You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was going to give this 4 stars but then I read that last letter and epilogue and said "no this deserves to be read by everyone and i'll give it all its deserved stars".
This books was something else. Not because I liked the cHarActErs or wRiTiNg or pLoT. (Well I did love all of that but that's not my point right now). My point is that this book covered like literally everything in life. From fears and depression to sexual assult and dysfunctional beings. EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS BOOK. Ingrid had the greatest character developement I have ever saw in a character and I loved this book for it, I loved the freindships, I loved Isaac, I loved the music, I loved her relationship with her mother, and I did NOT expect that ending to be honest. I cried. But I also laughed. (Can I mention how funny this book was though, like um I never laughed out loud while reading a book and definitely not that long.) I loved each and every letter she wrote to her mom and the way everyone at the camp supported her when she got assulted and just in general. I loved Tavik, Seth, Ally, Jin literally almost all of them. EVERYONE. NEEDS. TO. READ. THIS. BOOK. It shows all the hardships in life it shows how you can overcome them if not go through them it shows the importance of speaking up and helping someone you love and not bottling everything up. And the need to express your feelings. I love love love Ingrid not only was she funny but she finally understood things and understood why she is feeling the way she is. (I love when characters assess themselves).
She become stronger.
I loved this book.
This books was something else. Not because I liked the cHarActErs or wRiTiNg or pLoT. (Well I did love all of that but that's not my point right now). My point is that this book covered like literally everything in life. From fears and depression to sexual assult and dysfunctional beings. EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS BOOK. Ingrid had the greatest character developement I have ever saw in a character and I loved this book for it, I loved the freindships, I loved Isaac, I loved the music, I loved her relationship with her mother, and I did NOT expect that ending to be honest. I cried. But I also laughed. (Can I mention how funny this book was though, like um I never laughed out loud while reading a book and definitely not that long.) I loved each and every letter she wrote to her mom and the way everyone at the camp supported her when she got assulted and just in general. I loved Tavik, Seth, Ally, Jin literally almost all of them. EVERYONE. NEEDS. TO. READ. THIS. BOOK. It shows all the hardships in life it shows how you can overcome them if not go through them it shows the importance of speaking up and helping someone you love and not bottling everything up. And the need to express your feelings. I love love love Ingrid not only was she funny but she finally understood things and understood why she is feeling the way she is. (I love when characters assess themselves).
She become stronger.
I loved this book.
WOW!!!! This book was absolutely amazing! One of the best EVER!!!! You haven’t lived your life if you haven’t read this book!!!!!! The most underrated YA book I have ever read!!!!! OMG I’m still in shock!!!!!!!
I think this book would grab many readers. Ingrid's life is unusual but I don't think it's particularly unique, even in the end.
For me, Ingrid started out as a very flat character and it took me a while to like her. Once she took shape, I couldn't put the book down.
For me, Ingrid started out as a very flat character and it took me a while to like her. Once she took shape, I couldn't put the book down.
Going into this book I didn't really know what to expect. From the synopsis I was under the impression it might be a bit more sinister, but from receiving the copy the cover is gorgeous and bright and covered in moths and butterfly's and I wasn't expecting me to love it as much as I do.
Our protagonist Ingrid makes a deal with her Mum to be sent to a wilderness camp for three weeks, in exchange for attending a school in England she has dreamed of going to. Set out using letters from the camp and flashbacks from the past to the present day help to tell this story incredibly well, and we're left with a surprise at the ending. What I loved about the structure of this book is the way we the reader are almost like another member of the camp, and we're getting to know Ingrid through these letters and flashbacks and how she has become the young girl she is today. Ingrid's dry humour and mannerisms had me laughing to myself, because she acts just the way I would if I found out that 'camp' was really proper camping and having to deal with the rain, mud, and not having enough pairs of underwear. Witty, sarcastic, and just utterly relatable. From the beginning we learn that she is very much a determined person who strives to follow her dreams no matter what the cost, however it also becomes clear as to why she is so determined to prove her Mum wrong and that she can survive camp.
The book has a wide range of other characters, from Ingrid's camp mates, to family members we don't meet ourselves but through Ingrid's flashbacks. Some of these characters you will love, while others will make your skin crawl. Ingrid's mother for example we discover was a famous opera singer, and what comes of this also becomes central to the plot too and how it affects Ingrid and her upbringing.
The story itself appears quite simple, when really it has a much more of a deeper message. It's about hopes and dreams, and chasing them because we want to. We shouldn't compare our experiences with other people but concentrate on how we feel and how they impact on us.
If you love contemporary books with adventure and a positive message, then this is the one for you. I adored it so much and it was impossible to put down.
I absolutely cannot wait for Danielle to write another novel soon!
Our protagonist Ingrid makes a deal with her Mum to be sent to a wilderness camp for three weeks, in exchange for attending a school in England she has dreamed of going to. Set out using letters from the camp and flashbacks from the past to the present day help to tell this story incredibly well, and we're left with a surprise at the ending. What I loved about the structure of this book is the way we the reader are almost like another member of the camp, and we're getting to know Ingrid through these letters and flashbacks and how she has become the young girl she is today. Ingrid's dry humour and mannerisms had me laughing to myself, because she acts just the way I would if I found out that 'camp' was really proper camping and having to deal with the rain, mud, and not having enough pairs of underwear. Witty, sarcastic, and just utterly relatable. From the beginning we learn that she is very much a determined person who strives to follow her dreams no matter what the cost, however it also becomes clear as to why she is so determined to prove her Mum wrong and that she can survive camp.
The book has a wide range of other characters, from Ingrid's camp mates, to family members we don't meet ourselves but through Ingrid's flashbacks. Some of these characters you will love, while others will make your skin crawl. Ingrid's mother for example we discover was a famous opera singer, and what comes of this also becomes central to the plot too and how it affects Ingrid and her upbringing.
The story itself appears quite simple, when really it has a much more of a deeper message. It's about hopes and dreams, and chasing them because we want to. We shouldn't compare our experiences with other people but concentrate on how we feel and how they impact on us.
If you love contemporary books with adventure and a positive message, then this is the one for you. I adored it so much and it was impossible to put down.
I absolutely cannot wait for Danielle to write another novel soon!
I found this book both enjoyable and surprising. I think it's worth re-reading, because it would be worth reading to see the events of the narrative through the lens of the ending.
I am so mixed on my feelings for this book. On one hand, I liked the camping/hiking aspect where a group of young people are thrown together and have to find a way to navigate the world around them working as a team. On the other hand, that was about the only thing I did like.
I will say that I felt engaged in the story as I was reading. I wanted to know what was going to happen to the characters and if Ingrid would ever get her act together. And there are some very important and intense issues tackled in this story. Unfortunately, I didn't feel like the execution lived up to the potential.
Trigger warnings: Suicide, sexual assault, depression
What I liked:
1. As I said, I liked that this book was set in the wilderness as a camp/expedition for at-risk youth. I read The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord last year and loved the setting.
2. It was a fast read. I actually listened to the majority of this on an airplane as an audiobook, and it flew by (no pun intended).
What I didn't like:
1. Dual timelines. I have read a lot of books with dual timelines recently, and this one just doesn't do it very well, in my opinion. It often felt like the author would use the timeline switch as a way to create false tension in whichever timeline the book was currently following, which is something that comes off as manipulative to me. Also, it doesn't work. All it actually accomplishes is to create a clunky pacing. I get why the author wanted to craft the story the way she did, but I really disliked most of the past timeline. I felt like the information could've been disseminated in another way. I would've preferred if the focus had been primarily on her journey with the other teens.
2. One-note characters. There are several side characters who show up throughout this book, but I'm not sure if I could tell you about most of them, and I just read the book over the last two days. Many of them are reduced to stereotypes and caricatures. There is the boy whose conservative parents would disown him if he embraced his sexuality and sent him to the camp to 'get rid of the gay'. There is the Asian girl whose parents are strict to the point of abusive in their demanding ways. There is the bad boy who has a heart of gold and is just misunderstood. There are several other characters as well, and not a one of them is well-developed. Our protagonist also has a best friend I know nothing about.
3. Inconsistent characterization. There is a character in this book that is written as a joke for a good portion of the book. About half-way through the book he turns on a dime and becomes completely different. There is no real hint of this up until the point where he snaps. And it's never really explained. The 'bad boy' is crude and harasses our main character with sexual comments and taking pride in making her feel uncomfortable, then he switches and we're supposed to get all gooey over him...nope. No thanks.
4. Ingrid's mother. I get that this woman is sick. She suffers from depression, and depression is not logical. That being said, even when her mother is 'well', she is a terrible mother. She tells her daughter that she isn't musically talented when that isn't true, because she can't handle her own emotions about her failed music career. She forces her young daughter to lie to her new husband about her past. She strikes me as incredibly narcissistic and manipulative. I know many people will feel like I'm being too harsh on a character who obviously suffers from mental illness, but I don't think all of her behavior is attributable to her depression.
5. Ingrid's magical recovery. I won't get too into her issues because of possible spoilers, but all of the intense things she is going through are pretty much solved in the course of a two-week wilderness expedition. Because that's how life works. Except not.
6. Awkward dialogue. There is a scene where the title of the book is said by one of the characters, and it felt cheesy and awkward to me. Many of the teens use foul language, which in theory is fine. However, it ends up sounding really cringy to me. One moment is a character telling another, "I could fuck you and drown you at the same time." Um...what?! Then the 'bad boy' is always propositioning our main character, asking her if she wants to fuck. It just sounds really awkward, especially when she was just assaulted by another character. Seriously...
Other odds and ends:
1. The ending was completely predictable for me. I thought it was going to happen slightly differently, but I was pretty sure that what happened was what was going to happen.
2. I didn't like her past-timeline love interest.
There were some other things I didn't like, but it feels at this point like I'm just piling on. I really wanted to like this book, and I almost gave it three stars. Unfortunately I just didn't find enough I liked about it to justify that rating.
I will say that I felt engaged in the story as I was reading. I wanted to know what was going to happen to the characters and if Ingrid would ever get her act together. And there are some very important and intense issues tackled in this story. Unfortunately, I didn't feel like the execution lived up to the potential.
Trigger warnings: Suicide, sexual assault, depression
What I liked:
1. As I said, I liked that this book was set in the wilderness as a camp/expedition for at-risk youth. I read The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord last year and loved the setting.
2. It was a fast read. I actually listened to the majority of this on an airplane as an audiobook, and it flew by (no pun intended).
What I didn't like:
1. Dual timelines. I have read a lot of books with dual timelines recently, and this one just doesn't do it very well, in my opinion. It often felt like the author would use the timeline switch as a way to create false tension in whichever timeline the book was currently following, which is something that comes off as manipulative to me. Also, it doesn't work. All it actually accomplishes is to create a clunky pacing. I get why the author wanted to craft the story the way she did, but I really disliked most of the past timeline. I felt like the information could've been disseminated in another way. I would've preferred if the focus had been primarily on her journey with the other teens.
2. One-note characters. There are several side characters who show up throughout this book, but I'm not sure if I could tell you about most of them, and I just read the book over the last two days. Many of them are reduced to stereotypes and caricatures. There is the boy whose conservative parents would disown him if he embraced his sexuality and sent him to the camp to 'get rid of the gay'. There is the Asian girl whose parents are strict to the point of abusive in their demanding ways. There is the bad boy who has a heart of gold and is just misunderstood. There are several other characters as well, and not a one of them is well-developed. Our protagonist also has a best friend I know nothing about.
3. Inconsistent characterization. There is a character in this book that is written as a joke for a good portion of the book. About half-way through the book he turns on a dime and becomes completely different. There is no real hint of this up until the point where he snaps. And it's never really explained. The 'bad boy' is crude and harasses our main character with sexual comments and taking pride in making her feel uncomfortable, then he switches and we're supposed to get all gooey over him...nope. No thanks.
4. Ingrid's mother. I get that this woman is sick. She suffers from depression, and depression is not logical. That being said, even when her mother is 'well', she is a terrible mother. She tells her daughter that she isn't musically talented when that isn't true, because she can't handle her own emotions about her failed music career. She forces her young daughter to lie to her new husband about her past. She strikes me as incredibly narcissistic and manipulative. I know many people will feel like I'm being too harsh on a character who obviously suffers from mental illness, but I don't think all of her behavior is attributable to her depression.
5. Ingrid's magical recovery. I won't get too into her issues because of possible spoilers, but all of the intense things she is going through are pretty much solved in the course of a two-week wilderness expedition. Because that's how life works. Except not.
6. Awkward dialogue. There is a scene where the title of the book is said by one of the characters, and it felt cheesy and awkward to me. Many of the teens use foul language, which in theory is fine. However, it ends up sounding really cringy to me. One moment is a character telling another, "I could fuck you and drown you at the same time." Um...what?! Then the 'bad boy' is always propositioning our main character, asking her if she wants to fuck. It just sounds really awkward, especially when she was just assaulted by another character. Seriously...
Other odds and ends:
1. The ending was completely predictable for me. I thought it was going to happen slightly differently, but I was pretty sure that what happened was what was going to happen.
2. I didn't like her past-timeline love interest.
There were some other things I didn't like, but it feels at this point like I'm just piling on. I really wanted to like this book, and I almost gave it three stars. Unfortunately I just didn't find enough I liked about it to justify that rating.
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.
When I first received this book in the post, I wasn't too sure about what to expect. I hadn't heard about it originally, but when I looked on GR for it, it seemed to be something I would enjoy, and that's exactly what happened.
In Everything Beautiful is Not Ruined, Ingrid is sent to a wilderness camp, for 3 weeks. She made an agreement with her mam to complete the course, and through the use of journal entries, letters, and prose, we learn more about Ingrid's life, and just why exactly she is at the camp. However, 'camp' is a loose term for what she actually faces. Rather than stay in chalet type buildings, on bunk beds and around a camp fire, it's hard, grueling work, making your own shelter, hiking/canoeing for days on end, in wet, smelly clothes. As we learn more about Ingrid, we discover why she won't quit and give up, even when so much is thrown at her.
I loved how the book was told, flicking from past to present, and back again, so we learnt about Ingrid's life in a way that added to the story, rather than took away from it. Because of these snippets, we understand Ingrid as a character more, and, in my opinion, we love her more too. She's such a relatable, and sarcastic MC, that even if the story wasn't that good - and it really was - she would have improved it.
The book has such a range of characters - from ones you love, to ones
you hate, both in Ingrid's past, and her present. Certain characters got my back up from the get go, and I was right to have those opinions of them. Even though the book seems on the outside to be quite cute and fluffy, once you actually get into it, it's a lot more hard hitting, and serious than I was expecting.
One thing I can say about this book, was that the 'revelations', weren't that hard to guess at, and the main thing we find out at the end, I'd guessed quite early on int he book. However, that didn't take away from the story, and I have to say my favourite part of the whole book was the 'present', while she was on the trip, though the past was enjoyable too.
If you like contemporary books to escape into a different experience, this is definitely one for you.
When I first received this book in the post, I wasn't too sure about what to expect. I hadn't heard about it originally, but when I looked on GR for it, it seemed to be something I would enjoy, and that's exactly what happened.
In Everything Beautiful is Not Ruined, Ingrid is sent to a wilderness camp, for 3 weeks. She made an agreement with her mam to complete the course, and through the use of journal entries, letters, and prose, we learn more about Ingrid's life, and just why exactly she is at the camp. However, 'camp' is a loose term for what she actually faces. Rather than stay in chalet type buildings, on bunk beds and around a camp fire, it's hard, grueling work, making your own shelter, hiking/canoeing for days on end, in wet, smelly clothes. As we learn more about Ingrid, we discover why she won't quit and give up, even when so much is thrown at her.
I loved how the book was told, flicking from past to present, and back again, so we learnt about Ingrid's life in a way that added to the story, rather than took away from it. Because of these snippets, we understand Ingrid as a character more, and, in my opinion, we love her more too. She's such a relatable, and sarcastic MC, that even if the story wasn't that good - and it really was - she would have improved it.
The book has such a range of characters - from ones you love, to ones
you hate, both in Ingrid's past, and her present. Certain characters got my back up from the get go, and I was right to have those opinions of them. Even though the book seems on the outside to be quite cute and fluffy, once you actually get into it, it's a lot more hard hitting, and serious than I was expecting.
One thing I can say about this book, was that the 'revelations', weren't that hard to guess at, and the main thing we find out at the end, I'd guessed quite early on int he book. However, that didn't take away from the story, and I have to say my favourite part of the whole book was the 'present', while she was on the trip, though the past was enjoyable too.
If you like contemporary books to escape into a different experience, this is definitely one for you.