"I knew the second I met you that there was something about you I needed. Turns out it wasn't something about you at all. It was just you."
Yesterday in my post about Abbi Glines I mentioned that Beautiful Disaster is one of my absolute favorite books. It's the truth. Jamie McGuire wrote this story and it speaks to me on so many different levels. Not only because of the story itself but because of the message I see in it. Beautiful Disaster is the first book I read that made me feel like there was perfection in imperfections. Travis Maddox is far from perfect but he still finds his way. He screws up, he's crude, possessive, a fighter, a player, and he makes mistakes. Yet, on some deeper level it's his flaws that make him so perfect just the way he is. It's the same thing for Abby. She's overly cautious, her past is checkered, she's too timid at times, and she has some serious family issues. But Travis and Abby see the perfection in eachother, and I don't mean that they only see the good in one another. That saying "love is blind" is overrated. What I mean is that they see all the flaws and they still think of the other as perfect. That is what I see as the best kind of love.
When I was a little girl I had a security blanket. It was pink, green, and white with fringe on all four sides and had bunnies on it. And most importantly...it made me feel safe. We all had something that gave us that feeling when we were children. Some people had special nightlights, stuffed animals, or something to that manner. As we grow, get older, and mature we give up those things. Some people just throw them out, some people pass that safety blanket or object down, or they might simply pack it up. For me, I replaced that safety blanket with books. This book is my safety blanket. Beautiful Disaster is my peace of mind. It's been with me through break-ups, fuck-ups, fights with my best friend, fights with my parents, moving out of my hometown, my first prom, and so much more. To this day, my best friend and I talk about this book and it's author with nothing but reverance.
Abby Abernathy is a symbol to young women everywhere that we don't have to let our past define our future. Her past is in poker matches, drinking games with her dad, and being raised by mobsters. However, she started over. Now her future is with Travis. Travis Maddox is a symbol that someone that fights illegally for a living, someone that used to sleep with anything in a skirt, someone that takes very little seriously, can change his way of living, and can break the bad habits. Can be monogamous, can make a better future, and can love and be loved even if he never thought it was possible. I'm not saying that any of the things I just listed are necessarily bad things. He just wants to be the best version of himself. This whole book is a rollercoaster of emotions, and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's a book about friendships, good and bad relationships, and love.
The best parts of Beautiful Disaster are not just Abby and Travis. America and Shepley are a true example of what friendship should look like. America is fierce, sassy, protective and loyal to a fault. The best kind of friend. Shepley is the ying to Travis's yang. The light to Travis's dark. All four friends bring out the best in eachother. They're family. That is how true friendships should feel. This book is a paragon for all books I read. I compare most books to this one. I would recommend this book to young women 16-24 years of age. It does contain adult content so I would ask readers to be mature but I read this at a young age so I'm not going to say 18+ years of age because it's not realistic. I just hope if you read it, you enjoy it. If not, no hard feelings! Different books tend to have different meanings for many people.
5 Stars
