Published by Roaring Brook Press Genres: Fiction, Mystery, suspense, young adult
Format: ARC, eBook
“This is one small story in an infinite number. But it is mine.”
Jack and Matty have only themselves. They have lost everything. Left with only two options, Jack must decide: lose his younger brother Matty to foster care or find the drug money his father hid and went to prison for. Jack chooses the money. Will it be the right choice? How will Jack hold things together for both.
Ava Bardem goes to school with Jack yet lives in isolation. She is her father’s “Little Bird” and for seventeen years her father has ruled her life. He has taught her not to love or trust. Now, Victor Bardem, her father, is hot on the trail of the money that Jack is looking for. What should Ava do? Should she remain silent or help Jack and Matty.
Both Ava and Jack make choices in this book. Will they make the right ones?
This is a beautifully written book. I just loved the italicized sections. It is also a dark book with heavy themes. An older sibling trying to keep a younger one out of foster care is a theme we have seen before and sadly exists outside of out book pages. This one couples that with tension and a sense of dread. I felt for the brothers and their plight. The odds are stacked against them. With so much to lose, how will they come out on top? What Beauty There Is is the first book in a series and I am curious to see what will happen next. Although this book is dark, it also has lightness in the form of love between the brothers, Jack’s sense of duty, the relationship between Jack and Ava.
My three-star rating means that I found this book to be good. I look forward to the next book in the series.
Thank you to Roaring Brook Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
