TLC Book Review: A Handful For Beautiful People

Spuit's debut novel is a great read.  It isn't a beach read that's fluffy and light, and I had to restart it when I had a little time to really get into it, but once I got going, I was invested in the story and the characters.

Marla is twenty-two when she finds herself pregnant. Although she has a boyfriend, Liam, who is more together than she is, Marla is a little bit of a train wreck waiting to happen. She has fetal alcohol syndrome, a roommate, Dani, who is a drug addict, and a brother, Gavin, who is visiting and happens to be a deaf/mute.

Spruit does a great job of presenting two characters that I've never really seen in adult fiction before.  Marla's FES is something that explains her behavior, her inability to make plans for the future and why her life is unfolding as it is.

Gavin, as a deaf/mute is also not something I've seen as a main character in fiction.  Spruit's ability to communicate as Gavin - sentence fragments and bits and pieces show what he is able to pick up from lip reading. I really had to pay attention to dialogue where Gavin was involved, and I feel like Spruit did a great job of portraying this communication accurately.  

There are a lot of issues that Marla has to deal with - especially what she plans to do about her pregnancy.  Liam isn't sure he's ready to be a father, and parenthood is something Marla must decide about , too.  

Although I didn't entirely relate to these characters, I did find myself completely invested in the story and wanting them to find happiness.  

A Handbook for Beautiful People is well written, a book worth picking up and being absorbed in.  




Thanks to TLC Book Tours for providing a copy of this book for my review.  All opinions expressed are, as always, my own.