We were Beautiful by Heather Hepler - ADVISABLE

We Were Beautiful by Heather Hepler, 283 pages. Blink, 2019. $12.99

Language: PG (1 swear, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13 (alcohol consumption); Violence: PG13 (child abuse)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS – ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Mia’s family has fallen apart, and she doesn’t know what can be done to fix it. Living with a grandmother she has never met for a few weeks isn’t ideal, but Mia’s father insists that it’s for the best. With the irreversible past following her, can Mia find a future?

Tragedy is part of life, though it may come in many different forms for each of us, and, as readers work through Mia’s pain with her, we see that we all have scars. How we got those scars may always affect our lives, but we get to choose how those scars—if those scars—change our future. I loved reading about the healing and forgiveness that does come with time.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen