What Beauty There Is

By Cory Anderson and Cory Anderson

Book Overview

A 2022 William C. Morris YA Debut Award Finalist, What Beauty There Is is Cory Anderson's stunning novel about brutality and beauty, and about broken people trying to survive--"Intense, brutal, and searingly honest," perfect for fans of Patrick Ness, Laura Ruby, and Meg Rosoff.

To understand the truth, you have to start at the beginning.

Ava Bardem lives in isolation, a life of silence. For seventeen years, Ava's father, a merciless man, has controlled her fate. He's taught her to love no one. But then she meets Jack.

Living in poverty, Jack Dahl is holding his breath. He and his younger brother have nothing--except each other. With their parents gone, Jack faces a stark choice: lose his brother to foster care or find the drug money that sent his father to prison. He chooses the money.

Suddenly, Jack's and Ava's fates become intimately--and dangerously--linked as Ava's father hunts for the same money as Jack. When he picks up on Jack's trail, Ava must make her own wrenching choice: remain silent or speak and fight for Jack's survival.

Choices. They come at a price.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1250268095
• ISBN13: 9781250268099
• Release Date: April 2021
• Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 1.02 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 5.4" x 8.4"
• Age Range: 14 to 18 years
• Grade Range: Grade 9 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

Heartbreakingly beautiful. Loved every page.

This book rocked my entire world. Upon seeing the cover, it instantly drew me in but the story line hooked me. From page one, I knew this was going to be a unique plot line that was sure to hook me! This story mostly follows Jack, his brother Matty and Ava (a deep female character with complexities which quickly grew to become my favorite character in the book!). We see the struggle of these characters bond to the past, relationships between mothers & fathers, to family.. loyalties and most of all - the struggle of simple survival. I’ve never read a book that was written quite as this was one and it was very welcomed. It was a definite page turner and I read it in one day! I literally could not put it down. I hate marking inside my books but there were so many tragically beautiful, quotable lines in this book I had to keep a small journal nearby to write them down for future use. Cory Anderson is sure to become a very beloved author with a long career ahead of her. I loved the book so much that I followed her on Instagram to ensure I didn’t miss any news on follow up books or novels. I’m so happy I read this and already recommended it to my huge book club, friends and family. You will NOT regret reading this story!

Such a good read

What Beauty There Is by Cory Anderson is an action packed, heart wrenching thriller with an ending that will leave you speechless. Obsessed with the entire aesthetic of this book. 5/5 stars Jack Dahl comes home to find his mother missing. His father was imprisoned 7 years ago for robbing a pawn shop, and since then his mother has checked out leaving him and his much younger brother Matty to fend for themselves. Jack and Matty were such a cute duo of siblings. It’s very rare for a female to write from a male (even third person) perspective, and I found myself really enjoying that. Ava was such a gem, and such a fantastic character I loved her. Even our villains in this book are very memorable! What I loved about this book: Cory Anderson was not afraid to throw everything and the kitchen sink at her characters. She wasn’t afraid to put them through hell. It’s very rare that you get authors who put the same character through the worst things you can imagine, and don’t let up. I found myself appreciating her willingness to really come at them with everything. The plot felt a little bit everywhere, but it actually flowed really well. There was a lot going on that we flip between different characters, which occasionally pulled us form the original plot, but overall I feel like those were necessary to really set the scene. I think this is perfect for fans of Beautiful Creatures, House of Hollow, What Big Teeth, and it may just be because I read it right beforehand, but a more contemporary ya version of We Begin at the End (less extreme)

Beautiful, haunting and heart-wrenching

The cover of What Beauty There Is is beautiful and intricate, like a work of art. The story is set in the depths of winter in rural Idaho. The main characters are Jack and Matty Dahl, whose father is in jail for a convenience store robbery, and whose drug-addicted mother has just committed suicide. They have no resources, no home and are fighting for survival. Jack is desperately trying to find the money from the robbery that his father hid years ago. The adults in the life of these boys have so far, failed them. Jack does not seek out help from authorities because he is worried his little brother Matty will be taken from him. They are helped by Ava Bardem, the daughter of Victor, a ruthless and violent criminal who was involved in the same crime as Jack's father. Ava has been isolated by her father and has no one else. Victor is also after the hidden money. The writing is beautiful, raw, detailed and lyrical. The bitterly cold winter is so well-described, like a beautiful but dangerous character, a constant threat to Jack, Matty and Ava. The plot is perfectly paced, haunting and heart-wrenching. with skillfully built tension. The characters have depth and the reader can feel their struggle and emotions. This dark story will stay with you. I really look forward to reading the sequel.