What Beauty There Is by Cory Anderson

Hi Lovelies

I am a day late with this review HOWEVER I just couldn’t put my thoughts down for this book it was that good. There aren’t many debut books that blow my mind but this one is definitely one of them. Cory Anderson brought something special to this book that had me turning page after page.

Massive thank you to The Write Reads for having me on this tour and to Penguin Random House for sending me an advanced readers copy to read and review. All thoughts an opinions on this review are my own.

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Winter. The sky is dark. It is cold enough to crack bones.

Jack Morton has nothing left. Except his younger brother, Matty, who he’d do anything for. Even die for. Now with their mother gone, and their funds 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. He chooses the money.

Ava Bardem lives in isolation, a life of silence. For seventeen years her father has controlled her fate. He has taught her to love no one. Trust no one. Now Victor Bardem is stalking the same money as Jack. When he picks up Jack’s trail, Ava must make her own wrenching choice: remain silent or help the brothers survive.

Choices. They come at a price.

Out Now.

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My Thoughts

This book literally blew me away. For a debut book it had everything that you would need, emotion, characters that you wanted to help, a decent plot line and the style of writing that you found it hard to put the book down. Cory Anderson I felt brought something special to this book and I felt my heart beating fast throughout and breaking by the end.

My friends bring some tissues when you read this I feel that you are going to need them.

I will just mention here that there will be Trigger Warnings for some readers. There is physical assault, emotional abuse, suicide, mention of drug abuse and death.

The book focuses on Jack Morton. He literally has nothing left in the world apart from his younger brother Matty who he would do anything for. After coming home and finding that his mother had killed herself it sets in motion a series of events that become increasingly more dangerous for Jack but has he got the strength to carry on?

My heart literally bled for Jack. I wanted to reach into the book pull him and his brother out wrap them up and make them live with me. Jack’s heart breaking reality stole my breath. The son of a convict, son of a mother that couldn’t cope any longer leaving him as the eldest to care for his younger brother making sure that he was eating, clothed, was safe and secure. THIS is when I said you needed tissues.

Jack makes a choice, his father was convicted for stealing money, but it was never found. He goes on this journey to find the money and make a good life for him and his brother Matty. He however comes across some people along the way that are not kind or generous and one, Ava Bardem that is everything he and Matty needs.

This book at times was pretty graphic in regards to the physical assault that Jack goes through. He was badly beaten and basically left for dead in the woods. I felt the physical pain that he was going through and found that Cory Anderson gave Jack the strength to continue on. He has everything to live for.

Ava Bardem – oh my gosh where do I start with Ava. Again this character had my heart in her hands. She had suffered at the hands of her father Bardem. There was emotional abuse here where she was kept as a prisoner from the outside world. She was made to feel that if she allowed anyone in apart from her father Bardem then she and they would be hurt. She took a leap of faith with Jack and I’m glad that she did. I won’t sugar coat it it doesn’t end well, my heart broke at the last few chapters of the book with Ava and Jack.

As I said I felt an emotional punch with this book all the way through. I do not understand how a parent could do that to there children.

There is one shining light in the book and that is the Detective who is trying to find Jack and Matty and help them. You can see the frustration he has at every turn that he cannot find them. You can feel the tension when he finds out that Jack is injured but still going.

I liked that at the beginning of each chapter there was a paragraph in Ava voice. That the book mainly focuses on Jack but you got more from Ava in those small snippets at the beginning of each chapter, her emotions, what she has gone through and her ending.

This book does have an ending that made me happy, but I was also sad. You need to read this book to find out more and it is one I highly recommend. Cory Anderson packs a punch in this 300+ page book. I cannot wait to read more from them.