Publication Date: April 2019
Synopsis:
It’s been a year since fifteen-year-old Mia Hopkins was in the car crash that killed her older sister and left her terribly scarred. The doctors tell her she was lucky to survive. Her therapist says it will take time to heal. The police reports claim there were trace amounts of alcohol in her bloodstream. But no matter how much she tries to reconstruct the events of that fateful night, Mia’s memory is spotty at best. She’s left with accusations, rumors, and guilt so powerful it could consume her.
As the rest of Mia’s family struggles with their own grief, Mia is sent to New York City to spend the summer with a grandmother she’s never met. All Mia wants to do is hide from the world, but instead she’s stuck with a summer job in the bustling kitchens of the cafe down the street. There she meets Fig–blue-haired, friendly, and vivacious–who takes Mia under her wing. As Mia gets to know Fig and her friends–including Cooper, the artistic boy who is always on Mia’s mind–she realizes that she’s not the only one with a painful past.
Over the summer, Mia begins to learn that redemption isn’t as impossible as she once thought, but her scars inside run deep and aren’t nearly so simple to heal … especially when Mia finally pieces together her memories of the night Rachel died.
What To Expect:
We Were Beautiful is an emotionally-driven contemporary YA novel set in New York City. Readers can expect heart-warming friendships, a search for answers after tragedy, family reconciliation, and light romance.
Content Warnings:
Language: None
Sexual Content: Mild – Limited to kissing and several non-graphic mentions of unwanted sexual encounters.
Violence: Moderate – Recovery from abuse is an important theme in this story, however scenes of abuse are described in limited detail. An accident resulting in death is described in limited detail.
Substance Use: Mild – One scene describing teens drinking alcohol at a party.
Prejudices: None
Religious Themes: God and redemption are repeatedly brought up as the main character struggles with guilt. The story includes several church scenes and references to Jesus.
Other Topics: Guilt and grief after tragedy is a central theme, alongside family disfunction and broken parent-teen relationships. The main character also struggles with self-consciousness
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