All the ugly and wonderful things

Greenwood's strong debut, set throughout the United States, is about a young girl's triumph over the sordid life she might have led as the daughter of drug addicts, one of whom is a meth dealer. The author skillfully creates widely varied and original voices, as the story unfolds from a variety of characters' viewpoints, whether it's Wavy, the main character, whom we see growing from a six-year-old to a young adult; Wavy's grandmother, who takes care of her for a time before succumbing to cancer; or the loving Kellen, whose street smarts makes up for his lack of education. The relationship at the heart of the novel is between Wavy and Kellen, a drug runner for her father who changes her life. In Wavy, Greenwood has fashioned a resilient girl who doesn't speak much, hiding a fierce intelligence and strong will that enables her to take care of herself and her infant brother despite her parents' drug habits. This is a memorable coming-of-age tale about loyalty, defiance, and the power of love under the most improbable circumstances. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Wavonna Quinn fell in love when she was eight years old. The daughter of a meth dealer in the rural Midwest, Wavy, as she preferred to be called, discovered that Kellen, one of her father's drug deliverers, was a big, kindhearted man. He would take care of her, drive her to school, make meals for her and her little brother, Donal, and protect her from the insanity of living in a compound of dealers. Despite all the ugly events in their lives, such as murders and prison sentences, the couple's largely platonic 13-year love affair endures to a kind of wonderful ending. As the narrative moves from character to character and from crimes to successes through the years, the reader is offered numerous points of view that present a range of perspectives on Wavy and Kellen's relationship. Verdict Although the book's subject matter is gritty and doesn't always make for a cheerful read, Greenwood (Lie Lay Lain; Last Will) has not rewritten Daniel Woodrell's Winter's Bone; still, it is well worth a reader's time to discover what happens to these characters.-Andrea Kempf, formerly with Johnson Cty. Community Coll. Lib., Overland Park, KS © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.