Heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measures. At times an easy romantic read, at others, a painful look at grief.

I didn't expect to so thoroughly enjoy a book that deals with difficult subjects like guilt over the death of a sibling and family violence.  Hepler creates lovable, quirky characters who are figuring out how to live with grace after facing tragedy.  Serious topics handled sensitively are balanced with crazy scenes like a hotdog eating contest or Mia dressing up like a giant cannoli.  Recommended for teens who don't want unrelenting drama but still want a book that deals with the realities of family, friendships and the beginnings of romance.

This was your typical YA contemporary. There was nothing that really stood out to me. I did enjoy Fig and her family. It's a quick read and I think it does an okay job of dealing with our main character's grief and recovery. 

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.75-4 stars
tw for death, mourning, sexual assault (though brief) and abuse

OH man, when I first read this novel, I had to put it down at first because I did not like the beginning and how detached it felt. Upon giving it another shot, I was really quickly captivated once we got to the third chapter after we meet Mia's new-found friend, Fig. Seeing her get out of an emotionally detached home and learn to grow new relationships after tragedy really was beautiful. 

I think I'm just not keen to this age group anymore and considering the fact that this was her first time really experiencing grief and tragedy of her own at such a young age made her angst all the more disheartening for me. I did enjoy the progression of the novel, but Mia's character I think could've used a bit more shaping. But I did love the open ending for this. Thought it fit quite well.

In Heather Hepler's new novel, We Were Beautiful, she takes readers on a grief journey with 15 year old Mia, who was the underage driver in a car accident that took her sister's life the previous year.  Mia's world has stood still since the day her sister died.  Her family has fallen apart, and Mia lives with the consuming guilt that it is all her fault.  When her family sends her to live with the grandmother she has never known in New York City for the summer, Mia falls in with a group of teens who are all facing struggles of their own.  Through baking and art, love and friendship, can Mia find her way back into the world of the living and make peace with her sister's death?  

We Were Beautiful is a poignant, simple novel about being a young person coming to terms with a terrible loss.  Hepler has written a book that examines the impact grief and guilt have on young people, and shows what a difference the right support system can have on a hurting person.  While this book is insightful and important, it isn't the most captivating or intriguing novel I have read this year.  However, teens who enjoy innocent, heartfelt novels about real problems that young people face will like We Were Beautiful.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blink for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This beautiful story deals with how our imperfections and our scars can be beautiful even if some cannot handle the differences between smooth skin, “clean” pasts, and perfection. I thought that this story was really empowering and emotional. I thought that it showed a lot about friendship and family and it made me hungry

Being a teenager is hard, and it doesn't necessarily get easier when you become an adult. I liked this book because it dove into the difficulties of being a teenager while also noting the struggles of the adults who are far from perfect.

I think I am YA'd out. Or perhaps I'm just getting too old, but I feel like i've read this book before. Multiple times. There wasn't really anything here that stood out for me, but it was very quick and readable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy.
Considering the topics of grief, disfigurements, child abuse and abandon this is a very low-drama coming of age story about a girl recovering from a deadly car accident. Although, the reader does not know the details of the accident Mia clearly struggles with guilt and loss and you go along with her as she tries to start her life over. She immediately finds a crew of kids to spend time with and everyone is very kind and supportive without the mean girl that so many teen novels throw in as an antagonist. I enjoyed the details about how the kids met and their art group. I think this would be an excellent book for a young person who wants a heavy read but without any detailed content that would make it too adult.

Mia's sister Rachel was killed in a car accident and Mia was left scarred. She cannot remember what happened and she now suffers from the guilt of surviving and not being able to remember. She goes to New York City to stay with a grandmother she does not know. When she gets a job and meets Fig and her friends, she begins to embark on a journey to understand who she is. But then starts to remember what actually happened the night of the accident. We Were Beautiful is an amazing book that explores how we deal with tragedy and how we are able to move forward when we think that all is lost. Such a good book!

Although not a fairy tale like the author originally planned, this book was magical. I loved the characters, which is great for a character-driven story. I'm sad that I didn't read this earlier, but I'm so glad that I finally read it.

We were beautiful is a sweet story touching on hard topics. While the writing itself was very good, the story moved at a pace that was very hard to keep interested in. I understand that not every book is fast paced and high action, but this one left much to be desired as we traveled through Mia's journey. I did enjoy the bits of humor that were sprinkled throughout the story, making it disestable for those that do not do well with hard hitting subjects. Over all, it was an enjoyable book!

Mia Hopkins still has flashbacks about the car crash that killed her older sister Rachel. She can’t bear to pick up her camera, knowing that she can’t face the image that will peer back at her once she turns it on. But how to do you deal with this grief, or even attempt to move on, when everything around you has been turned upside-down because of it?

We meet Mia as she boards the train to a new life (at least for the summer) in New York, with a new grandmother, and away from anything that could possibly remind her of sister and the aftershock of losing her. Scarred, both with grief across her heart and physically across her face, Mia is determined to walk through life looking down, avoiding eye contact and trying her best to become invisible.

Enter Fig - a bright personality with even brighter blue hair. Being invisible doesn’t seem to be in Fig’s wheelhouse. She brings with her a larger than life family, and a group of artists spreading color and creativity across the city.

With the exception of one “blink and you miss it”(or was it just one too many Netflix breaks on my end?), Helper paces this heart wrenching journey perfectly - slowly piecing away at Mia’s grief and uncovering hidden struggles in the most unlikely places. Relationships, whether with your parents, your grandparents, new friends, love interests, and especially with your own inner thoughts, are never simple and neatly packaged. This journey with Mia shows us that living your life in the ripples of loss will never be neat, but the important thing is that you live.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A fun and sweet read. I liked how the adventures MIa had made her grow. Is a book about grief and friendship and how an unexpected journey can help you with different aspects in your life. Besides this, the book was a little slow and that's the reason I took so much to read it. But overall, a really good story and book.

The FFBC sent me a copy of this book in conjunction with Netgalley for a blog tour, and I'm so glad they did because I loved this book. A cute contemporary with diversity, a fun New York City backdrop, and family drama and intrigue, you can't ask for more except maybe a sweet romance. But wait, this has that too! I would recommend this book!
Here is my full review:
https://somebooksandramblings.home.blog/2019/04/29/book-review-we-were-beautiful-by-heather-hepler-blog-tour-giveaway/

Heartbreaking read yet you cannot help but be totally engrossed in it at the same time.
Well written.
Great read.
Thank you to both NetGalley and Blink Publishers for my eARC of this book in exchange for for my honest unbiased review

I received a copy of this book off of Netgalley and I had little hope that it would be a good read, but it was. This book is told through the main character Mia's point of view after her family suffers a tragic accident. Many characters are introduced and while you do not get full character development for each of them, they do help further along the story and help Mia's growth. I was very pleased with this story and I found that I wanted to keep reading to see what happens and how everything would wrap up at the end. It was a good coming of age story and fits the YA genre well.

This book surprised me. I was expecting an easy read, and not something that I would be too invested in. However, that quickly changed once I started the book. I was immediately drawn in and found myself at times in tears. This book stayed with me long after I finished it. What a wonderful book with great descriptions that make you feel like you were there.

This was heartbreaking but at the same time cute. I wanted to hug the MC and cry with her most of the book and tell her everything is going to be fine. 
I liked that the romance did not felt forced at all but what I really loved is the friendship development in this book and also the grandmother. The story is really captivating but the pace is a little slow, this is a book that can take time.

Although guilt, doubt, and family disconnect are typical YA fiction story topics, rarely are they rooted in the primary cause of this story. Nor are they always handled so deftly as they are by author Heather Hepler. The cause of guilt and disconnect are revealed slowly, and the story's pacing and development are well done; I felt curious rather than impatient or annoyed. Our heroine Mia is experiencing some serious situations - but she is interesting and creates empathy rather than being pitied and depressing. This is a difficult topic to address, and Mia's situation is certainly a big deal, to be sure - but the story ends with hope that is messy but still real.

When Mia Hopkin's sister Rachel dies in a tragic accident, her family completely falls apart. Mia was also seriously scarred (both body and emotions). Although she can't remember much of anything about the accident or it's surrounding circumstances, she knows she is to blame.

Mia unhappily goes to New York for the summer to stay with a grandmother she's never met, and immediately starts a job at a diner as a baker's assistant. Yet with all of these major challenges and huge life changes, she is still willing to cautiously try new things. The "flavor" of the city and the diner and huge Brunelli family that embrace Mia, along with the budding relationship with her grandmother and some rich new friendships - all are well written, believable, and interesting.

I truly enjoyed this book. It was thought provoking with tender and laugh out loud moments. It is easy to recommend this book!

I was provided a complimentary copy by Blink Publishers in exchange for my honest review.