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All the Ugly and Wonderful Things

A Novel

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About this listen

A beautiful and provocative love story between two unlikely people and the hard-won relationship that elevates them above the Midwestern meth lab backdrop of their lives.

As the daughter of a drug dealer, Wavy knows not to trust people, not even her own parents. It's safer to keep her mouth shut and stay out of sight.

Struggling to raise her little brother, Donal, eight-year-old Wavy is the only responsible adult around. Obsessed with the constellations, she finds peace in the starry night sky above the fields behind her house until one night her stargazing causes an accident. After witnessing his motorcycle wreck, she forms an unusual friendship with one of her father's thugs, Kellen, a tattooed ex-con with a heart of gold.

By the time Wavy is a teenager, her relationship with Kellen is the only tender thing in a brutal world of addicts and debauchery. When tragedy rips Wavy's family apart, a well-meaning aunt steps in, and what is beautiful to Wavy looks ugly under the scrutiny of the outside world.

A powerful novel you won't soon forget, Bryn Greenwood's All the Ugly and Wonderful Things challenges all we know and believe about love.

©2016 Bryn Greenwood (P)2016 Audible, Inc. Coming of Age Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Emotionally Gripping Heartfelt Scary Thought-Provoking Tear-jerking Feel-Good

Critic reviews

"Jorjeana Marie was meant to narrate this gripping story, which takes place in meth country in the Midwest. Neglected, abused 8-year-old Wavy Quinn is stargazing when she unintentionally causes Jesse Joe Kellen, an ex-con employee of her drug-dealing dad, to crash his motorcycle. Marie grippingly portrays this troubled pair who befriend each other after Wavy saves his life. Things come to a head when their relationship is misunderstood. In addition to deftly presenting the lead characters, Marie perfectly renders Wavy's adorable little brother and beloved grandmother. Some chapters are written from other characters' viewpoints over a period of 15 years, and Marie presents those flawlessly as well. Listeners will be eager to hear what happens next, always rooting for Wavy and Kellen." ( AudioFile Magazine)
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I enjoyed the story but it made me feel torn btwn wrong and right

Good, very sad love story

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True emotion which made you think twice about how you would respond with many of the situations

An excellent book

Excellent

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narrated beautifully, a moving, poignant story ,I desperately wanted happy ending, a great read

masterpiece

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Absolutely loved this book. All the different characters narrating made for an interesting listen, and although some of the scenes were quite harrowing to imagine, I believe they were included to enrich the story rather just for shock value.
I’d highly recommend this book.

Heartbreaking and Heartwarming

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Uncomfortable reading in places but so compelling I couldn't stop listening.
Beautifully written and narrated.

I loved this book

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