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Mar 31, 2017samcmar rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
When I received Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined in the mail, the synopsis had me instantly intrigued. This is a story about family, self-discovery, and how people can transform after a difficult event. Readers will spend a lot of this time wondering who Ingrid is writing to, what has actually happened to her mother, and why she is on this crazy wilderness retreat. I absolutely loved this book. I found Younge-Ullman's writing so beautiful and very gripping. Ingrid's voice is crass, it's raw, and I found myself always wanting to know more about her and her situation. I absolutely loved her relationship with her "father" and I loved that he wanted to accept Ingrid and her mother, flaws and all. There's not a lot of people out there who are willing to go that extra mile when joining a family. Having these flashback sequences were so beneficial in telling this story, because when you go back to the bits with Ingrid in the wilderness, you begin to see all the cracks in her facade. I also loved Ingrid's adventures in the Canadian wilderness. As a young woman who spent the majority of her life traveling around the world with her opera singer mother, it's intriguing to see Ingrid's responses to nature, particularly right at the beginning of the book when all her supplies are taken from her and disposed. I feel like I would have had the same traumatic reaction. Furthermore, I love her transformation during the excursion, because she goes from being pampered and disgruntled to someone with intense drive and purpose. I also loved Ingrid's letters as well and I found them to be a wonderful touch in the story. Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined is a story that grows on you. Ingrid is an amazing protagonist and she's accompanied by such an amazing cast of support characters. I found myself compulsively reading, needing to know what happened between Ingrid and her mother, and the payoff was worth it. Emotional and raw, this book will continue to resonate with you long after it's been completed.