Breaking Beautiful -Jennifer Shaw Wolf

                Another ARC courtesy of netgalley.com and Bloomsbury Children’s Books moved from my TBR list to Read.  Breaking Beautiful, is a very compelling story about a girl who has to find herself after her boyfriend dies and she survives with no memory of the incident, but plenty of other memories of a side to him that no one else knew.

                Allie is a girl who in my opinion doesn’t know who she is.  She is always trying to please others, not wanting to disappoint.  Disappointment has turned to pain.  Now her abusive boyfriend is dead and somehow she survived but she doesn’t know how.  Throughout the book Allie works on rebuilding her life but in a small town where everyone knows everything about everyone and a rumor can spread like wild fire that isn’t so easy.  Blake, a friend, tries to help her but in a small town where everyone is mourning the loss of Mr. Perfect well it gets complicated.

                I really liked this book.  I have to say I was raised to be a very strong and willful woman and thus the idea of an abusive relationship is astounding to me personally.  My parents were in the Navy and well my mom is one you don’t mess with.  Early on I’d be told stories about a friend of hers who had an abusive boyfriend and such.  She always taught me not to ever stand for that.    

                I think I got off track somewhat there.  Sorry, it happens.  So this book is through the eyes of a girl who doesn’t have my upbringing and beliefs.  She rationalizes each incident.  Accepts the apologizes and accepts it as how things are.  Not truly happy but unable to break the cycle.  Now her abuser is dead but everyone thinks he is some hero and she can’t get over the deep scars, unable to do anything right.  Most of all remembering what happened that night.  How did she survive?  How did she get hurt?

                A new detective is in town trying to figure out what happened that night and if it was really an accident.  Slowly Allie starts to remember bits and pieces of things but she is stuck between wanting to know what happened and being scared of the truth.  Will finding the truth finally mean she is free or will it break her?

                I found this book a great read.  The story was very gripping and painful, but in a good way, and I couldn’t put it down.  I love the depth to Allie, everything she feels the hurricane of emotion inside her at any given moment.  Her twin brother Andrew who just breaks your heart he is so sweet.  Blake, childhood friend who even when she ignored him for a year is still there for her when she needs him.  I just felt like this was a very believable story.  The interactions between everyone, what people see but don’t pay any attention too.  The small town feel where one minute everyone feels sorry for you then the next you’re a pariah, living in a small town that hit home for sure.

                This wonderfully dark and moving book comes out April 24^th.  Check it out.  It’s worth a read.  I’m giving it 5 stars.  Let me know what you think?