Author: Simmone Howell
Year of Publication: 2008
Summary: I believe in Chloe and chocolate. I believe the best part is always before. I believe that most girls are shifty and most guys are dumb. I believe the more you spill, the less you are. I don't believe in life after death or diuretics or happy endings. I don't believe anything good can come from this.
Riley Rose doesn't want to be at Spirit Ranch Holiday Camp. Riley wants to be partying with her best friend Chloe at the beautiful Ben Sebatini's house. She has a plan to get away from the jumpsuit-wearing counsellors, the feel-good mantras, do-gooder campers and the monotonous schedule of team-building exercises and outdoor activities.
But is everything at the Spirit Ranch as it appears? What secrets are waiting for discovery in the abandoned Fraser house? And why doesn't anyone want to talk about the accident that landed the mysterious Dylan in a wheelchair last year?
Review: Everything Beautiful kind of snuck up on me. I hadn't really planned on reading it, it was really just a random grab at the library. I don't even know if I can really say what kept me reading this one, there was just some undercurrent of magic in Simmone Howell's writing, I guess.
The characters in this are beautiful, and so is the backdrop. Riley Rose was kind of like biting into a Kinder Surprise for the first time. I knew I would like it, but I just wasn't aware of how much. She was snappy, sassy, and the kind of girl I'd admire from afar in real life.
The book takes place at a Christian camp, but it really isn't about religion. It's more about spirituality, selfishness, being a teenager, and hope. The characters are vivid, the voice of the novel is fresh, funny, and refreshingly honest, and I am so glad that I randomly picked up this book at the library one day. This is definitely one of those books that will stick with me for a long, long time.
Rating: 5/5 stars
★★★★★
No comments:
Post a Comment