Thomas Dunne Books, August 9, 2016.
Five Stars
Eight-year-old Wavy is a troubled little girl,
struggling to survive in a rural farmhouse with her drug-addicted, meth-dealing
parents – her dad barely acknowledges her existence, and her mom rarely gets
out of bed. She is sent briefly to live with her aunt and cousins, who
partially narrate her story, but Wavy is unable to relax in their normal,
suburban home. Her inability to function around other people includes an
aversion to any kind of physical touch, as well as a refusal to speak unless
absolutely necessary. Life is difficult for Wavy, who spends most of her time
taking care of her baby brother Donal, sacrificing her own childhood to make
his more bearable.
Other than her brother, Wavy hasn’t found anyone that
she can be completely comfortable around – until one night, she is outside
alone watching the stars when she witnesses a motorcycle crash on the road beside
the farmhouse. The driver is twenty-something Kellen, one of Wavy’s father’s hired
thugs. Kellen is huge, intimidating, and covered in tattoos – but at heart, he
is gentle and loving, and he directs all of his good intentions towards Wavy
after she saves his life on the road that night. He begins to spend time with
her and Donal, caring for the children when their parents are unable or just
unwilling.
Kellen has had a difficult life as well, but Wavy
puts all of her faith in him – they are each the first to show the other any
real love or affection. Kellen drives Wavy to school and makes sure there are
groceries in the house, while Wavy teaches Kellen about the stars and gives him
the adoration he has never had. Their connection begins innocently, but as the years
pass and their unlikely friendship continues, the two fall in love. Because of
their significant age difference, it is a forbidden love. This is a difficult book
to read and review, because you know their relationship is wrong, but you can’t
help rooting for Kellen and Wavy to eventually find a way to happiness.
The love between Wavy and Kellen begins in a truly platonic
form, as they support and care for each other like no one else has. With both
of their histories of neglect, abuse and loneliness, this reads like an extreme
version of the new adult genre, in which very damaged people manage to overcome
obstacles and fall in love. However, it is still incredibly hard to read this
without thinking the worst of Kellen – the novel is unconventional and shocking,
and it’s surprising to find yourself hoping they will survive together against
all obstacles.
The many different points of view are unsettling as
we slowly learn Wavy’s story through the eyes of others, but it works because
the plot is gradually revealed and the author is never telling us how to feel.
The writing style opens the reader up to new possibilities in a way that we
wouldn’t accept if it was told in a more straightforward way. A man in his
twenties seducing a pre-teen girl is not a romantic story, but in her ability
to disturb and provoke, the author exposes us to the complexities of their
characters. We see Kellen and Wavy as individuals, instead of just a
distasteful story we might hear on the evening news. Regardless of whether you
enjoy it or are repulsed by it, Greenwood must be given credit for writing an
incredibly engrossing story – All the
Ugly and Wonderful Things is sure to be one of the year’s most
controversial novels.
I received this novel from Thomas Dunne Books and
NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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