
Book Synopsis:
When everything you love is in danger, how long can you keep running to survive?
Life can be brutal
Winter in Idaho. The sky is dark. It is cold enough to crack bones.
Jack knew it
Jack Dahl has nothing left. Except his younger brother, Matty, who he’d die for. Their mother is gone, and their funds are quickly dwindling, Jack needs to make a choice: lose his brother to foster care, or find the drug money that sent his father to prison.
So did I
Ava lives in isolation, a life of silence. For seventeen years her father, a merciless man, has controlled her fate. He has taught her to love no one.
Did I feel the flutter of wings when Jack and I met? Did I sense the coming tornado?
But now Ava wants to break the rules – to let Jack in and open her heart. Then she discovers that Jack and her father are stalking the same money, and suddenly Ava is faced with a terrible choice: remain silent or speak out and help the brothers survive.
Looking back, I think I did . . .
Perfect for fans of Patrick Ness, Meg Rosoff and Daniel Woodrell, What Beauty There Is an unforgettable debut novel that is as compulsive as it is beautiful, and unflinchingly explores the power of determination, survival and love.
What Beauty There Is will be published on the 8th April 2021. You can pre-order your copy using the link below or through your local indie bookstore.
My Review:
I thought What Beauty There Is was an intense, gripping read which definitely packs an emotional punch and kept me reading far too late at night.
Firstly wow what an incredible story this was, I don’t think I’ve read many books which manage to be so gripping but also so emotional at the same time. It was very poignant to meet Jack and to follow him on his mission to try to make things better for his brother. It’s hard not to like Jack and I found myself wishing I could somehow go into the book to help him. His adventures often meant he put himself in a life threatening situation which made me feel very nervous for him. I found I wanted to keep reading as I wanted to ensure he’d be ok.
This story is told from the point of view of Jack, Matty, Ada and Sheriff Doyle who were all characters I grew to love. Jack and Matty are lovely main characters who I loved to read about, especially when the reader sees how much love there is between them. I wasn’t sure about Ava to begin with as I wasn’t convinced I could trust her but she grew on me as the story progressed.
The descriptions of the beautiful, harsh landscape of Idaho helped make the story more unique and created more atmosphere in the story. The unique quietness of the wilderness made me feel it was hiding something and I sometimes felt like it was holding its breath waiting to see what would be discovered. It sometimes felt like a rather volatile character itself as it appeared to be helping Jack on his journey sometimes but hindering him at other points too.
Overall I really enjoyed this gripping read that was very hard to put down. I was quickly drawn into the story and into the predicament Jack finds himself in. As a parent I found some of the scenes very hard to read and couldn’t believe the brothers had been out in such a perilous position. This made me feel more involved in what was happening as I felt almost responsible for making sure they were ok. This is unbelievably the author’s debut novel and I’m very excited to read more from her soon.
Huge thanks to The Write Reads for inviting me onto the blog tour and to penguin for my copy of this book.
About The Author:

Cory Anderson is a winner of the League of Utah Writers Young Adult Novel Award and Grand Prize in the Storymakers Conference First Chapter Contest. She lives in Utah with her family. What Beauty There Is is her debut novel.
