Review of All The Ugly And Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

 All The Ugly And Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood 

"I was so sweet. Like a lemon drop." page 112 

Okay, so this book is something I would 10/10 recommend for bookclubs solely because it's near impossible to read without wanting to discuss it! It's dark and twisted yet somehow I found myself thinking it was almost beautiful, maybe I'm alone in that. But the story and the writing that Greenwood gives us in this novel are unsettling at times but bares the question what is love and who are you to say one love story is more real than the next?  With themes of family, consent, abuse, sexual assault, sexual awakening, loneliness, and womanhood. This multi P.O.V.  story is filled to the brim with trigger warning so please be aware of that before you dive in. But overall I find this book to be completely fascinating to read, I mean I was consumed by it and read it in all in one day. It is taboo and heartbreaking, it almost knocks the wind out of you with how much you wish you could give Wavy a hug( with her permission of course). 

You'll meet Wavonna "Wavy" Quinn and at the age of six years old, she bounces from one family member to the next. a selective mute with a strange eating disorder, she gathers the curiosity and concern of her family members but eventually is placed back in the care of her drug addict mother and drug dealer father. That is where she has a chance meeting with Jesse Joe Kellen, a man in his early twenties who feels lost in the world but is dumbfounded and intrigued by the young Wavy. The two form a friendship that spans years, that has some not so settle undertones of something more. Kellen can't explain his yearning to be around Wavy and Wavy is consumed with the idea that someone cares enough to stick around. It's a complicated relationship that questions all that you know. As the years move on the two are the only constant for each other. It is a hard story to read at times and it will blur the line of consent and love and family. 

Stand out Quote: 

"Except for Wavy. She kept me there. More than that. She kept me tethered, not just to Powell, but to being alive. In the whole world, she was the person who cared whether I lived or died. " Page. 102 

Some questions to ponder: 

1. Is this a love story? 
2. Why are Kellen and Wavy so drawn to each? What does one see in the other? 
3. On page 119, Wavy discusses Donal's role in their family, what would it mean if he was one of them? Why does she fear it so much?
   
4. Throughout the novel, Kellen tries to be respectful and essentially to not cross the line, but do his attempts make him more or less a predator? Do you think he is a pedophile? Is there a gray area? (tw: Example - page 182)
5. Why do you think the adults around Wavy ignore or belittle the relationship between Kellen and her? 

Thanks for stopping by! 

-MDB