Beautiful

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Have you ever lost your way? I have. I don't mean those times when I needed to stop and ask for directions when I was trying to find a location although I have certainly been that kind of lost. I am referring to the kind of lost where your life has hit a point and you can't think of what to do next. Those times that you have no idea where you can even go from where you are. I have lost my way. More than once. I am happy to say that each time I have been lost, I have been able to eventually find a new direction to go.

I have very little in common with the characters in this book but I was still able to relate to them. I understood Harun's need to please his family and his fear of losing their love if he shows them who he really is. I also understood Freya's fear of losing the one thing that is such an important part of her identity. I understood Nathaniel's need to not be a bother to anyone while living his life under the radar because "it's all good" anyway. I haven't been in the situations that Freya, Harun, and Nathaniel find themselves in during this story but I found each of their characters very easy to like and I really wanted to see them find what they needed in life.

I really did enjoy reading this book. This is the first of Gayle Forman's books that I have had the chance to read so I wasn't really sure what to expect when I started. I have to tell you that I loved her writing style. I sat down to read just a chapter of this book because I had things around the house and the next thing I knew it was 200 pages later. I was drawn in by the words and the images that they painted of these characters.

I really liked that the story was hopeful. These three characters are all at a low point in their lives and meet through a chance encounter. It turns out that meeting each other is exactly what they needed. I enjoyed watching them come alive and reach out to each other. Their bond developed very quickly but it felt completely authentic. I knew that they would be able to find their way together.

I would recommend this book to others. This is a pretty quick read that packs a punch. I wanted to know exactly what brought them to the point where they feel lost and cheered them as they started to connect with each other. I can't wait to read more of this talented author's work in the future.

I received an advance reader edition of this book from Viking Books for Young Readers via Bookish First.