I liked the way this story was told. A chapter from the present day interspersed with chapters from Amy’s past that explain how she ended up where she did as a hoarder. It is easy to empathise with the likeable Amy. Put quite simply, I cared what happened to her and was with her every step of the way. Richard is a great character and Charles is a delight, though sometimes he does sound somewhat older than the child he is. I didn't really like all of the stuff from the past. But the things that I did like a lot: 1) Richard and his kids (the new neighbors), and 2) the mystery (of what happened to her boyfriend and best friend). In the present we meet Amy at home and Amy at work. The debilitating need to hold onto things she suffers at home isn’t an issue at work, though she keeps to herself and is somewhat rigid and obsessive. But she’s been with the company nearly two decades and respected. Her world there is interrupted however with a new arrival and potential romance.

But this isn’t what we see as readers in the beginning of the story. And that is what is so perplexing to us as readers. I absolutely loved EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL - a novel filled with beautiful things, mystery and Amy, one of my favourite characters of the year. I couldn't put it down. Book grief when I had to leave Amy behind. -- Rachael Blok, author of UNDER THE ICE

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That being said, for me this was less about solving the old mystery and more about Amy – a character study of someone going through something they’re unable and unwilling to release – and I most certainly enjoyed that element.

A wonderful celebration of the power of kindness' Hannah Tovey, author of The Education of Ivy Edwards EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL is heart-warming and thought-provoking, a mystery with a difference. It's beautifully constructed around the everyday items its central character hoards, as she slowly uncovers the secrets of her past. I loved it. -- Andrea Mara, author of THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WALL this was delightful. compassionate, insightful and tender, shapiro’s debut novel is one of ambition and hope and desire, that compounds adversities such as the flawed education system, mental health, and turbulent families with a dream that continues to persevere throughout it all. I loved this charming, endearing novel...it will melt even the hardest of hearts...If ever there was a time for a book like EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL to lift us above the every day doom and gloom, it is now. -- Joanna Nell, author of THE SINGLE LADIES OF JACARANDA RETIREMENT VILLAGE

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Everything is Beautiful is about an artist who turns to hoarding when her loved ones disappear – because she knows that possessions, unlike people, will never leave her. When a family with two young children move in next door, they discover a clue to her past under her collections that leads her to question what really happened all those years ago. What inspired you to write this book? My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Eleanor Ray has perfectly captured how it feels to not quite fit in' M W Craven, author of The Puppet Show

There’s an intriguing mystery at the heart of this emotional but uplifting debut novel’ SUNDAY EXPRESS I read Amy Ashton because I was told it was in the vein of Eleanor Oliphant and Evvie Drake, two books I absolutely adored. I liked Amy Ashton just as much till about the last 10% of it. The ending, to me, felt both rushed and unnecessary, a little bit like the last piece in a jigsaw puzzle that just doesn't fit right. Now her house is overflowing with the objects she loves - soon there'll be no room for Amy at all. But when a family move in next door, a chance discovery unearths a mystery, and Amy's carefully curated life begins to unravel. If she can find the courage to face her past, might the future she thought she'd lost still be hers for the taking?EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL is a truly beautiful book, and wonderfully written. The title is perfect too. Amy is an enchanting character, and I found her story deeply moving. Ray's portrayal of her hoarding in response to grief and trauma was convincing and original, both tender and funny. The novel manages to accommodate so many qualities that might be presumed to be in tension, but in Ray's hands are brought together powerfully, so that it is charming and thrilling, romantic and gripping. The mystery of what happened to Tim and Chantel is compelling and immersive. -- Claire Kendal, author of THE BOOK OF YOU I relished it from start to finish. A beautiful book. Thought-provoking. Evocative. A treat to read' The narrator is Amy Ashton (3rd person POV). She is such an unusual heroine. She is quirky and kind. She had a trauma happen to her 11 years before. And now her house is completely full of "treasures".