What readers think of All the Ugly and Wonderful Things, plus links to write your own review.

I enjoyed reading this book. The characters were easy to understand and relate to. Even the unconventional romance between Wavy and Kellen somehow becomes OK in the reader's mind, despite the difference in ages. I set out thinking I wouldn't enjoy this book because of the romance between a young girl and older man, but in the end, the characters and book won me over.

I enjoyed this story of a young girl who experienced a horrendous childhood, and the misfit who loved her. The book is beautifully written and kept my attention throughout. I cared about the characters. There is crude language and explicit sexual references, but if you can handle that you may find the story as gripping as I did.

Those who like stories of children surviving terrible childhoods in unthinkable conditions (think The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls) will enjoy this story. The unlikely relationship between Wavy and Kellen seems implausible at first but by book's end I found myself rooting for them. As the title suggests life can have an ugly side that seems alien to many. It wasn't always easy reading this story because of the ugly seam running through it. It seemed long at times but I kept wanting parts fleshed out a little more. Wavy will take you out of your comfort zone and make you wish you knew more about the stars.

This was a hard yet compelling book to read. I wanted to stop reading it a couple of times, yet, the story is about such a different part of our culture, the part so affected by drugs and poverty and survival, I knew that I wanted to finish it, to hear what the author wanted to convey.

I am glad I did.

This story is about a young girl, who lives in such a dysfunctional system, she rarely speaks, and will not eat with others. She believes herself to be "dirty". It is about a young man, who accepts her as she is, and will do anything to make her life as "normal" as possible. This is about what "trust" looks like. What "love " looks like. And it's about what "family" can mean and look like to those who live on the periphery of love.
This is a brave story to tell. One that brushes up against what most would consider "immoral" and "indecent" behavior.
It was hard to read emotionally, and I am glad I did.

I liked this book more than I thought I would. Wavy is a little girl, wise beyond her years. "Not to be trusted" is her byword, as she's learned from abusive parents. This is a raw story about a child who is regarded as "simple" but who is really quite brilliant. Her mother is beaten down but still mean-spirited and her father is a drug dealer and cruel beyond words. Wavy learns to love and trust Kellen, the only adult who treats her well, all the while she is trying to care for and protect her little brother, Donal. The story is well told and poignant in the sordid details of Wavy's life.

I tried hard to finish book. My problem was the subtle hints of attraction b/w child and adult. I realize this was probably resolved in end. I just couldn't get past the "willies" until end. I enjoyed author's prose. Kept my attention but I still found myself saying "gross". Then I skipped ahead...unfortunately I picked the wrong section to keep me reading.

Told through alternating voices, the flow of the plot is often hard to follow. It's easy to get confused about which sister is narrating the story. The action is mostly "ugly," and the relationship between Wavy and Killen borders on the uncomfortable. I'm not sure this story needed to be told. It is not an appropriate selection for any of my seven book groups.

I don't see this as truly average in any way. Need a rating "not ratable" From the beginning, one could see tragedy brewing! At the end one could see how this would turn into a real story with real people--Wavy and Kellen are great, finally. The middle part of the book was a salacious story that could have happened. I wanted to stop reading, but I had to see how the author would resolve the story. I am sorry I read this book all the way through. The writing and organizational details were well done. It will probably be a best seller.