Review: So Much Pretty

"You should probably leave, though. You should probably leave Haedan."

After finishing Cara Hoffman’s “So Much Pretty”, I wanted to take a few hours to consider what I had just read before trying to write up a review. Take some time to separate myself from the end of the story, so I could reflect on the novel as a whole.

I watched television, went to the gym, spent some time with friends and even went to work. But during all of those activities, I was distracted. My mind was still in Haeden, my heart was still heavy for Wendy White, Alice Piper and Stacey Flynn.

It has been four days since I finished “So Much Pretty” and I am quite honestly not over it yet.

The reason “So Much Pretty” has been such a weight these past few days is because although it is a work of fiction, the problems in it are all too real. “So Much Pretty” uses a haunting intertwining of character perspectives to tell the story of girls gone missing in small town America. It makes the reader confront issues like the abuse of women, rape and murder and the blind eye turned to all women’s issues.

In “So Much Pretty”, local reporter Stacey Flynn knows there is something more to the latest disappearances in Haeden, a town run by the local Dairy and the idea that “attitude is more important than facts”. “So Much Pretty” follows Flynn as she digs to uncover the truth behind the disappearances of Wendy White and Alice Piper.

I know this book sounds super depressing, and it kind of is, but is also one of the best books I have read recently. I don’t want to give any more of the story line away, because I really do encourage everyone to read this. I had trouble putting it down, especially toward the end, and when I finished reading it, “So Much Pretty” was all I wanted to talk to people about.

“So Much Pretty” is a book I hope to see on Women’s History Month reading lists. Cara Hoffman is confronting real issues that can’t be ignored any longer and she’s doing it well. 

To learn more about "So Much Pretty" and purchase your own copy, CLICK HERE.