Cruel Beautiful World
Books | Fiction / Women
3.6
Caroline Leavitt
“A seductive page-turner that ripples with an undercurrent of suspense.” —The Boston Globe “A seamless triumph of storytelling.” —Gail Godwin, author of Flora It’s 1969, and sixteen-year-old Lucy is about to run away with a much older man to live off the grid in rural Pennsylvania, a rash act that will have frightening repercussions for both her and her older sister, Charlotte. As Lucy’s default caretaker for most of their lives, Charlotte has always been burdened by having to be the responsible one, but never more so than when Lucy’s dream of a rural paradise turns into a nightmare. With precise, haunting prose and indelible characters, Cruel Beautiful World examines the infinitesimal distance between seduction and love, loyalty and duty, and most of all, tells a universal story of sisterhood and the complicated legacy of family. “Absorbing.” —The New York Times Book Review “Captivating.”—Los Angeles Times “Engrossing.” —People “Page-turning suspense.” —New York Journal of Books “Riveting.” —Marie Claire “Marvelous.”—The National Book Review “Hauntingly brilliant.” —Coastal Living “Gripping and suspenseful.” —BookPage “Moving.” —The Washington Post
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More Details:
Author
Caroline Leavitt
Pages
384
Publisher
Algonquin Books
Published Date
2017-08-08
ISBN
161620737X 9781616207373
Community ReviewsSee all
"It was captivating and intriguing, the characters and their stories. A truly beautiful story."
Rha
"http://www.anurseandabook.com/2017/01/cruel-beautiful-world-by-caroline-levitt.html<br/><br/>What a book. I've always loved Caroline Leavitt, her "Girls In Trouble" was one of my favorites, but this new book is by far her best. She writes about complicated relationships in all of her books, but this story of two sisters was especially melancholy.<br/><br/>Lucy is seduced by her teacher, she runs away seeking the excitement of a grown up life. But she finds that the life she has run to is actually much more confining than her life with her sister and their loving guardian.<br/><br/>Charlotte is left behind, trying to follow the rules, trying to pursue her dreams of being a vet and being the remaining "good" child. She is sick with worry, but also a little angry with Lucy's immaturity and the selfishness of leaving a loving family and not making any contact.<br/><br/>As Lucy begins to grow tired of her solitary life, she branches out, making secret friends, working a secret job, and beginning to realize that the life she left behind may not have been so bad after all. But her boyfriend is becoming increasingly paranoid, and unhinge - by the time Lucy reaches out to her sister, tragedy strikes.<br/><br/>The story is as much Charlotte's as Lucy's. The bond between sisters is a weird thing - it's a twisty relationship that thrives in chaos as much as in peace. Everything your sister does has a weird ripple effect on you, even when they aren't near you.<br/><br/>Definitely one of Leavitt's best - and I encourage everyone to read all of her books.<br/>"
M F
Marcee Feddersen
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