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A review by beate251
Everything is Beautiful: the most uplifting, heartwarming read of 2021 by Eleanor Ray
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Amy Ashton is a hoarder, that's quite clear. There is a lot of stigma around hoarding, and I know that sone reviewers don't like her for it, as if she could help it. I have oodles of sympathy with her because clearly she has suffered a traumatic loss in the past. Her boyfriend Tim and her best friend Chantel disappeared at the same time 11 years ago. She thinks they ran off together, and since then she has lived for her things rather than for other people, because they can't disappoint her. She sees the beauty even in shards of glass, but also empty bottles or cracked mugs. All the things she hoards have significance to her from her relationship with Tim.
"Broken things can be fixed, if you keep them."
We get a lot of insight into the mind of a hoarder and why they can't let go of things. It gets so bad that a neighbour calls the council about her and another new neighbour is very hostile towards her. The father of the new family is nice though, and his two young sons take an instant shine to Amy. It can be very disarming if a child takes a shine to you just because! Then she finds a ring and an old letter in her overgrown garden (the letter is in a broken pot), which could shed some light on the events of 11 years ago - if only the police was more helpful. Then someone smashes up all her front garden pots and Amy realises someone is targeting her - but who and why?
I loved this book so much. My heart squeezed for Amy, and I needed to know what happened and whether she could recover from her trauma and maybe throw a few broken mirrors out.
This is a very warm-hearted well-written debut novel. Eleanor Ray is one to watch!
"Broken things can be fixed, if you keep them."
We get a lot of insight into the mind of a hoarder and why they can't let go of things. It gets so bad that a neighbour calls the council about her and another new neighbour is very hostile towards her. The father of the new family is nice though, and his two young sons take an instant shine to Amy. It can be very disarming if a child takes a shine to you just because! Then she finds a ring and an old letter in her overgrown garden (the letter is in a broken pot), which could shed some light on the events of 11 years ago - if only the police was more helpful. Then someone smashes up all her front garden pots and Amy realises someone is targeting her - but who and why?
I loved this book so much. My heart squeezed for Amy, and I needed to know what happened and whether she could recover from her trauma and maybe throw a few broken mirrors out.
This is a very warm-hearted well-written debut novel. Eleanor Ray is one to watch!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Miscarriage, Death, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Domestic abuse