All The Ugly and Wonderful Things: Part 2/ Chapters 10 to 13 [End of Part 2] – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

Wavy’s life gets a serious shocking moment as something happens to Val and Donal. Though what comes soon after helps remind you why she often seems like a little turtle who is afraid to come out of her shell.

Chapter 10: Kellen

As Wavy and Kellen sleep in the meadow, Val and Donal get into a car accident.

{Commentary}

This is perhaps one of the shortest chapters of the book and it is a bit of a shocker. If only because, the idea of Val dying, if not Donal, seems like a major tectonic shift. Both are what essentially keep Wavy tied to the farm and keep her from trying to just be with Kellen 24/7. However, Val’s death would mean Liam is solely responsible for her. Something which would be horrible for Wavy since, while Kellen may have taken on a fatherly, sort of boyfriend like, role, he has no legal claims to the girl so Liam could decide to close up shop and take Wavy far away. Then, if Donal died, considering how quiet Wavy is now, she may turn mute if Donal died. He was the only one who fully understood her and what she went through. So to lose him, her baby brother, would probably lead to a much more world-weary Wavy than we already have.

Things To Note | Question(s) Left Unanswered

• Wavy is most talkative in the morning.

Chapter 11: Dee & Kellen

Luckily, after the crash, all Donal ended up with is a concussion and broken arm. With him being 6, while it will still hurt, he’ll get a cool cast to show off and should heal in relatively no time. However, in terms of Val, it is explained that she looks like Frankenstein. Something which triggers Liam’s feelings for, despite the neglect and his harem, Val is still his wife. Someone who he thinks Kellen wants and pushes the idea she was perhaps trying to get away from him. The truth, though, we don’t get to know.

{Commentary}

I’m trying to figure out what would lead Liam to think that Kellen wants Val. Hell, I’m trying to understand why he didn’t think maybe because Kellen couldn’t have Val, that was why he wanted Wavy. To me, that would have made more sense. Granted, that would make this situation even more twisted, but it isn’t like the book touts itself as if it is all unicorns and rainbows. We have drug addicts raising kids on a meth farm. I mean, come on.

That aside, I find it weird how chapters are being split between two characters and how, at least for Dee’s part, it didn’t consistently stick to her perspective. It was primarily about her and her place in Liam’s harem, as the reliable one, but didn’t fully seem like her recollection of events.

Things To Note | Question(s) Left Unanswered

• Liam’s Harem: Val is the wife, Sandy is the hot one, and Dee is reliable for when there is a problem.

Chapter 12: Donal – August 1982

For the most part, it seems Donal is okay. He has a cast he finds cool, with his mom unwell he gets to live with Liam and Sandy, plus uncle Sean gives him a pocketknife. But, with him getting to live with Liam but Wavy stuck with Val, he doesn’t get to see her as he likes. Which, you can tell, isn’t something joyous for him. For while Wavy does make him eat healthily and probably acts more like a mom than a sister, nonetheless, he does love her. Probably doesn’t understand her at all, but does love her.

{Commentary}

With Wavy establishing for Donal the cues of when to talk to Val and when to leave her alone, her rules about touching her and all that, you have to wonder if he ever asked: “why?” Much less, what her response was. For with Donal being still 6, he is at that age where he should be asking a huge amount of questions. So with him not doing so, you have to wonder if Wavy has some look which makes things seem absolute or if maybe he is too afraid to ask in general. For I can’t imagine a kid seeing his older sister treated like trash, while he is treated like a prince, and just being okay with that. Especially since Donal hasn’t been written as a brat at all. He seems as potentially quiet as Wavy, but more approachable.

Things To Note | Question(s) Left Unanswered

Chapter 13: Kellen

With Wavy being rejected by Liam, she seeks Kellen to give her some sense of belonging. However, being that he isn’t family, he outright says she can’t make his house home. He tries to make up for that by giving her a key, but the damage is done. She wants to live with him, even marry him, but he said no and he laughed at the marriage idea. Something that will take more than a key to recover from.

{Commentary}

You know, one thing I never thought about was whether or not Wavy ever pursued a relationship with her parents, despite the warnings and their fault. But with Liam just outright rejecting her, to her face, and her face going blank, according to Kellen, it makes you wonder if she saw this as a new day? Like, maybe, she wanted to pursue maybe having a relationship with Liam. If not seeing what it would be like to actually live with him. Granted, she’d still spend most of her time with Kellen probably, but then she would return home to Liam and maybe get to know him and who he is when Val isn’t riling him up.

Alas, that wasn’t an option and then Kellen, in a way, rejects her too. Leading you to kind of wonder why he never pursued adopting her as his own. I mean, Val didn’t seem to want her, nor Liam, so it seems like a good idea. She’d get to live with him in peace, see Donal when she wants, and Kellen gets his best friend to live without anyone being the wiser. But that would be too simple and if there is one thing this book refuses to be, is simple. Much less rush the idea, or even potential, of a happy ending.