Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I’ve sat on my review of, “All the Ugly and Wonderful Things: A Novel,” for a week or so, as I wasn’t really sure what to write or how to fairly critique the book. However, because I was genuinely taken by this story, I’ve decided I should just dive in, and see where my words take me. (Please note: the story contains triggers for some.) The short and dirty: Wavonna/Wavy is a young girl who lives with extended family because her mother and father live a life filled with drug addiction and mental illness. When her mother is released from jail, Wavy is forced to take on the role of caregiver not only for herself, but for her younger brother, mother and father, as well. The book is filled with a cast of characters including the aforementioned extended family, her father’s various girlfriends, shady business partners, and the one bright spot in Wavy’s life: Jesse Joe Kellen. When I first started reading Bryn Greenwood’s tale, I knew there were themes that would make me uncomfortable. But Ugly/Wonderful is sneaky, quickly sucking me into the story with its brutal realism. When the plot eventually shifted to the questionable – and, yes, inappropriate – relationship between Wavy and Kellen, I was too invested to stop reading. To me, Kellen came across as a bit of a naïve man-child, but there is making excuses for his actions and no romanticizing his character. Impossible considering the descriptions often attributed to him (‘sweaty’, ‘meaty’, ‘pan-faced’). I think these descriptions are intentional on the part of the author. While other reviews have done so, we aren’t supposed to romanticize the relationship between these two. It IS inappropriate; even Kellen admits it to himself several times. So what are we supposed to feel? I’m still not sure because as much as I was repulsed and squeamish during certain scenes, I was also frustrated when Kellen was eventually forced to face the consequences of his actions. How do you both root for and against a monster? And is it even fair to call him that? At some points, I found myself feeling sympathetic for him as much as I did for Wavy. The larger setting of the relationship Wavy has with her parents is equally if not more disturbing, and this is where Green really gets her hooks into you. The book is extremely well written. I suspect the author’s background has lent itself to her ability to write such a credible story. The only ‘problem’ I had was toward the end when Wavy is in college, and we drift from gritty realism to more of a ‘romantic’ pace. This section was a bit too ‘cutesy’ for me with all the back and forth angst in the Kellen storyline, and the dealings with her aunt. Sounds strange to say considering everything that’s happened up to that point, but this was just too pat for me. Greenwood did an excellent job of setting up the chess pieces of this story, and makes reference to all of the ‘ugly and wonderful things’ people do to one another. In the end, I walked away conflicted; loving the story, yet hating some of the actions of the characters. Perhaps that’s the brilliance of her work. All the Ugly and Wonderful Things: A Novel