In The Beauty That Remains, a heartbreaking debut by Ashley Woodfolk, Autumn, Logan, and Shay are all grappling with grief in their own ways. Autumn sends messages to her dead best friend, Tavia, as she unravels complicated feelings of uselessness and denial all the while facing a budding romance with Tavia’s brother, Dante. Logan watches his ex’s Bram’s vlogs obsessively, turning to self-destructive behavior to cope with his guilt after Bram’s suicide. Shay struggles to act normal amidst frequent panic attacks after she loses her twin to cancer. 

Despite the odds, one band’s music will unite the three–perhaps even help them heal. 

The Beauty That Remains is a gorgeous, heart-wrenching tearjerker with tender, developed characters that the reader follows throughout their journey with grief. Ashley Woodfolk creates a lyrical understanding of loss and its complexities within the realistic story. Unfortunately, the plot doesn’t develop well, and the actions of the story eventually become repetitive until the book resolves. Nevertheless, The Beauty That Remains is a touching story that everyone can cry and heal with.