This book came VERY highly recommended to me from several book clubs and reading groups. I caught it (hardback) for only $7 at my favorite bookstore, McKay’s. If you’ve read any of my other reviews, you’ve likely heard that name before. And you’ll keep hearing it if you stick around because I LOVE McKay’s. But anyway, back to the book. Spoilers ahead.
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things is a coming-of-age novel that follows Wavy, a strong and intelligent girl who has to figure responsibility and safety out all by herself. The five-year-old child of a meth dealer and a meth user, Wavy is almost solely responsible for the survival of herself and her brother. Many nights Wavy finds herself wandering into the fields to watch the stars, and one of those nights leads to her meeting Kellen (age eighteen when our story starts.)
Readers initially watch a relationship between a child and her (somewhat adoptive?) guardian/best friend grow and flourish. Both Wavy and Kellen take care of one another in a way that is touching as well as heartbreaking. Wavy has to continuously endure the abuse of her situation but finds Kellen to be a warm and welcome escape. The book follows both characters as they age and mature, and at some point their relationship changes.
And there’s where the book went wrong for me. As I read, I slowly started to realize that the relationship between these two was morphing from guardianship to romance. It may have taken me longer than some readers to see that, but maybe I was in denial or something. Kellen ends up going to jail for inappropriately touching a child (Wavy,) and the book concludes with their reunion and happily ever after. Yeah. You read that right.
This book had a touching and devastating basis with a TON of potential. A young girl finding refuge in the stars and gaining wisdom beyond her years? Surviving the pain of addicted, abusive parents and finding love and happiness? Yes. Please. To all of those. But a gigantic NO to this “relationship.” Grooming, a vastly inappropriate age difference, and, of course, the law.
Many may argue that love is love, or that Wavy was mature beyond her years. But none of that changes the fact that this kind of relationship is disgusting and illegal. I wanted so badly to love this novel, and I condone Greenwood for its wonderful flow and beautiful writing. I wanted to, but I couldn’t. Instead, I found myself very uncomfortable and displeased.
This probably won’t be my most well-received post, as I know that many readers were able to look past the age difference and see the story beyond to still love the book. I was not one of those people.
Genre: Adult Fiction
Page Count: 346
Publication Year: 2016
Rating: 3/10
The Nerdy Girls Read 