The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender: Score 4

Recommended if you like magical realism and coming of age novellas. This is a bittersweet tragedy, that’s deeply atmospheric and has a rich, lyrical prose. It deals with themes of love, abuse, death, heartbreak & recovery with poignancy & tangible feeling.

However it Isn’t just about Ava, 50% of it is about the strange & fascinating lives of Ava’s mom & grandma. So there isn’t a clear plot-line & it meanders at a slow pace that feels rather aimless for the 1st half. Rather than having dialogue or action scenes, it’s mostly vivid & intriguing tangents about side characters. So if you’re a reader who’d rather just get to the meat of the story, this isn’t for you. But if your all about the atmosphere, prose & imagery, (like The Night Circus) then you’ll love this!

The women in Ava’s life experience so many much, and is a beautiful reminder of the fragility of the heart and it’s amazing capacity to endure and march on. From the  irresistible allure of forbidden love, the infatuation and desires of young love to reckless, dangerous obsession, then to the heart-stoping pain of heartbreak. And from the gut wrenching loss of betrayal, the agony of losing a loved one,  to the longing for freedom and the devastation of sexual abuse. These women’s lives are full of deep sorrow, but there stories are told in such a way that its resoundingly poignant,  beautiful and moving.

*Spoiler alert * If reading about a brutal & heartbreaking rape makes you very uncomfortable, you may not want to read this.