Everything Beautiful [Hardcover]

Simmone Howell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 28, 2008

Riley Rose, atheist and bad girl, has been tricked into attending Spirit Ranch, a Christian camp. There she meets Dylan Kier, alumni camper and recent paraplegic, who arrives with a chip on his shoulder and a determination to perfect all of his bad habits. United in their personal suffering and in their irritation at their fellow campers, they turn the camp inside out as they question the meaning of belief systems, test their faith in each other, and ultimately settle a debate of the heart.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up—In this thoughtful Australian novel, a troubled 16-year-old girl finds love and meaning in unexpected places. Riley Rose—rebellious, promiscuous, and deeply unhappy after the death of her mother—is dumped at an isolated Christian camp for a week so that her father and stepmother can go on vacation. Overweight, wisecracking Riley expects to hate everyone at Spirit Ranch. Instead, she bonds with some of her bunkmates and falls for Dylan, a paraplegic fellow camper. What could be a clichéd situation—the bond between two outcasts—is instead touching and believable. There are some camp bullies, of course, but even the villains prove to have redeeming qualities. Riley is an appealingly flawed main character, tough-talking and funny at the same time. She hangs on to her skepticism but allows some tenderness to penetrate her armor. That she could change so profoundly in a single week sometimes stretches credibility, and the slow pace might deter less determined readers. Overall, however, this novel will appeal to sensitive teens who will root for Riley and the other camp underdogs.—Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library
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From Booklist

Raucous and sexy, this Australian novel about an atheist teen is not for everyone; but even some religious readers will want to read it for the hilarious, honest, first-person narrative of Riley, 16, who discovers that there is no Utopia anywhere. Furious that her dad and stepmom force her to go to Christian camp, she works hard to be a plague on all the Bible-based activities. Her world is about being fat and having a serious guy habit and coping with her grief for her dead mom. At church camp, she can’t wait to have sex with a gorgeous counselor, but she refuses him when he won’t wear a condom. She does bond with fellow camper Dylan, recently disabled (though he hates that word), and together they plan a secret vision quest into the nearby desert. More than that bumbling journey, what will hold readers is the irreverent commentary on the camp bullies and, even more, Riley’s discovery that she, and they, are not as bad as she thought. Grades 10-12. --Hazel Rochman

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens; 1st edition (October 28, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599900424
• ISBN-13: 978-1599900421
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,037,397 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I grew up in Melbourne's outer eastern suburbs feeling far away from anything interesting. At eight I raced BMX; at thirteen I was into hair dye and pop music; at fifteen I decided that (like Sheila E) I wanted to lead the glamorous life, but school was a reality I couldn't ignore ' after school I boarded the carousel of casual employment - pubs, cafes and record shops. I read all the time ' I loved the beats, pulp fiction and cult writers ' I had lots of literary crushes ' I finally went to University where I set up a small press called Vandal Press ' and began writing seriously. Then I went overseas, leaving a trail of short stories ' In 2002, one of my stories was made into the short film Pity 24. I won the Australian Writers Guild award for the script and travelled with the film to the Los Angeles Shortsfest where I saw the blind guy from Becker, walked on Kim Basinger's red carpet and went to a pool party atop Schwabs Drugstore (and learned that no one swims at LA pool parties, NO ONE...)Finally I got a proper job working on hit TV show The Secret Life of Us where part of my job was writing the guff - the seven seconds of something that no-one actually hears. And when that job folded, I took all this stuff about movies and false starts and appreciating the background bits and turned them into a novel.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Worshipping at the word altar of Simmone Howell, November 26, 2011

By 

Dee18 "dee" (Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Everything Beautiful (Hardcover)

Sixteen-year-old Riley Rose doesn't believe in much. Since her mother's death Riley has been on a `downward spiral', she has become `rebellious' and her behaviour warrants `concern' from her father and his new `girlfriend', Norma. So they're sending Riley to Spirit Ranch, a Christian camp. Riley will have to leave behind her best friend, Chloe, and any designs she has on cute boy crush, Ben. She has to sleep in a cabin with a prissy Christian wench called Fleur and a quiet God-fearing doormat called Sarita.

But Spirit Ranch has its up-side, like zealot camp leader Craig of the Adonis good looks. Then there are camp regulars, siblings Olive and Bird, who blossom under Riley's protective wing.

But best of all is Dylan, the only other person who doesn't want to be here as bad as Riley. Because Dylan used to be a regular Christ-loving, bible-thumping Spirit Rancher . . . until he lost the use of his legs. Now he lives in a wheelchair, and hates the world. Riley can relate.

`Everything Beautiful' was the 2008 young adult novel from award-winning Australian writer, Simmone Howell.

This novel is sublime. It's a camp/pilgrimage/road-trip novel about a girl who starts out with no questions, but winds up with infinite curiosity.

When we meet her, Riley Rose has a self-diagnosed `Mum-shaped hole' in her life. Ever since her mother's death Riley has become a little bit wild. She befriended her school's resident slut, Chloe, and started flouting authority and rules. Riley's demise into rebelliousness is in direct contrast to her father's re-discovery of God. Once a lapsed Catholic, her father now attends church on a regular basis and is dating a fellow devout. Their solution to Riley's hurt and acting out is Spirit Ranch, their church's yearly camp for all good Christian children . . . Riley goes, begrudgingly, and with a list of unchanging truths in her life (all starting with 'I don't believe...)

But Spirit Ranch isn't exactly accepting. Riley is an instant target, a walking blasphemy whose weight issues (she's fat, deal with it) make her easy prey and her atheism turns her into a plague amongst the campers. The only people who actually like Riley are Olive and Bird, bullied siblings who find solace in Riley's easy acceptance and defence. Craig, the hunky camp leader who just wants to get into Riley's double-D's . . . and Dylan, the paraplegic boy whose sadness calls to Riley's own.

I loved this book. Riley is a fast and frenetic teen whose deep sadness is masked by false bravado. She's a fantastic leading lady, not least because Howell has written a taboo in making her F-A-T. Today Tonight obesity-watch reports remind us every day that Australia is climbing up the tubby ladder, yet so few teens in contemporary YA reflect this physicality.

The Christian camp setting was hilariously sublime. Reminiscent of one of my all-time favourite movies, `Saved!' (2004). Howell reveals that not all Christians are good, but not all atheists are without hope either. Howell isn't bashing religion in this book; she's just showing its myriad sides. Sure, the Christian teens in this book aren't exactly keeping up their `love thy neighbour' teachings, but this is more reflective of a William Golding exploration into pack behaviour than commentary on the decay of worship.

But the real Hail Mary of `Everything Beautiful' is Dylan. Dylan is trapped in a wheel chair after an undisclosed accident that everyone at Spirit Ranch is speculating about. Rumour has it he jumped 16 storeys. Another tale tells of a surfing accident. But only Dylan knows the truth, and he's not telling. Riley is intrigued . . . both by Dylan's silence about the accident, and his clear affinity for her and their Spirit Ranch plight. Dylan is one of my new favourite characters - I loved his contrasts and inherent enigma. I loved that he was full of snark and spirit, that he felt cheated in life but still wore a cross around his neck.

`Everything Beautiful' is more proof that there's something in the water for Australian YA. A quirky contemporary that introduces us to a feisty and furious girl called Riley, who is unbelieving and full of hurt. I loved this book, and from now on I will be worshipping at the word altar of Simmone Howell - anything she writes, I do so solemnly swear to devour.

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely Beautiful, January 11, 2009

By 

The Book Muncher (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Everything Beautiful (Hardcover)

Ever since the death of her mother years earlier, Riley Rose has been on the fast track to self destruction, choosing to muddle her way through life with the aid of drugs, alcohol, and sex. Against her will, Riley's father and his girlfriend Norma force her to go to Spirit Ranch, a religious prison in the middle of nowhere, as Riley sees it. Riley prepares herself to loathe the experience, the annoyingly religious campers, everything that just doesn't fit with Riley's personality. But Riley never expects to find the possibility of a kindred spirit, especially in Dylan Luck, a dark and sullen boy confined to a wheelchair. And then Riley realizes that she just might have faith after all, even if it's where she least expected it.

Everything Beautiful is a beautifully written story that draws readers in with its complex and unique characters. Riley seems to play the stereotypical fat girl, drowning her woes in this substance or that, but in reality, she is so much more. Weight barely plays a role because Riley's sarcastic yet cautious personality is larger than life, no pun intended. Readers can't help but like Riley and hope she finds whatever she's looking for because she's so lovable even with some of her mean qualities. Dylan's character is also compelling to read about, and I loved how he played the hero in the end. A big disappointment was when Spirit Ranch ended, because it is left up to the reader's imagination if Riley and Dylan ever meet again. With quirky characters, Everything Beautiful is a sweet romance that spreads a message of faith, if not in a religious way.

Fans of Vibes by Amy Kathleen Ryan and All About Vee by C. Leign Purtill will fall in love with Everything Beautiful's unforgettable main character. I hope I get a chance to read Howell's Notes from the Teenage Underground so I can sample more of her realistic writing and well drawn characters.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars loved this book, April 17, 2010

By 

elissajanine (MN, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Everything Beautiful (Hardcover)

This book is exactly the kind of book I aspire to write. A memorable main character, a snappy voice, a quiet lyricism that makes me want to copy whole paragraphs out and share them with people, and a clear and captivating plot, too. I like the way there is emotion but no sentimentality, and there is "edginess" without making it seem like edginess was the only goal in writing the book. I would like to immediately go out and buy the debut from this author, except I may want to reread Everything Beautiful first.