The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk

How I Heard About It:  During a recent shopping trip to the bookstore, I picked up several young-adult novels.  This was one of the books.  I believe I had read a review of the book on Amazon.  

What It Is About:   This is the story of three teenagers that have all lost someone very close to them.  Each character to tied to a local band called "Unravelling Lovely".  Their stories are told in alternating chapters.  Logan is both a singer and song writer.  He is dealing with the loss of his X boyfriend and the secrets this boyfriend held.  Logan isn't dealing well with the death and is turning to "outside" sources to cope with his pain.  Shay is also dealing with a tremendous loss after the death of her twin sister.  The two of them had a bond like most twins and music was everything to them.  Shay can't seem to find her place in the world as a "twinless".  Our third character is Autumn who feels completely alone after her best friend was killed in an accident.  Autumn places a lot of blame on herself because of the accident.  She finds herself turning to her friend's brother, and isn't sure if this is the best place to look for comfort.  As these three young people try to move forward with their lives, their stories navigate toward each other with a focus on music, talent, and how one band can help heal the empty voids left in each of these peoples' lives.  

What I Thought Of It:  I was bit confused when I first began reading this book.  Each chapter was told from the point of view of the three main characters.  Some of the characters told their story in first person, some in second person, and some in third.  Once I got use to the format, events and characters fell into place.  As I read, I kept thinking how each of these characters were going to come together.  It did take until the end of the story for everything, and everyone, to fall into place.  There were not a whole lot of surprises along the way, except for Logan's story, but the plot moved along at an easy and fast pace.  The characters were well written, real, and unique.  There were several times when I could actually feel their pain.  Now that is a sign of strong writing.  

Who Should Read It:   Readers that are in high school would be the best audience for this story.  I think they would be best able to relate to the three main characters and what they were dealing with.  A reader that has dealt with the loss of a friend and/or family member would also be able to relate to the journey of recovering from such a loss.  Adult readers that gravitate toward young-adult would also enjoy the story.  Female readers may enjoy the story a bit more than males.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  3 STARS out of 5 Stars!