Everything is Beautiful: 'the most uplifting book of the year' Good Housekeeping

Product Information

Amy is left in limbo, and instead of looking for a therapist to help her deal with her feelings of abandonment and grief, Amy buys beautiful things that give her momentary pleasure. (No judgement here: many of us have been there, done that.) But Amy has gone to an extreme, and the neighbours and the neighbourhood council want Amy to reduce the massive clutter in her home - contractors can't even get in to repair the chimney, for goodness sake! I loved every bit of it. I think the term in book reviewer lingo is 'utterly captivated' - and I was, as it was not only so beautifully written but the story was so good, too. -- Fliss Chester, author of A DANGEROUS GOODBYE Everything Is Beautiful by Eleanor Ray is a heartwarming contemporary novel and I found myself enjoying an unexpected five star reading experience. Highly recommended. That is until a new family moves in next door and with them two rambunctious little boys. A friendship begins first with the children and then with their father Richard. Richard can see Amy is in pain and he will do whatever it takes to be there for her. I loved every bit of it. I think the term in book reviewer lingo is “utterly captivated”– and I was, as it was not only so beautifully written but the story was brilliant, too’ FLISS CHESTER

Meet Amy Ashton. Amy’s life has been dormant and stagnant ever since the disappearance of her boyfriend Tim and best friend Chantel eleven years ago. Eleven. Long. Years. Ago. The mystery of what happened to Tim and Chantel is an integral part of the plot and, is what drives Amy's obsession with " things". And by "things", I mean just that, tea cups; newspapers; wine bottles; vases; disposable lighters and ashtrays (even though Amy doesn't smoke); garden pots; oh, and bird figurines just to name a few. She has filled her house so full of things she can no longer see the floor in most rooms, she sleeps on the sofa because her bed is full of 'things'. She has left herself thin slivers of space so that she is still able to move throughout the house, albeit perilously. As the story progressed, I really didn't know where it was going, for me the plot was barely passable. The writing is plain and there is really nothing special about it. Then, when I was just about going to give up on reading about another teacup that had to be rescued and brought home, Ray introduced the only bright sparks into the story. New neighbours move in with two rambunctious little boys and whether Amy likes it or not, her life is about to change. Thankfully, this added a much needed dimension and direction to the story.I loved how the chapters in Everything in Beautiful swiftly changed between two timelines. The “past” chapters were always titled (I think the finished copy will contain illustrations of the objects too, the e-ARC didn’t have those, sadly) with the name of the treasure that Amy collected during that time. This made reading the book really fascinating! There was also a mystery aspect to the storyline, and I couldn’t wait to see how everything turned out in the end. The supporting characters were beautifully written as well. I especially loved Daniel and Charles – Amy’s littol neighbors who made her come out of her shell with their loving nature. I loved this charming, endearing novel...it will melt even the hardest of hearts...If ever there was a time for a book like EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL to lift us above the every day doom and gloom, it is now. -- Joanna Nell, author of THE SINGLE LADIES OF JACARANDA RETIREMENT VILLAGE I’m also more than happy to report that while I had assumed upon starting (and would have most likely been A-okay with it) that this was going to be a romance it ended up not being one at all. I definitely would have made a gripe about magic penises fixing broken women being a trope I don’t love, but again I usually get over that reaction because I like feel good crap as much as the next gal. But as I said yaaaaay for this not being a kissing book at all. When Amy Ashton's world came crashing down eleven years ago, she started a collection. Just a little collection, just a few keepsakes of happier times. Things that others might throw away but to Amy, represent a life that could have been.

There are a few parts of Everything is Beautiful that remind me of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. And I think fans of Gail Honeyman will also enjoy this novel. There’s a nice humour to the narrative that brings levity to its heart-breaking events. But while the non-linear narrative is done well, unfortunately this just wasn’t captivating enough for me to feel excited through to the end. Amy Ashton’s life fell apart eleven years earlier. At that time she started a collection of keepsakes of the guy she loved. Though they might be things others would throw away, to Amy they were precious. But her collection has grown and turned into an obsession that has her living in a cluttered house. When new neighbours move in next door., Amy is concerned for her pots and keepsakes in her yard. Though she attempts to keep her distance, the neighbour’s eldest son Charles is determined to make friends. Amy finds herself drawn into the little family of Charles, younger brother Daniel and their father Richard. Richard's live in lover Nina is not so keen on the attention being shown to Amy by Richard and his boys. When she makes a chance discovery, Amy end up with lots of questions needing answers. Will she be able to find the answers and find the courage to move on to a more fulfilling life? The narrator is Amy Ashton (3rd person POV). She is such an unusual heroine. She is quirky and kind. She had a trauma happen to her 11 years before. And now her house is completely full of "treasures".I also really enjoyed the resolution of the mystery and the ending. Overall this book was good. I just didn't love all of the stuff from the past. Bob Mortimer wins 2023 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction with The Satsuma Complex I absolutely loved EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL - a novel filled with beautiful things, mystery and Amy, one of my favourite characters of the year. I couldn't put it down. Book grief when I had to leave Amy behind. -- Rachael Blok, author of UNDER THE ICE Amy can't believe it, she won't believe it, she doesn't want to believe it......until she does. What other logical explanation is there? EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL is heart-warming and thought-provoking, a mystery with a difference. It's beautifully constructed around the everyday items its central character hoards, as she slowly uncovers the secrets of her past. I loved it. -- Andrea Mara, author of THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WALL

Amy’s neighbour, Rachel, cares though, and blames her for an ongoing problem with mice. When a new family moves in next door, Rachel thinks she has found an ally in forcing Amy to change, but with a well paced and thoughtful plot, it doesn’t happen in the way that you may expect. I loved the unexpected way in which some of the elements of the story developed, and though I had an inkling of what the main twist would be, I wasn’t disappointed to be proved right. I used to like to watch those reality shows about hoarders. I'm not sure what the fascination was but I would wonder how these people got to such a point in their lives that their living conditions were unsafe and unsanitary. I liked the character of Amy and loved the descriptions of some of the mixed media artwork that she created in the past. It was very heartening to see the changes in Amy as the story progressed and the ending was perfect. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to a friend. The book focuses on a mystery. Something happened to Amy's boyfriend Tim and best friend Chantel years ago. This was an interesting part of the book.

Now her house is overflowing with the objects she loves - soon there'll be no room for Amy at all. But when a family move in next door, a chance discovery unearths a mystery, and Amy's carefully curated life begins to unravel. If she can find the courage to face her past, might the future she thought she'd lost still be hers for the taking?