Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf

Title: Breaking Beautiful
Author: Jennifer Shaw Wolf
Publisher: Walker
Publication Date: April 24, 2012
Source: Thanks Netgalley and Walker!
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Summary: Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a horrible car accident—including her memory of the event. As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she’s kept hidden for so long: the horrible reality of their abusive relationship.
 
When the police reopen the investigation, it casts suspicion on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around town. Allie knows she must tell the truth. Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free? Debut writer Jennifer Shaw Wolf takes readers on an emotional ride through the murky waters of love, shame, and, ultimately, forgiveness.

Review: Breaking Beautiful is a simply stunning book. I was drawn in my Wolf's fantastic writing but, overall I just eneded up loving the characters.


Allie's grief in so evident through most of the book. Wolf writes in such a way that you literally feel Allie's pain. It was almost like I was going through the ordeal of being the only one to survive a car crash, instead of Allie. Allie is a very powerful character, in my opinion. She's beginning to try and rise out of her depression but it isn't easy for Allie in a down where she's looked down upon. I've said this about a lot of characters, but there was just something so special about Allie. She soars as a character, mainly because she's a well developed character that has many sides.

Another character I'm especially partial to is Blake, Allie's long time friend. He is such a sweetheart. He's a little misunderstood by the people in their town but at heart he's just a artist. A fantastic one. at that. Blake, like Allie, pulled on my heartstrings and I never wanted to leave them.

Breaking Beautiful also has an element of mystery and suspense. It's not so much of a typical mystery where the characters are looking for the bad guys, but a mystery of what happened the night Allie's boyfriend Trip died. In Breaking Beautiful you get to see all of Allie's awful, and painful memories. It hurts a little to see each little layer peeled back until you finally get to see what exactly happened on that night. I was a bit more than surprised.

Breaking Beautiful is a debut that touches on beauty, grief and the promises of what a new friendship or romance will do to a person. And it isn't always for the better. Frankly, this book touches your heart and it doesn't really ever let go.

Cover Note: I love this cover! It's a little grimy like the book. The red heels also have so such significance in the book. Beauty and what it means is a big theme in this book and the title adds even more to that concept.


Rating: 4.5 stars