadow of the sister that died when he was six days old. However, a family scandal soon is interwoven with a family tragedy, and the family begins to break apart. Meanwhile, William has been struggling with depression, and his relationship with the ambitious Julia--and the Padavano family as a whole--is threatened by his inner sense of listlessness and a growing bond with her closest sister, Sylvie. Can William learn to thrive without accidentally destroying the family he has come to love?

The book is an homage to Little Women, which I have not read (I should), so I cannot speak about how it functions as a homage.

I'm going to be honest, I was hoping the book wouldn't hook me because I was running out of time before my library due date. I found myself spellbound by the characters, who are rich and complex, but Julia can be abrasive due to her bossiness and

once William and Sylvie get together, they are bland and generically nice and not the kind of couple that I enjoy reading about.

Both of these lessened the effect of the novel as a heartwrenching family tragedy for me. It's also a little disappointing that the younger sisters feel a bit sidelined for much of the story.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Homophobia, Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

-A major character is depressed, and this is a major focus. Another one might have an anxiety issue. -A major character has a sister that died in childhood. -Some major characters have generational trauma caused by parental neglect. -A major characters' father dies and affects the family. -A few characters get disowned as adults. -A major character is diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor. -A major character attempts suicide. This is a big plot point. -Major characters' father is an alcoholic. Some mentions of drinking. -Some mentions of a girl getting bullied for being tall. -References to characters having sex and getting pregnant. -Some mentions of two supporting characters facing minor discrimination for being lesbians.