Book Review #119: The Beauty that Remains by Ashley Woodfolk

I had this book for a few years before I even thought about picking it up. I never felt in the right frame of mind, or it never felt like the right time. But when I finished reading my last book, this felt like exactly what I needed.

This story follows Autumn, Logan and Shay, three people going through different variations of grief, who find a connection through music.

There were things I liked and didn't like about this book. I'd say I liked it more than I didn't.

I loved hearing from all three characters. The perspectives are diverse and authentic. Reading this book felt very grounded, like reading about the world we're currently living in.

The exploration of grief is really powerful, particularly how it manifests in different ways for the characters, and how they each choose to deal with it.

Of the three characters, I felt myself drawn towards Logan's story, maybe because it was the most complicated. Missing a best friend or a sister makes complete sense, but there's something really intriguing about missing someone you hadn't spoken to in months, someone you were angry at, someone who hurt you. So I was always a little more engaged when Logan's chapters would come up.

Not much actually happens from the beginning to the end of the novel, especially because we're only getting pieces of each person's story at a time.

The story felt profound while I was reading it, but it probably won't stay with me for as long as I'd like it to.

A lot of the story (particularly Autumn's sections) were focused on love interests. I was much more interested in the characters' relationships with their friends or siblings than I was about their romantic lives, and I didn't particularly like any of the love interests.

Overall, this is a well-written story that has some really powerful moments. It was an enjoyable read, and even though I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have, I'd still recommend it.

3/5