Beautiful and Terrible Things

by S.M. Stevens

Beautiful and Terrible Things is extremely relevant to the world we live in today. It’s about a diverse group of friends, each with their own struggles, principles, and wishes for a better world for all.

Charley is new to the group. I love that she manages a bookstore and lives above it. How cool is that! Her anxieties are understandable given her difficult past. Xander introduces her to his friendship group and, at first, she starts to relax in their company. They are mostly a good bunch, although I wouldn’t necessarily condone some of Xander’s behaviour. I love that they take her under their wing though. My heart goes out to her when she realises her life might be about to be turned upside down. I was rooting for her the whole time and hoping for a positive outcome.

I do have to mention that this is the first book I’ve read with a gender-neutral character. Sunny is a very easy to like character and I have absolutely no problem with anyone living their life however they wish to, but when I read they/them I automatically imagine more than one person (as per definition). I did have to keep reminding myself that it was just Sunny, and I can’t pretend that it didn’t interrupt the flow of the story for me a little bit at times. I imagine it’s something I will get used to though as I’m sure it will become more commonplace in books.

I think younger readers especially will relate to these characters. They have an important story to tell, not least about the importance and power of friendship.

** Many thanks to S.M. Stevens for my ARC in exchange for my honest review **

Charley Byrne isn’t really living. At age 29, she hunkers down in her apartment above the bookstore she manages, afraid of a 7-year curse. Then quirky activist Xander Wallace lures her out of social exile with the prospect of friendship and romance. Charley joins Xander’s circle of friends diverse in their heritage, race, gender and sexual orientation. She thrives, even leaving her comfort zone to join protests in a city struggling with social justice ills.

But the new friendships bring back-to-back betrayals that threaten the bookstore—Charley’s haven—and propel her into a dangerous depression. Can her friends save the store? And Charley?

Beautiful and Terrible Things offers a compelling portrait of modern American life in a major city with its vibrant culture and rampant social issues. At once enlightening and entertaining, it reminds us that friendship has the power to validate, destroy, transform, and save lives.