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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
4.5 stars
One of my favorite things in blog life is getting the lists of Penguin Random House audiobook emails in my inbox. They’re so easy to work with, and they have this massive catalog of titles; I am the kid in a candy store grabbing anything that remotely looks interesting. Sometimes this doesn’t end well, but sometimes I end up trying books I’d overlooked and loving them. Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined had gone completely below my radar; the blurb really doesn’t sound like Christina bait. With a good narrator, though, I’m willing to try a lot of things, so I went for it. From the very start, I fell in love with this vibrant, funny, and oddly dark contemporary novel.
Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined alternates between Ingrid’s present, in which she’s on a camping trip of horrors, and her past, which unfolds slowly from childhood to the events that sent her on the camping trip of doom. That switch between past and present, withholding some information from the past until the author wants you to know, only works for me sometimes, but Younge-Ullman makes effective use of the technique here. Everything unfolds in a very natural way, seeming to correspond with Ingrid’s ability to handle thinking about those events.
Central to the novel is Ingrid’s relationship with her mother, opera singer Margot Sophia. She loves her mother, but she no longer idolizes her as she did as a little kid. On the camping trip, Ingrid doesn’t know why her mother forced her on this nightmare vacation, whether it was malicious or not. After her mother’s singing career ended (nodes, which we know from Pitch Perfect are serious business), Margot Sophia’s depression had her in bed for over a month, with a young Ingrid trying to figure out going to real school for the first time without any real support. Even when Margot Sophia recovers from that bout of depression, she’s not the same person she was, even going by “Marg” for a while and referring to Margot Sophia as someone who died.
Ingrid and Margot Sophia have a complex relationship. YA has its share of bad parents, but this relationship is more complex than Margot Sophia being simply a bad parent. She loves her daughter, but her particular set of issues do not dovetail with what Ingrid is going through. Ingrid’s discovering her own musical talent while her mom hasn’t yet dealt emotionally with the fact that her career is over. A lot of the development here falls into the spoiler realm, but I got major feels off of their toxic relationship and this book made me cry.
Another thing I love about the familial relationships in this book is Andreas. He meets her mom when she’s still going by Marg, and he falls for her. Andreas is such an incredibly sweet guy, but dimensional. He could easily have come off as too perfect, but he has flaws that sometimes play into making things worse with Margot Sophia. Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined highlights the ways that people can love each other but still hurt each other with the best of intentions. By the same token, this book shows the importance of working through the good relationships, of finding a way to be better to one another. You see this both in Ingrid’s familial relationships and her relationship with Isaac.
In exchange for getting to attend music school, Ingrid agreed to go on a three week camping excursion which actually sounds like my personal hell. It’s like survivalist camping, and honestly I cannot imagine how the people running this company do not get sued. Ingrid thought she was going to be a regular camp with cabins and bathrooms and stuff, but instead she’s in crappy tents in the woods after HOURS of hiking everyday and she’s supposed to carry her TP around in a plastic bag and save it all rather than leaving it in the woods. There’s no food that doesn’t have mosquitoes in it. They have to sleep three to a tent, and since there are four girls and five guys, Ingrid has to sleep with two boys.
The camp counselors are frustratingly not helpful throughout the experience. They demand that the campers guide everyone to the site, rotating the leader every couple of days, meaning that they get super lost and have to hike tons of extra hours. One girl gets horrible blisters and they’re just like “don’t worry; they’ll toughen up and you’ll be fine.” They let Ingrid’s group choose a poor tent location on the first day, and it floods; they don’t give her a chance to wash her clothes or anything. Normally, a whiny heroine is the worst, but I would have been a million times more whiny than Ingrid is about all of this, and I cheered whenever she chewed out Pat and Bonnie, aka the trip leaders. Pretty much the only time they take decisive action without being yelled at by Ingrid is after she is sexually assaulted by another camper;at least they immediately kick him out and encourage her to press charges, though it would have been great if they’d not made things so easy for that asshole ».
The trip basically opens up this emotional firestorm for Ingrid, which turns out to be harder on her than all the privations. Initially, Ingrid really doesn’t think she needs to be on this camping trip/therapy quest for at-risk youth, but increasingly all the shit that Ingrid has been repressing bubbles to the surface. It’s very emotionally satisfying watching Ingrid open up and being to process everything.
My favorite thing about this book is Ingrid’s voice. While the subject matter is mostly sad and/or anger-making (intentionally), Ingrid’s voice is funny, sarcastic, and engaging. It’s a delight to read, even though the content is heavy. It’s really beautifully done. Phoebe Strole’s narration is perfect, and she very much shines at Ingrid’s snark.
Contemporary readers who appreciate powerful character arcs and tough subjects should definitely try Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined. I know I will be reading more books by Younge-Ullman.
One of my favorite things in blog life is getting the lists of Penguin Random House audiobook emails in my inbox. They’re so easy to work with, and they have this massive catalog of titles; I am the kid in a candy store grabbing anything that remotely looks interesting. Sometimes this doesn’t end well, but sometimes I end up trying books I’d overlooked and loving them. Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined had gone completely below my radar; the blurb really doesn’t sound like Christina bait. With a good narrator, though, I’m willing to try a lot of things, so I went for it. From the very start, I fell in love with this vibrant, funny, and oddly dark contemporary novel.
Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined alternates between Ingrid’s present, in which she’s on a camping trip of horrors, and her past, which unfolds slowly from childhood to the events that sent her on the camping trip of doom. That switch between past and present, withholding some information from the past until the author wants you to know, only works for me sometimes, but Younge-Ullman makes effective use of the technique here. Everything unfolds in a very natural way, seeming to correspond with Ingrid’s ability to handle thinking about those events.
Central to the novel is Ingrid’s relationship with her mother, opera singer Margot Sophia. She loves her mother, but she no longer idolizes her as she did as a little kid. On the camping trip, Ingrid doesn’t know why her mother forced her on this nightmare vacation, whether it was malicious or not. After her mother’s singing career ended (nodes, which we know from Pitch Perfect are serious business), Margot Sophia’s depression had her in bed for over a month, with a young Ingrid trying to figure out going to real school for the first time without any real support. Even when Margot Sophia recovers from that bout of depression, she’s not the same person she was, even going by “Marg” for a while and referring to Margot Sophia as someone who died.
Ingrid and Margot Sophia have a complex relationship. YA has its share of bad parents, but this relationship is more complex than Margot Sophia being simply a bad parent. She loves her daughter, but her particular set of issues do not dovetail with what Ingrid is going through. Ingrid’s discovering her own musical talent while her mom hasn’t yet dealt emotionally with the fact that her career is over. A lot of the development here falls into the spoiler realm, but I got major feels off of their toxic relationship and this book made me cry.
Another thing I love about the familial relationships in this book is Andreas. He meets her mom when she’s still going by Marg, and he falls for her. Andreas is such an incredibly sweet guy, but dimensional. He could easily have come off as too perfect, but he has flaws that sometimes play into making things worse with Margot Sophia. Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined highlights the ways that people can love each other but still hurt each other with the best of intentions. By the same token, this book shows the importance of working through the good relationships, of finding a way to be better to one another. You see this both in Ingrid’s familial relationships and her relationship with Isaac.
In exchange for getting to attend music school, Ingrid agreed to go on a three week camping excursion which actually sounds like my personal hell. It’s like survivalist camping, and honestly I cannot imagine how the people running this company do not get sued. Ingrid thought she was going to be a regular camp with cabins and bathrooms and stuff, but instead she’s in crappy tents in the woods after HOURS of hiking everyday and she’s supposed to carry her TP around in a plastic bag and save it all rather than leaving it in the woods. There’s no food that doesn’t have mosquitoes in it. They have to sleep three to a tent, and since there are four girls and five guys, Ingrid has to sleep with two boys.
The camp counselors are frustratingly not helpful throughout the experience. They demand that the campers guide everyone to the site, rotating the leader every couple of days, meaning that they get super lost and have to hike tons of extra hours. One girl gets horrible blisters and they’re just like “don’t worry; they’ll toughen up and you’ll be fine.” They let Ingrid’s group choose a poor tent location on the first day, and it floods; they don’t give her a chance to wash her clothes or anything. Normally, a whiny heroine is the worst, but I would have been a million times more whiny than Ingrid is about all of this, and I cheered whenever she chewed out Pat and Bonnie, aka the trip leaders. Pretty much the only time they take decisive action without being yelled at by Ingrid is after she is sexually assaulted by another camper;
The trip basically opens up this emotional firestorm for Ingrid, which turns out to be harder on her than all the privations. Initially, Ingrid really doesn’t think she needs to be on this camping trip/therapy quest for at-risk youth, but increasingly all the shit that Ingrid has been repressing bubbles to the surface. It’s very emotionally satisfying watching Ingrid open up and being to process everything.
My favorite thing about this book is Ingrid’s voice. While the subject matter is mostly sad and/or anger-making (intentionally), Ingrid’s voice is funny, sarcastic, and engaging. It’s a delight to read, even though the content is heavy. It’s really beautifully done. Phoebe Strole’s narration is perfect, and she very much shines at Ingrid’s snark.
Contemporary readers who appreciate powerful character arcs and tough subjects should definitely try Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined. I know I will be reading more books by Younge-Ullman.
So, I didn't really like this book, which is a shame, because I'm sure it has done a lot for plenty of people. It just didn't really do anything for me. Maybe it's because I've read books that have delved into similar topics (in my opinion, much better than this), maybe it's because I can't really relate to the main character's relationships. Either way, I found myself not really saying I could enjoy this book.
I didn't enjoy how side character's stories were treated by the plot. It felt like the characters told their life story, then exited stage left, and we don't really get much more than that. Which is usually fine, but their life stories all seemed rather traumatic and just wasn't given the care I believed they deserved. It definitely didn't help that it seemed every single character had some backstory that was generally pretty sad.
Honestly, the characters leading sad lives makes sense. What I don't understand is, if we're having around 8 or so side characters having traumatic backstories, why we couldn't focus in on 2 of them and explore those deeper while we get the general impression of what the other characters have been through and that's it. By trying to address everyone's issues in such a short book, we don't really explore anyone's issues, and the book feels a little shallow because of it.
Then there's the main focus: our main character's relationship with her mother. There are flashbacks throughout the novel to explore this, and I have to admit I didn't care for it. I understand why they were there, but I don't understand why we couldn't instead see our main character talking about it to people at the camp. Maybe it was to make us more emotionally invested, but all it did was make me feel less and less like picking this back up.
I also think that some of what's revealed at the end of the book was done really cheaply, in part because while there is a level of foreshadowing the narrative is actively telling you that this wasn't an option. Just felt a little gaslit by the end.
I know why people really enjoyed this book, I get it, I just didn't resonate with any of it.
I didn't enjoy how side character's stories were treated by the plot. It felt like the characters told their life story, then exited stage left, and we don't really get much more than that. Which is usually fine, but their life stories all seemed rather traumatic and just wasn't given the care I believed they deserved. It definitely didn't help that it seemed every single character had some backstory that was generally pretty sad.
Honestly, the characters leading sad lives makes sense. What I don't understand is, if we're having around 8 or so side characters having traumatic backstories, why we couldn't focus in on 2 of them and explore those deeper while we get the general impression of what the other characters have been through and that's it. By trying to address everyone's issues in such a short book, we don't really explore anyone's issues, and the book feels a little shallow because of it.
Then there's the main focus: our main character's relationship with her mother. There are flashbacks throughout the novel to explore this, and I have to admit I didn't care for it. I understand why they were there, but I don't understand why we couldn't instead see our main character talking about it to people at the camp. Maybe it was to make us more emotionally invested, but all it did was make me feel less and less like picking this back up.
I also think that some of what's revealed at the end of the book was done really cheaply, in part because while there is a level of foreshadowing the narrative is actively telling you that this wasn't an option. Just felt a little gaslit by the end.
I know why people really enjoyed this book, I get it, I just didn't resonate with any of it.
Work in a high school library and my goal for this year was to find some YA that I could soldier through and maybe even enjoy. This is one of them.
As an aside, I try to read YA through the eyes/mind of a teen/ya, but with a somewhat critical eye towards the quality of the writing. Either YA did not exist when I was growing up, or I skipped right over it to adult writing, so much of it seems rather lame. Does nothing to challenge the reader (and I mean challenge on a YA level, develop vocabulary, etc. And, please, don't say that books can just be entertaining because God knows I read enough Victoria Holt in the sixth grade that I could have ghostwritten books for her by high school. I'm working on it.
As an aside, I try to read YA through the eyes/mind of a teen/ya, but with a somewhat critical eye towards the quality of the writing. Either YA did not exist when I was growing up, or I skipped right over it to adult writing, so much of it seems rather lame. Does nothing to challenge the reader (and I mean challenge on a YA level, develop vocabulary, etc. And, please, don't say that books can just be entertaining because God knows I read enough Victoria Holt in the sixth grade that I could have ghostwritten books for her by high school. I'm working on it.
Ingrid's story was so compelling and raw, as she tries to come to terms with the past in order to move on to a better and brighter future. This has officially entered the list of my favorite contemporaries.
I received this novel as an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
There are many YA fiction novels out there that discuss how a teenager deals with problems in her life. Some of these stories are good and some of them don't really make the cut. I haven't read one of these tearjerker novels in a while and I wasn't really expecting this novel to be one. But after reading the first chapter, I knew exactly what it was all about. I continued to read... and I'm so glad I did, because this novel definitely blew me away!
I adored this novel. Truly, I did. From the synopsis to the actual writing to the characters, everything was flawless and perfect. I couldn't have asked for a better story!
I loved the different characters that we were introduced to, even though it was apparent that Ingrid was the star of the show. The descriptions of the other characters was given through Ingrid and I really liked how this was done, because it showed Ingrid as someone who is not self-absorbed and consumed by her own problems. Ingrid, while seeming to be quiet, is actually a firecracker who knows how to stand up for herself. She may have wanted to back down from the challenges she faced but she doesn't, and that made me love her character! The other characters from the camp were written very well and did a good job in terms of giving Ingrid the support and baseboard that she needed in order to "grow".
I really enjoyed the way this story was written. The chapters would flit from the past to the present and it was really interesting to read from both perspectives and see how they all matched up. The emotions that Ingrid felt in the past, and the pain she was carrying with her in the present were powerfully written; it made me want to go and hug her! The story never dragged, which was really great to see since I frequently find books in this genre are ... slow-paced.
Overall, this book is emotionally-packed. It will make you laugh out loud, and cry, and just ... FEEL so much! I loved Ingrid, I loved Margot-Sophia, I loved every character (except Peace, of course)! This novel was amazing in terms of its writing style, pacing, story line, and character development. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good teen fiction that will make you emotional!
There are many YA fiction novels out there that discuss how a teenager deals with problems in her life. Some of these stories are good and some of them don't really make the cut. I haven't read one of these tearjerker novels in a while and I wasn't really expecting this novel to be one. But after reading the first chapter, I knew exactly what it was all about. I continued to read... and I'm so glad I did, because this novel definitely blew me away!
I adored this novel. Truly, I did. From the synopsis to the actual writing to the characters, everything was flawless and perfect. I couldn't have asked for a better story!
I loved the different characters that we were introduced to, even though it was apparent that Ingrid was the star of the show. The descriptions of the other characters was given through Ingrid and I really liked how this was done, because it showed Ingrid as someone who is not self-absorbed and consumed by her own problems. Ingrid, while seeming to be quiet, is actually a firecracker who knows how to stand up for herself. She may have wanted to back down from the challenges she faced but she doesn't, and that made me love her character! The other characters from the camp were written very well and did a good job in terms of giving Ingrid the support and baseboard that she needed in order to "grow".
I really enjoyed the way this story was written. The chapters would flit from the past to the present and it was really interesting to read from both perspectives and see how they all matched up. The emotions that Ingrid felt in the past, and the pain she was carrying with her in the present were powerfully written; it made me want to go and hug her! The story never dragged, which was really great to see since I frequently find books in this genre are ... slow-paced.
Overall, this book is emotionally-packed. It will make you laugh out loud, and cry, and just ... FEEL so much! I loved Ingrid, I loved Margot-Sophia, I loved every character (except Peace, of course)! This novel was amazing in terms of its writing style, pacing, story line, and character development. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good teen fiction that will make you emotional!
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I LOVED this book. I know that not everyone who reads it will love it in the way that I did, mainly because this book hit my two main teenage/college hobbies: camping and singing. Not only that but Ingrid's journey and trials were told through her experiences in these activities, making her connections with the outdoors and with her life in music even stronger. If you're thinking about reading this book, let me give you a little bit of a synopsis:
Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined is told from Ingrid's point of view, but through two different timelines: one as she is growing up with her opera star-gone wrong mother, and one in the present on a month long wilderness survival-turned disaster trek she wasn't quite expecting. Growing up, Ingrid and her mother lived a wonderful life, with Margot-Sophia Lalange performing in the spotlight of the great opera houses until she does exactly what she knows not to do--she over sings and does not take care of her voice thus resulting in vocal nodes and the end of her career. Ingrid's mother becomes bitter regarding music and theater, and the glamorous life ends. Ingrid struggles to fit in at school and she grows up taking care of her mother. Eventually, a role in the school play and (of course) a boy will change many things for both Ingrid and her mother.
5-star ratings are very difficult to earn from me, but I'm feeling generous today and I will round up a 4.6 rating on this one to a 5 for a few reasons. First of all, the wilderness survival camp is one for at-risk teens and while Ingrid didn't feel that she wasn't "at-risk" so she didn't need to be there, she still toughened up and took it like a champ. I think that a lot of her thought processes were exactly like mine would have been (I won't really give more information than that because it's part of the humor and charm [lol...sass?] of Ingrid). Second, the way that passion for music and performing on stage is described. How you get up on stage and more or less don't always know if you did well or not. Or Margo-Sophia's phrases like "You did well last night but today you must be better. Always better." In some ways she often comes across as self-centered but her career and that state of mind was her entire life. It was her state of mind for years. It was hard to see her discourage Ingrid from pursuing music but she was completely horrified for her. The one thing I did NOT like was how Ingrid treated Isaac after the show and the incident with the other girl. I didn't think that blaming him so strongly was fair at all and I hated that. I thought that was the big chink in the book for me. And the end, of course, is a cryfest and my biggest weakness in books. It could have been more played up but I think it was just the right amount considering the characters so I say it was very well done. Overall, wonderful book. It is one that I highly recommend.
--I was given a copy of this book by Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review--
Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined is told from Ingrid's point of view, but through two different timelines: one as she is growing up with her opera star-gone wrong mother, and one in the present on a month long wilderness survival-turned disaster trek she wasn't quite expecting. Growing up, Ingrid and her mother lived a wonderful life, with Margot-Sophia Lalange performing in the spotlight of the great opera houses until she does exactly what she knows not to do--she over sings and does not take care of her voice thus resulting in vocal nodes and the end of her career. Ingrid's mother becomes bitter regarding music and theater, and the glamorous life ends. Ingrid struggles to fit in at school and she grows up taking care of her mother. Eventually, a role in the school play and (of course) a boy will change many things for both Ingrid and her mother.
5-star ratings are very difficult to earn from me, but I'm feeling generous today and I will round up a 4.6 rating on this one to a 5 for a few reasons. First of all, the wilderness survival camp is one for at-risk teens and while Ingrid didn't feel that she wasn't "at-risk" so she didn't need to be there, she still toughened up and took it like a champ. I think that a lot of her thought processes were exactly like mine would have been (I won't really give more information than that because it's part of the humor and charm [lol...sass?] of Ingrid). Second, the way that passion for music and performing on stage is described. How you get up on stage and more or less don't always know if you did well or not. Or Margo-Sophia's phrases like "You did well last night but today you must be better. Always better." In some ways she often comes across as self-centered but her career and that state of mind was her entire life. It was her state of mind for years. It was hard to see her discourage Ingrid from pursuing music but she was completely horrified for her. The one thing I did NOT like was how Ingrid treated Isaac after the show and the incident with the other girl. I didn't think that blaming him so strongly was fair at all and I hated that. I thought that was the big chink in the book for me. And the end, of course, is a cryfest and my biggest weakness in books. It could have been more played up but I think it was just the right amount considering the characters so I say it was very well done. Overall, wonderful book. It is one that I highly recommend.
--I was given a copy of this book by Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review--
Of all of the books nominated by the Ontario Library Association for the White Pine program this year in the Forest of Reading, I really liked this one and I would put it in my top 3 of the season. Firstly I feel in love with Ingrid's childhood tagging around behind her opera-singer mom through Europe. Then you can't help but get excited as Ingrid enters a school dedicated to the arts, where she excels. Yet intermingled in these trips through the past is Ingrid's present, where she is in some sort of wilderness-adventure-intervention trip. The twist of these three timelines keeps the reader guessing at how they will align until the very end.
Without giving too much away, Ingrid is carrying a lot more than her backpack through the forest, and she's even finding time for a love interest or two. I can't wait to see what [a:Danielle Younge-Ullman|1164592|Danielle Younge-Ullman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1427832090p2/1164592.jpg] writes next. It turns out that I'm not the only one who thinks she's great....the students at my school and across the province chose Everything Beautiful is Not Ruined as the White Pine winner this year.
Without giving too much away, Ingrid is carrying a lot more than her backpack through the forest, and she's even finding time for a love interest or two. I can't wait to see what [a:Danielle Younge-Ullman|1164592|Danielle Younge-Ullman|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1427832090p2/1164592.jpg] writes next. It turns out that I'm not the only one who thinks she's great....the students at my school and across the province chose Everything Beautiful is Not Ruined as the White Pine winner this year.
WHY HAVEN'T MORE PEOPLE READ THIS BOOK.
Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined is a unique contemporary. Structurally, it flips back and forth between Ingrid's present -- a wilderness survival camp -- and her past -- her child and teenage years with her opera-singing mother. The two settings provides an interesting mix of stage and nature, one I've seldom encountered, and an unconventional upbringing for our protagonist, who travels all over Europe and has essentially grown up backstage. The inclusion of the flashbacks provides the emotional heft of the story as the reader witnesses Ingrid's mother's fall from grace and the ramifications it has on both their psyche's. The flashbacks are concocted so that they catch up with modern-day and reveal shocking plot elements (that I'd totally guessed about half-way in).
Although it's been a long time since I've read Looking for Alaska, this novel reminds me of it: a place cut off from civilization, a cast of misfits. Death, how it sinks its claws into people and leaves permanent scars. Similarly, they speculate about forging through adversity and coming together and other deep topics. Younge-Ullman, however, doesn't slap you with deep metaphorical musings as much as John Green does.
So many freaking topics are handled in this contemporary. The one it focuses on the most is depression. Ingrid's mother is depressed, and it is painfully depicted in her reluctance to leave her bed, the ever-present sluggishness and numbness. Ingrid, at one point, tells her mother that her depression affected every breath Ingrid took, and that quote hit me: mental illnesses severely impact the whole family, in the way those without it think and act. Especially a little girl who is forced to take care of herself because her mother is unavailable.
My favorite part of Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined is Ingrid. Her narration made me chuckle a few times and it never annoyed me. She has personality, y'all! The MC in a contemporary actually has a personality! I think that contemporaries need stronger protagonists more than any other genre, because with contemporaries weak characters cannot be hidden with fantastical kingdoms or savage dystopias or other flashy settings/plots. Contemporaries invite the reader on a journey with the MC, and that MC needs to be enticing, particularly in a first-person narration. Ingrid is sarcastic, relatable, and capable. A perfect narrator.
The one thing that pissed me off was who Ingrid ended up with in the end. I'm sorry but I didn't buy it. Tarik is the superior man. That is all.
Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined is a unique contemporary. Structurally, it flips back and forth between Ingrid's present -- a wilderness survival camp -- and her past -- her child and teenage years with her opera-singing mother. The two settings provides an interesting mix of stage and nature, one I've seldom encountered, and an unconventional upbringing for our protagonist, who travels all over Europe and has essentially grown up backstage. The inclusion of the flashbacks provides the emotional heft of the story as the reader witnesses Ingrid's mother's fall from grace and the ramifications it has on both their psyche's. The flashbacks are concocted so that they catch up with modern-day and reveal shocking plot elements (that I'd totally guessed about half-way in).
Although it's been a long time since I've read Looking for Alaska, this novel reminds me of it: a place cut off from civilization, a cast of misfits. Death, how it sinks its claws into people and leaves permanent scars. Similarly, they speculate about forging through adversity and coming together and other deep topics. Younge-Ullman, however, doesn't slap you with deep metaphorical musings as much as John Green does.
So many freaking topics are handled in this contemporary. The one it focuses on the most is depression. Ingrid's mother is depressed, and it is painfully depicted in her reluctance to leave her bed, the ever-present sluggishness and numbness. Ingrid, at one point, tells her mother that her depression affected every breath Ingrid took, and that quote hit me: mental illnesses severely impact the whole family, in the way those without it think and act. Especially a little girl who is forced to take care of herself because her mother is unavailable.
My favorite part of Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined is Ingrid. Her narration made me chuckle a few times and it never annoyed me. She has personality, y'all! The MC in a contemporary actually has a personality! I think that contemporaries need stronger protagonists more than any other genre, because with contemporaries weak characters cannot be hidden with fantastical kingdoms or savage dystopias or other flashy settings/plots. Contemporaries invite the reader on a journey with the MC, and that MC needs to be enticing, particularly in a first-person narration. Ingrid is sarcastic, relatable, and capable. A perfect narrator.
The one thing that pissed me off was who Ingrid ended up with in the end. I'm sorry but I didn't buy it. Tarik is the superior man. That is all.
1 2 3 4 I declare a thumb war on you all who haven't read this book!
I have no words...
I actually thought this is going to have what I call The One Chapter Syndrome. It's the case where I enjoy all of the book but comes this chapter near the end that I just hate and it ruins the book for me.
This book was about to do that. After reading chapter 33 I went like ughh there goes my 5 stars, but then come chapter 34 to the rescue.
I can tell you this, I can't remember the last time a book made me feel such a wide range of emotions and I just love it!
Also, I can't believe how underrated this is! Please guys let's fix that. This is an important beautiful book and deserves more.
Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined is about a girl named Ingrid as she tries to prove to her mom that she has what it takes to pursue her dreams. So when her mother challenges her to go to this wilderness survival program in exchange for her approval, Ingrid agrees.
Now the fun begins as she discovers that her fellow campers are an ex-convict, a creepy pervert and a runaway.
It's one of the best mental illness books I read.
Usually, when I read a book about mental illness, the common theme is, talk about it and you'll feel better. I don't disagree with that but I have my reservations on how it's usually portrayed as the magic wand that can fix things instantly. I get that it's hard to do a good character arc in not so many pages, I ignored it most times but it has always nagged me.
After reading this I don't think I'd be so forgiving. This book did such an amazing job with it. While it had the theme that talking about your problems can fix things, in no way did it hint that's an instant magical solution. It really isn't even about that, it's more about how not talking can make things worse.
And I just loved how Ingrid explained her reasons for not talking about what happened to her. I have the seem feelings, some things just feel personal and you can't just share them with anyone especially if the people are ex-convicts and recovering addicts you just met.
Characters
We must interrupt this review for the breaking news that Andreas is the best!
This newsflash was brought to you by The Sky Is Blue Network.
But seriously, I love that guy. He could've stayed away from Ingrid and her mother. He knew what he was getting into and he did it anyway, and I love him.
- Ingrid
Ingrid is one the best character's I read about, at least contemporary wise. I don't exactly agree with some of her actions and views, probably because I had loving supportive parents, but even without that, I don't think I'd react the same way she did to certain things. Suffice to say that I didn't empathize with her but I did sympathize.
She did help me see how different we humans are because every time she went into an argument with her mother, I could see both sides. And that's what I meant when I said I don't agree with her. Her mother had a lot going on and Ingrid did try to help her but she still wants to live her life. You could say that's somewhat bratty but it also isn't. I honestly would've absolutely loved Ingrid if she gave up and put her mom's needs before hers but that wouldn't mean it's the right thing to do, and that ladies and gentlemen is why I love this book.
Ingrid to me just acted her age, and I don't think anyone can blame her for doing that.
- The mother
I don't know what to say here.
A lot of things happened and you can't blame her for the things she did or said because she had a reason behind that even if somethings were a bit too much. I do however see how she did feel cornered almost all the time, be it by Andreas or Ingrid. It's just a very hard position to be in.
Sometimes I did feel angry because of her constant unsupportive attitude but at the same time, I was angry at Ingrid and Andreas for not helping much and kinda cornering her into agreeing to somethings. I'm being very vague here but I don't want to spoil anything, you just have to trust me that this deserves your time :)
Writing
I'm not sure if this is for everyone but I just love nonlinear narrative as long as it's not confusing. It helps me realize that the character didn't start their lives just with me picking up the book, they have a past and it affects them now and it will affect them after I finish reading.
This book wasn't confusing, it all unraveled smoothly and I enjoyed almost every bit of it.
I didn't like
The only thing I could think of is Ingrid's relationships.
Her relationship with Isaac wasn't really my favorite thing but it wasn't bad. The thing with Tavik is the one I didn't like at all, not that I don't understand it but it's what Ingrid herself complained about.
I think that's all, EXCEPT FOR ME BEGGING YOU TO READ THIS BOOK.
READ THIS BOOK!
READ THIS BOOK!
READ THIS BOOK!
Okay that's all, have fun... Reading this book :)
I have no words...
I actually thought this is going to have what I call The One Chapter Syndrome. It's the case where I enjoy all of the book but comes this chapter near the end that I just hate and it ruins the book for me.
This book was about to do that. After reading chapter 33 I went like ughh there goes my 5 stars, but then come chapter 34 to the rescue.
I can tell you this, I can't remember the last time a book made me feel such a wide range of emotions and I just love it!
Also, I can't believe how underrated this is! Please guys let's fix that. This is an important beautiful book and deserves more.
Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined is about a girl named Ingrid as she tries to prove to her mom that she has what it takes to pursue her dreams. So when her mother challenges her to go to this wilderness survival program in exchange for her approval, Ingrid agrees.
Now the fun begins as she discovers that her fellow campers are an ex-convict, a creepy pervert and a runaway.
It's one of the best mental illness books I read.
Usually, when I read a book about mental illness, the common theme is, talk about it and you'll feel better. I don't disagree with that but I have my reservations on how it's usually portrayed as the magic wand that can fix things instantly. I get that it's hard to do a good character arc in not so many pages, I ignored it most times but it has always nagged me.
After reading this I don't think I'd be so forgiving. This book did such an amazing job with it. While it had the theme that talking about your problems can fix things, in no way did it hint that's an instant magical solution. It really isn't even about that, it's more about how not talking can make things worse.
And I just loved how Ingrid explained her reasons for not talking about what happened to her. I have the seem feelings, some things just feel personal and you can't just share them with anyone especially if the people are ex-convicts and recovering addicts you just met.
Characters
We must interrupt this review for the breaking news that Andreas is the best!
This newsflash was brought to you by The Sky Is Blue Network.
But seriously, I love that guy. He could've stayed away from Ingrid and her mother. He knew what he was getting into and he did it anyway, and I love him.
“You still love her?” I asked.
“Yes,” he said fiercely.
I believed him. In fact, I would almost say he loved her more.
- Ingrid
Ingrid is one the best character's I read about, at least contemporary wise. I don't exactly agree with some of her actions and views, probably because I had loving supportive parents, but even without that, I don't think I'd react the same way she did to certain things. Suffice to say that I didn't empathize with her but I did sympathize.
She did help me see how different we humans are because every time she went into an argument with her mother, I could see both sides. And that's what I meant when I said I don't agree with her. Her mother had a lot going on and Ingrid did try to help her but she still wants to live her life. You could say that's somewhat bratty but it also isn't. I honestly would've absolutely loved Ingrid if she gave up and put her mom's needs before hers but that wouldn't mean it's the right thing to do, and that ladies and gentlemen is why I love this book.
Ingrid to me just acted her age, and I don't think anyone can blame her for doing that.
- The mother
I don't know what to say here.
A lot of things happened and you can't blame her for the things she did or said because she had a reason behind that even if somethings were a bit too much. I do however see how she did feel cornered almost all the time, be it by Andreas or Ingrid. It's just a very hard position to be in.
Sometimes I did feel angry because of her constant unsupportive attitude but at the same time, I was angry at Ingrid and Andreas for not helping much and kinda cornering her into agreeing to somethings. I'm being very vague here but I don't want to spoil anything, you just have to trust me that this deserves your time :)
Writing
I'm not sure if this is for everyone but I just love nonlinear narrative as long as it's not confusing. It helps me realize that the character didn't start their lives just with me picking up the book, they have a past and it affects them now and it will affect them after I finish reading.
This book wasn't confusing, it all unraveled smoothly and I enjoyed almost every bit of it.
I didn't like
The only thing I could think of is Ingrid's relationships.
Her relationship with Isaac wasn't really my favorite thing but it wasn't bad. The thing with Tavik is the one I didn't like at all, not that I don't understand it but it's what Ingrid herself complained about.
I think that's all, EXCEPT FOR ME BEGGING YOU TO READ THIS BOOK.
READ THIS BOOK!
READ THIS BOOK!
READ THIS BOOK!
Okay that's all, have fun... Reading this book :)