There is something incredibly beautiful about this novel. It is a hard-hitting, dark story but the writing is absolutely stunning and this tragic, heartbreaking story will most definitely stay with you long after you turn the final page.

And right from the beginning there is an atmosphere that continues throughout. A darkness, a sense of foreboding. Jack is the tough yet fragile teenager, one who has already lived through such hardship and all he wants now is to cling on to his younger brother, Matty. Their relationship is so tender. All they have in the world is each other and Jack is prepared to do anything to protect that…but then Ava comes into their life. It is the relationships within this story that bring the beauty. Love is beauty and there is plenty of that within the pages of this book.

I felt this story right in the very pit of my belly. It was incredibly moving and emotive. There is an evil presence that stalks the pages of this novel. His name is Bardem and he is one of the scariest, most heinous characters I have come across for in a long, long time.

Whilst targeted at a YA audience this is one of those novels that transcends into adult fiction perfectly. It does have themes of suicide, drug abuse, murder and violence so I certainly wouldn’t recommend it to younger readers but 16+. If, like me, you find trauma and violence in a story difficult please do not be put off. A good book should make us feel, it allows us to explore feelings and emotions in a safe environment and it allows us to walk in another person’s shoes. Embrace it and allow yourself to walk alongside Jack and Ava and feel the heartbreak but also the love.

‘𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎. 𝑯𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔. 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒊𝒓 𝒉𝒖𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒎.’

What Beauty There Is - Cory Anderson

Jack is a boy really looking out for his kid brother, a good kid. His mother is gone and to survive they need to find drug money missing from a robbery. Jack’s dad has hidden it and is now in prison.
Ava is a quiet girl, controlled by her father Bardem. Now Jack needs to find that money before Bardem. Will Ava help him? Will they ever be safe?

‘𝑷𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝒂 𝒃𝒖𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒍𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝑩𝒓𝒂𝒛𝒊𝒍 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒇𝒍𝒂𝒑 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒆𝒕 𝒐𝒇𝒇 𝒂 𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒅𝒐 𝒊𝒏 𝑻𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒔. 𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒃𝒖𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒍𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒎 𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒇𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅. 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕. 𝑫𝒊𝒅 𝑰 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑱𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒎𝒆𝒕? 𝑫𝒊𝒅 𝑰 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒅𝒐?’

Even in the first pages this made me take a sharp intake of breath. Written with clarity, nothing wasted. How to comprehend this....these kids, just kids and going through so much.
The characters are believable and whole -Sweet, angry, quiet Jack, beautiful and strong Ava and innocent Matty. The connection created between these characters is wonderful.

‘𝑯𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒃𝒐𝒚 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑰 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓.’

This book is about family, love, betrayal and the decisions we make. I felt a lot of emotion reading this book - it is stark, like standing in bright light. Through their decisions we are taken spiralling downwards, shown the effects of addiction, hardship and fear. It gave me an unutterable sadness as a parent feeling for these kids and what they were going through. I had a dead weight on my chest waiting for things to happen, the writing captured the fear and the worry. As you read, it ramps up and up getting worse with each page I turned, urging them to run, to escape, to make it.

It was just electric! I was on tenterhooks for the whole book and raced through it in one afternoon, so keen to know what happened to these young people.

‘𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎. 𝑯𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔. 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒊𝒓 𝒉𝒖𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒎.’

Despite it being so nerve jangling and incredibly suspenseful, there is still a calm quiet stillness to this book for me.There was an oppressive silence and sometimes things felt muffled like the snow they trek through. There was a clean, sereneness to the writing, showing the moments between Jack and Ava with unspoken words and a burgeoning young love developing so clearly. They have a calm strength between them these two that is powerful.

‘𝑰𝒇 𝒊𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒋𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒎, 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒊𝒕. 𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒆.’

This book quite simply took my heart and squeezed it - stunning!

✩✩✩✩.5

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Thanks to @thewritereads @coryanderwrites @penguinukbooks for my spot on this #blogtour

3.5 Stars

I am slightly torn by this one and it came out with a higher ESCAPE score than I actually expected. This is both a beautiful sad book, but it is also somewhat hollow. I will explain.

The writing and narrative choices of the book are fantastic. The writing is beautifully structured, lyrical without getting too flowery. It draws you in and keeps your reading. The chapters themselves are very deliberate in there structure. Even in the numbering they build to the turning point and then start to count down the the denouement. Also how we are introduced to the characters. The plot follows two characters Jack and Ava, an almost Romeo and Juliet pairing from different sides of the same tale. At the start of each chapter we have a first person perspective from Ava our principle narrator, she discusses he memories and feelings before switching to narrate the events of Jack's life and occasionally her childhood.

The plot is incredibly sad, dark and bleak. Jack's life starts off in an incredibly dark place and it just gets darker and darker throughout the book. The hopelessness that Jack feels but also his need to survive for his brother is really beautifully written and comes across powerfully on the page. There are moments that got my heart pounding for him, that kept the pages turning in hopes that he could turn the corner and everything would work itself out. That he would succeed and be ok and that hope being fed to you the reader is a very powerful thing for the book to do.

Despite all of this, looking back it also feels a little one dimensional. In terms of atmosphere the descriptions of the cold and snow are stunning and they bring the idea of the bone deep pervasive cold but that's all we get in terms of setting and atmosphere, we have no real scope for the world outside of the snow. Its very much like a play where the scene is set when it is needed but other than that these places just cease to exist. The same goes for the characters, other than his love for his brother, the hint at romance and his bravery in protecting his brother there isn't much more to Jack. We don't get who he is outside the confines of this tale and his brother. The same goes for Ava, we get even less about her other than she is brave and the instalove hint of romance. Even the plot doesn't get a full back story. While I understand we are getting this told from the perspective of the teenagers that get pulled into the situation against there will it is also kind of frustrating as they appear to know enough to move the story along at the convenient parts but not enough to give anything context. There are a lot of loose ends just hanging in the air that don't have answers. The ending is bitter sweet but it also feels a little too sweet.

So I am on the fence. I enjoyed reading it, I will definitely read more from Cory Anderson but overall I am not convinced 100% that I love this book in particular.

Today I’m participating in a blog tour for What Beauty There Is by Cory Anderson (thank you for the review copy, TheWriteReads Tours!) This was a tense read! What Beauty There Is gave me the vibes from The Boy Who Steals Houses, only it was darker – so much darker.

Actually, I didn’t expect this book to be so dark and scary, it’s like a regular crime story, and for some reason I thought it won’t be that brutal cause it’s YA. When will I learn? Some of the darkest and most brutal books out there are YA. Regardless, it was pretty hard to read because the stuff the characters go through is just really, really messed up. What made it worse is that I was constantly thinking that yes, unfortunately, this is probably someone’s reality. Scary and incredibly sad. But I have to say, the tension does keep you reading.

Every chapter starts with Ava’s thoughts, and some of them are memories, but others more like premonitions for the reader – this has already happened to Ava and she is clearly regretting the results, but we haven’t heard the story yet. So with every chapter, the mood darkens and you expect the ending to sort of be worse, even though the situation is bad enough from the very start already. We don’t get to meet Ava in real depth for a while, but she sets the tone of the story. The real main character is Jack.

Jack is the older son of a criminal and an addict. His dad is in prison for someone else’s crime, but he is no innocent himself. Meanwhile, Jack’s mother’s addiction may have begun as depression and a plea of help after Jack’s dad went to prison, but that’s not what it is anymore by the time we join Jack and read his story – she’s past the point of caring, as we learn later on. The adults in this book are sorely messed up, and who else but Jack has to shoulder all of it. What’s worse, is that when the shit hits the fan and he’s now on his own, it’s not just him – it’s also his little brother out there with him. Jack wants to protect Matty at any cost, sometimes even through decisions that in my opinion were not the best.

The hardest part of it all for me was reading about how Jack endangered himself and his little brother just so they didn’t get separated in foster homes or care. I do understand that care and fostering is not always a good or desirable situation, and the thought of separation is awful when you’ve already got no one else. But in many of the instances, I think Jack may have been making the wrong choice. Leaving his little brother in a run down house on his own, with no food or real heating during the winter – surely that’s not better than actually leaving him in foster care or in a government home? Could have got kidnapped, could have frozen – so many things. (That’s not the only such situation, but I don’t want to leave any spoilers here.) It was hard to read for me. I do understand that Jack was a teenager himself, and under pressure he may have made different decisions than we, as a reader, think are better when we read the story in our comfortable, warm rooms. There are many teenagers out there making those choices right now, and it’s not fair for me to judge. However, I am saying that those parts made the book incredibly hard to read for me, emotionally.

Bardem, Ava’s father, essentially the villain of this book, is an interesting character. He’s an accomplice of Jack’s dad’s, the one whose crime his dad is in prison for. He still wants the money that Jack’s dad hid so well that nobody knows where it is. So he’s after Jack and a real danger to him in the story. He’s a cold-blooded and ruthless murderer, but he’s also sort of a philosophical type – he can threaten you with Zen-like sentences and whatnot. It kind of makes him even scarier, and I thought that’s an interesting way to write a character. He certainly jumps out as a strongly built villain, more than just a character – alarmingly real, which makes it feel even worse, because you really don’t want to think about people like that existing in reality.

The inclusion of Ava, her evil father and the boys creates a sort of family drama. The relationship of the two teenagers intertwines with things from the past and naturally makes a good thriller.

Triggers

I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who is sensitive or has anxiety – the book is truly scary, the people in it are mostly ruthless criminals. People are hurt and killed in pretty gory detail, killing animals is also described. There is suicide, there’s a lot of senseless violence. There are a few parts where cleaning and sewing up wounds is detailed. So if you can stomach all that, you’ll probably enjoy the read, but there are quite a few triggers in What Beauty There Is.

Overall...

What Beauty There Is was a tough read, and it’s certainly not for the faint-hearted. It was a good thriller, but for a sensitive reader like me, there was too much gore and it was simply depressing, which took away greatly from my enjoyment of reading it. However, we can’t ignore that kids and teens in dangerous and precarious situations do exist, and these books are written so we would know more about these issues in society, and for that reason, they are important. Plus, the book did have really interesting and well-written characters. So if you like thrillers and have a tough skin for violence in books, you will probably enjoy this!

What Beauty There is a heart-wrenching, bleak and dark YA thriller that is perfectly complimented by its stark and uncompromising prose. This is a book that you can’t pull yourself away from.

You get sucked into this book by those intriguing plot hooks, but you end up staying because you become truly invested in these fractured, flawed characters just looking to survive. They’re characterised by the actions of their families and feel the reverberating effects of the past in every moment. They’re down-trodden and barely scraping by, getting pulled into a dark and dangerous web kickstarted years and years before. The atmosphere and environment they inhabit is unflinching and uncaring, striking in its alienation and bareness. You get the sense that even Nature itself has turned its back on these characters, forcing them to combat the merciless cold.

I really enjoyed the style of writing used here. It felt evocative, stylish and literary. Like the characters, the narrative was often fractured and complex. It is a book that demands your full attention and concentration, with little detail threaded through. This is an absolute fight for survival against all odds. It is harsh, characterised by death and suffering. At times, your hope is crushed by every unfolding event. From the start, it is evident that this is going to be a harrowing tale that won’t allow its characters to remain unmarked by its events. The action builds to its third act climax, but within the action-packed pages is woven a story of family and the lasting effects of choices. It speaks to generational debt and how children can pay for the actions of their parents.

What Beauty There Is weaves a bleak tale that is often raw and unflinching but the spots of light come from the three-dimensional protagonists who you can’t help but root for.

This book surprised me, it was not what I was expecting at all!

What Beauty There Is is something very different in the YA genre. It has a level of intelligence and sophistication normally held for adult novels.

I found the pace quite slow (this is not a criticism, it works well in this case), and I certainly can’t describe it as the usual ‘fast-paced thriller’ or a ‘page-turner’. Instead, this novel is profoundly chilling, absorbing, and full of suspense. For the desolate setting, desperate characters, and depressing circumstances, it is still beautiful. You are drawn in through the style of writing, as though you are there, in realtime with the characters. It is a slow read but in such a way that you can fully see, understand, and respect the thought that the author has put into every word of every line, it is poignant and impactful.

I had to frequently take a break, process, and then return to the book, it is not the sort of novel you can fly through, or skim-read, you really have to take in every aspect of it.

Due to the many trigger warnings involved, I would probably only recommend this book for the uppermost range of the YA audience.

This review will also feature as part of the Blog Tour organised by TheWriteReads.

Their mother made a choice, their father in prison – Jack and Matty are on their own. Home gone, little money, food and possessions Jack will do anything to keep his brother safe including from social services. With little choices left Jack visits his dad in prison to ask for help – will he tell him where he hid the money?
The relationship between the two brothers is truly heartwarming to read, you can feel the love that they have for each other. When Ava arrives into their lives they both feel like maybe they have someone who actually wants to help them, more importantly someone who cares!

Reading this book was hard due to the nature of the story, it truly is tragic, heartwarming, heartbreaking and many more emotions all rolled into one! I feel like I will be thinking of these two brothers for time to come. As a debut novel by Cory Anderson I have no doubt that anything further she writes – I will be itching to read!

First, I want to talk about the potential trigger warnings in this book. There are a lot, but the one that affected me the most is the suicide element. I know it seems like I’m spoiling something but I think it’s important that readers dive into this book prepared. To be honest I was prepared. I was expecting potential triggers but the suicide part hits me hard and I wasn’t expecting to encounter it so early in the book. So readers, please be warned, and reviewers, please put trigger warnings in your reviews. Because personally, I am in the right head space right now, still it affected me. And as I said, this book has lots of potential triggers and a fellow blogger, Jenny (JenJen Reviews) and her partner created Book Trigger Warnings where you can see lists of trigger warnings for particular books. For this book, you can see the list in THIS PAGE.

Okay, now to a proper review…

When I picked up this book, I lowered my expectation because the blurb hinted some elements I think I already read from other books in this genre. And after reading it, I can say that yes, the plot has some cliche elements but surprisingly, I wasn’t bothered by them. I think the main reason is the book still managed to evoke strong emotions and reactions from me and that, more than anything, is what I look for in my reads.

My chest tightened right from the first chapter and from there, things just got more intense. It is action-packed and what’s at stake for the characters is too high. There is too much pain and struggles for the main characters that I just want it to end. It was almost like there will never be light at the end of the tunnel for them. I was heart broken for these characters. But despite them breaking me, I found this book heartwarming too. I really couldn’t help but feel for the main characters and I was at the edge of my seat, waiting for things to go wrong.

I like the characters. I mean I really didn’t identify myself to any of them but like I said, I feel for them. I cared for them. I think Jack, Matty and Ava’s characters are layered and well-crafted. They’re all so emotional too but strong in their own ways. The author showed how their upbringings affected their present lives, especially the choices they’ve made but the story also showed how they broke through them. I loved how developed the characters are.

“ What you put in your heart will make you heart. But it will be the most spectacular kind of hurt. It will light you up and burn you. It will knock you down. It will break you apart. And it will make you different.”

– Cory Anderson (What Beauty There Is)
The writing style is not spectacular in any way but it’s fine. The author has these amazing lines throughout the book but while reading, there were times I felt like some scenes are chunky and just generally lacking but overall, I was satisfied because at the end, the book delivered what it promised, which is a heartfelt, action-packed thriller. Plus there are parts, some scenes that are haunting. There were some gory scenes which again reminds me of potential trigger warnings. Again, be warned.

Well hello there Cory Anderson with your absolute amazing Debut! Honestly be prepared for me to rave about your book because its one of the best books I've read in a while!

What Beauty There is a story about Jack and his little brother Matty. They have nothing. Nothing apart from each other, No family and no money. Jack is determined that they stay together, he can't lose him but the authorities are on their case and its either he finds the drug money that sent his father to prison or Matty is taken from him.

Ava Bardem lives with her controlling father, she's learnt not to trust and not to love anyone, or anything. When Ava's and Jack's world collide she questions everything and has big decisions to make.

I devoured this book in just less than 24 hours it is that good! Firstly Anderson held me in the palm of her hand from the very first sentence. I immediately felt this maternal, protective nature over Jack and Matty, they both have been dealt devastating blows and life isn't about to get easier for them. Ava is such a great character and although is in a tricky situation boy did I admire her. She always tried to do what her heart told her despite going against everything she had been conditioned to believe and her love for Matty and Jack really shone through. The pacing is brilliant and I literally felt my heart leap into my throat on so many occasions. Its intense and action packed, yet beautifully balanced with so much emotion.
I loved the real sense of desperation yet instinct to survive in this book. Its ultimately about broken characters trying to keep their loved ones close and gosh it hit me right in the feels as they say. Cory captures that sibling bond perfectly.
I massively hope that this beautiful, often heartbreaking yet hopeful book gets the recognition it deserves because in my humble opinion its phenomenal. I love when you go into a book not knowing a lot about it and it completely wows you.
I hope there is going to be a book two and three and four okay I'll stop now but honestly please let this be a series.

What Beauty There Is by Cory Anderson hit me with its cold, hard, evilness. Yet, it hit me even harder with the purity of the beauty that was found amongst that evil.

Ava tells the story. She introduces each chapter with first-person reflections that hold much foreshadowing in an ethereally beautiful manner. When read separately from the story, these reflections broke my heart with their contemplative truth. Those short introductions are her story and her story alone as she reflects on her journey that led to a precipice. At that precipice, she decided whether to back away or leap forward, as we all must when facing big choices and insurmountable truths.

Ava tells Jack's story over the nine days when their lives intersected. She lets the reader see the story in a third-person focused narration from Jacks' POV. And what a story it is. Jack's father is in jail. His mother committed suicide as the story begins (trigger warning), leaving Jack and his little brother Matty to fend for themselves in a house with no heat, power, or hot water. Life is harsh, only to be made worse when Jack is forced to confront the evil's that his father has unleashed on all of them.

Amid indescribable evil, Jack meets Ava and discovers, as the title says, what beauty there is. In her, he finds a spark of love that he has never known before. Jack discovers a world devoid of evil and full of compassion and all that is good. He realizes not only a love for her but for his brother, a part of himself that he dared not acknowledge before.

The story is told in such a beautifully descriptive manner. Ava explains that she remembers her time with Jack through sensory descriptions – vivid colors, the sound of his voice, the smell of him, and the warmth she feels when near. As a result, I noticed that the story impacted all my senses, which put me right there in the thick of things.

The evilness of Victor Bardem, Ava's father, is unparalleled. He is the most thoroughly evil character that I have ever encountered, without any shred of remorse or explanation of how he could be that way. Most evil characters have a psychosis that gives the reader hope for their redemption with treatment, but not Victor. His evilness is as pure as the love and beauty Ava and Jack discover with one another.

This story will hold you in its grip and compel you forward with its many thrills and suspenseful moments. Then it will touch your very soul with its bittersweet message.

What Beauty There Is sucked me in from this start. Cory Anderson's writing is magical and she managed to make me really just want these characters to get some glimpse of happy or normal. This book was very powerful and I'll definitely be thinking about this one for awhile.


Before I go any further I really do need to make a point of saying that this is a book for the readers on the older side of YA. It deals with many dark and difficult topics and the author doesn't shy away from these subjects. There are definitely some trigger warnings: absent parent, child abuse, murder, suicide, animal death, violence and drug use/dealing.


Our main character Jack is a 17 year old and basically has the weight of the world on his shoulders. His dad is in jail and his mother has given up hope in life. This makes Jack the one responsible for his brother Matty. All Jack wants is to make sure his brother is safe and doesn't end up in the hands of child services. Jack is a character that is very determined and brave. The things he risks to just try and keep Matty safe and what he does are things I would hope no one ever has to do.


His brother Matty is a character I just wanted to give a hug and tell him everything would be okay. My heart broke for him so many times, because he's still so sweet and innocent in a world that's already been pretty cruel to him at such a young age. I loved the undying faith he had in his brother to make everything okay.


Ava is a character that took me a little bit to understand. We mostly only get her thoughts at the beginning of the chapters, but I loved that the author only gave us little glimpses at a time. I feel this fit the story so well and it's clear she was also trying to find her place in a world she wasn't sure she wanted to be in.


We mostly get the story told by Jack, but every once in awhile there are chapters and little pieces told through other characters. At times I was a bit confused by those, but other than that I couldn't put this book down. What Beauty There Is is story of love, loss, family, survival and strength. I had no clue how it was going to end until I actually got there! This story isn't easy to read, but it's beautifully written!

This is a well written read about a boy who, following a family tragedy, has to take care of himself and his brother.

It's a beautifully written book about love, loss, family and relationships and is an emotional read. It's a YA, but, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

Written in a jolting, jarring style, this book shines a light on the realities of being truly poor, both financially and emotionally. It demonstrates the lengths people are prepared to go when truly in need of everything that would allow them to both survive and thrive.

I did find the book very triggering regarding certain aspects and feel a trigger warning should be added at the beginning.

When describing a novel as a page turner there are certain elements that make that statement true. For example, the plot is fast paced, or you feel you are part of the story, or you are absorbed so much that you have no concept of time. Then there are novels that strike a chord somewhere within. That is what Cory Anderson has done with this debut. It is a heartbreakingly beautiful novel with prose that matches the cold wintery setting.

In the winter of Idaho Jack Dahl is struggling to keep himself and his younger brother Matty alive. His dad is in prison, his mum is in a deep depression and has ceased to function, and money is dwindling. When Jack and Matty’s mum dies, Jack worries his brother will be taken into care so he has no choice but to find the stolen drug money that his father hid before his imprisonment. This proves to be a dangerous thing, as there are people who are still on the lookout for the money and Jack gets caught up in a whirlwind of chaos as he tries to survive wave after wave of attack from dangerous men.

Ava, is a young girl that crosses Jack’s path and in amongst the chaos she vows to help. This is unusual as Ava doesn’t like to get close to others, she herself lives in isolation with a father who is a tyrant that has taught her love doesn’t exist. But Ava is drawn to Jack, there is something there. She know’s it and so does Jack.

However, when Ava realises that Jack and her father are after the same stolen drug money Ava has a choice, to speak out or stay quiet? The resulting turmoil is played out with heart wrenching consequences.

Cory Anderson has wrote a novel that is cold, sharp and blunt, with an undertone of heartwarming longing for Jack, Ava and Matty. The prose is written in a way that feels like it’s a steady beat, with paragraphs and sentences that are straight to the point, resulting in that sharp bluntness as you read the events unfolding. It has been quite a journey to read Cory’s style and upon finishing I have been left with my heart aching and I’m not entirely sure why. This is what makes a writer stand out. One that can tap into your emotions be they, joy or sadness. This is a story that I shall remember in years to come and Cory Anderson is an author who I shall keep my eyes on.

What Beauty There Is is a stunningly beautiful story that follows Jack Morton who will do anything to look after his brother Matty. With their mother gone and their father in Prison, Jack will do whatever he can to stop Matty being taken into foster care. Jack has only one choice: find the drug money that put his father in Jail. But Jack isn’t the only one looking for the money.

This book was completely not what I expected. Going in I thought this would be a quick mystery thriller but what I found was a really heart wrenching story of a boy fighting to protect his brother. It was an incredibly compelling story with really engaging prose. I raced through this story in a couple of hours because I was so completely wrapped up in the story of Jack and Ava.

Anderson has a lovely writing style that is really lovely and this multi-layered story is well crafted. Cory Anderson does a terrific job of creating a tense atmosphere as the story races to the end. It’s rare you find a book that breaks your heart and has you on the edge of your seat, but that’s definitely how I felt with What Beauty There Is.

The thing I liked most about this story was the fascinating characters. Jack is a really likeable protagonist and I was rooting for him so much. Ava was really interesting too and I loved seeing the characters get to know each other and grow. What Beauty There Is is a dark and enthralling read full of atmosphere and well crafted characters. I enjoyed this one a lot and this is definitely a book you will not want to miss out on.

The cover for ‘What Beauty There Is’ is starkly beautiful, and I think that is a term that could be applied to the entire novel - from the writing, to the atmosphere that permeates through every page, and to the emotions that you are left with at the end. This is YA, but not like any YA that I have read for quite a while, poignant and tragic, and venturing into the depths of darker themes including suicide and violence, among others, so this is not a book to pick up if you are looking for a lighter read. But, if you want a book that will coil around you, sink its claws in and compel you to keep reading until the very end then this is one for you and more than worth picking up.

That feeling of stark beauty is further conjured by the setting that Anderson has created for this story, from the wintery landscape to the way Jack and Matty lived in the middle of nowhere. The descriptions are breath-taking, and you really feel as though you are there, breath misting in the air, cold seeping into your bones, and I think that realism, that depth of feeling in the setting was a much-needed anchor for this story that treads a careful line between a plot that could feel a little farfetched, and a story that is grounded in the sheer humanity of the characters.

As much as the events drive the story forward, sometimes at a breakneck pace, it is the main characters – Jack, Matty and Ava – who reach out and take you by the hand and pull you not only into their world and story but into their lives and hearts. It’s through them that we can make sense of the situation, because where some of their actions – especially Jack’s – might seem irrational to the outsider, as we learn more about him, his relationship with his brother and the life they’ve lived it begins to make sense. Similarly, as Ava’s story unfolds, we are pulled into her story as well and your heart can’t help but go out to her, and then to them, as their storylines come together. We spend more time with Jack’s POV and that is perhaps why those were my favourite parts of the book, although I very much enjoyed his developing relationship with Ava, and thought that their growth together and as individuals were well done.

The writing was fantastic from the descriptions to the characterisation, and the sheer emotion conveyed throughout the book. My only complaint is a small one and that there was quite a lot of foreshadowing in this one, particularly with the sections at the start of the chapters, and there were a few places where it felt like it was a little too much and might have had more impact if there had been less. However, it was very much the writing that brought the other aspects together for me, the beauty balanced with action, character with story, mystery and foreshadowing.

This was a beautiful book and one that will linger with me for a while because this was the kind of book that consumes you while you read it and is reluctant to let go afterwards. What Beauty There Is delves into numerous themes throughout the story, and while many of them lean towards darker aspects, and there is loss and just trying to survive in tragic circumstances, there is light in this story. Ultimately this is a story about the characters, about friendships and family, and love and what that can push you to do. It’s a human story, and I think the fact that the characters are younger make that aspect shine all the brighter. It’s the first in a series, but I feel that it wrapped everything up in a very satisfying way, although I will definitely be checking out what else this author does in the future, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

This was a very last-minute blog tour for me and I dropped everything to start reading this book. It’s not normally something I would pick up but I am so glad I did. As soon as I started reading, I couldn’t stop. The story was completely captivating and the characters were so interesting, it’s very easy to care for them and get wrapped up in their lives. It’s so beautifully written, sometimes like poetry and it is easy to get lost in the snowy setting. It makes the story that bit more chilling and engaging.

Overall Thoughts
Overall, this is a story of love, family, loss and survival. There is so much to love about this book but prepare to have your heart ripped out of your chest because of these characters. The plot is very engaging and beautifully written, it isn’t your usual young adult, mystery and I’m so glad I enjoyed it as much as I did.

this book was just so beautifully sad I didn’t want it to end. Now my heart is all broken and I feel all numb inside. This book takes you on a journey of love, loss, suicide and greed. I really enjoyed how the author paced this book and every chapter started with a little first person perspective that it feels like someone is having a conversation with you in person telling you this story rather than reading the pages on your kindle. I recommend everyone to pick this book up and read it, you will not be disappointed. Well unless you don’t like blood and gore because there’s quite a bit of that in here. Also please note this book has got a graphic suicide scene at the beginning and there is a lot of death/ killings in this book.

‘What Beauty There Is’ was an absolute unexpected gem of a book. I was expecting a straightforward mystery with a little bit of a romantic element, but it was so much more.
17 year old Jack finds himself in a difficult situation with limited choices. He needs a solution, or he’ll lose his brother Matty to the care system and the only solution he can find it to seek out money belonging to his criminal father. When Jack and Ava’s paths cross, they are mutually drawn together, and Ava just may be able to help.
For me, this was a story about relationships – the good and the bad – told against the backdrop of crime and poverty. It’s raw and heart-breaking but equally beautiful in all its darkness and intensity. The depiction of such fierce and protective brotherly love is so emotional and real. The relationship between Ava and Jack is gentle and tender too and I loved watching it develop – even within the circumstances. Aspects of toxic and unstable family relationships are also explored giving the novel a contrast to the beauty of the Ava, Matty and Jack interactions. In my opinion, this contrast enhances and strengthens their beauty more.
The wintery setting provides an atmospheric tone to the whole novel. Jack and Matty’s cold and empty home in the middle of nowhere, the trees really made me feel the loneliness and the same sense of hopelessness felt by the characters at times.
It’s so hard to define this novel as to be honest, I’m still not sure I have processed my own feelings. Such a huge contrast between a stark and harsh backdrop coupled with some beautiful story telling and characters makes it a harrowing read but with glimpses of hope and humanity. I’ve been honestly left with a haunting memory of the book and to make me hold on to that means it was a brilliant book.
Stunning and elegantly told, I adored this story of Jack, Ava and Matty and although it was not easy reading at times, it was so worth it.

3.5 stars

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book - it's outside my usual reading (I prefer mysteries to thrillers as a rule)

The book is pretty bleak - Jack finds his mother's lifeless body in chapter one, and that pretty much sets the tone for the whole book. It's winter, and living on the run is hard. The dangerous drug factions (or general crime? Not entirely sure) are more than happy to kill people, so there is a big body count in this book. And all of the shootings, stabbings, and running-overs are on page.

And the book only gets bleaker as it goes on, as more enemies get involved. Except enemies isn't the right word - more like dangerous people who don't care about Jack and Matty at all, and won't hesitate to kill. It got to the point where part of me was still wanting a happy ending, but I could not see how that could happen without breaking completely from the tone of the book and making it feel tacked on or taken from another story entirely.

In the end, I had been expecting something a bit bleaker than I got. I understand why neither of the deaths I thought might happen did (one might have been a bit too much for YA, and the other might have fallen into expected tropes/treatment of women in fiction). However, overall, it was a satisfying conclusion that was not without hope.

The structure and writing style of WHAT BEAUTY THERE IS was unusual. The book mostly focuses on Jack, with scenes and chapters from the police, the primary villain, and Ava. This is all written in third person, present tense.

However, every chapter started with an italicised section in first person past tense from Ava's perspective. It was a very fragmented writing style, a little too heavy on the foreshadowing for my personal tastes, but I could see the purpose it had within the narrative.

I was a little surprised to see, on Goodreads, that this is the first book in a series as the story was pretty much wrapped up in a satisfactory way. There is one loose thread, so I guess that?