Cruel Beautiful World is the latest by Caroline Leavitt who wrote Pictures of You, which I read, but can’t remember for the life of me (hazard of reading as fast/much as I do – and the original reason for starting this blog in the first place). Lucy, aged 16, runs away from her adopted home with her English teacher to live off the grid in Pennsylvania. Tragedy ensues, as you are sure will happen even very early on in the book. Every other chapter is from the point of view of Lucy’s sister and adoptive mother who are anxious about where she is. And, while things get tied up almost too neatly at the end, I did enjoy reading this book and recommend it.