We Were Beautiful by Heather Hepler

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

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 café 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.

From acclaimed author Heather Hepler comes We Were Beautiful, a poignant young adult novel about tragedy, forgiveness, and love. Perfect for fans of Robyn Schneider and Justina Chen.

my thoughts:

YA lit is where its at! I'm serious. This genre is just bursting with wonderful, creative, and thought-provoking stories - I am a HUGE fan!!  I was super excited to read Heather Hepler's latest novel, We Were Beautiful - it was chock full of family drama, loss, grief, love, and forgiveness.  Its truly a great read.

Mia and and her older sister were in a car crash. Mia's sister died and she was left with physical and emotional scars.  Its been a year since it happened and life is still filled with grief, guilt, and rumors.  Mia can't remember what happened and her therapist tells her it will take time to heal.  Her family is mired in sadness.  So, they send Mia to stay with her grandmother - a woman she has never even met. Yep, a stranger basically. However, Mia goes and soon finds herself working in a cafe.  She meets new people and winds up with a circle of friends.  Friends who show her that everyone hurts and has scars to show for it.  Mia finds herself slowly healing and finally able to piece together what happened that horrible night of the accident. 

I found this story to be emotional, fun, and engaging. The characters were the best - especially, Fig and her friends. And the message about grief was important - its personal and so different for everyone. You can't expect someone like Mia who has gone through so much in her young life to just move on so quickly - loss takes time to get through, especially when you are witness to it. I like that Mia was able to see outside herself and recognize that everyone has a story of hurt, loss, or pain.  It goes to show her that she is not alone and therefore, she doesn't have to endure her personal pain alone.  We Were Beautiful was truly a treat to read - I just loved the energy of Mia's friends (funny and full of life).  I definitely enjoyed this story and would happily recommend it to fans of Hepler and fans of YA lit. 

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: We Were Beautiful

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!