Every Ugly Word

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Author(s)

Aimee Salter

Publisher

Alloy Entertainment

Genre(s)

Contemporary

Age Range

13+

Release Date

July 29, 2015

ISBN

978-1939106445

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When seventeen-year-old Ashley Watson walks through the halls of her high school, bullies taunt and shove her. She can't go a day without fighting with her mother. And no matter how hard she tries, she can't make her best friend, Matt, fall in love with her. But Ashley also has something no one else does: a literal glimpse into the future. When Ashley looks into the mirror, she can see her twenty-three-year-old self. Her older self has been through it all already--she endured the bullying, survived the heartbreak, and heard every ugly word her classmates threw at her. But her older self is also keeping a dark secret: Something terrible is about to happen to Ashley. Something that will change her life forever. Something even her older self is powerless to stop. Perfect for fans of Thirteen Reasons Why and The List, Every Ugly Word is a gripping and emotional story about the devastating consequences of bullying.

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2 reviews

Powerful Read

July 15, 2015

Overall rating

5.0

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Every Ugly Word is one of those books that makes you think and reflect. While it is an easy read, it deals with very important themes and issues. It is one of those books every teenager should read. It is one of those books that you just have to read to get the full impact. There are not enough words to do this book justice.

Ashley thinks she’s alone and isolated. She has trouble dealing with issues in both her present and past. She is the victim of horrific bullying in school and she doesn’t know whom she should trust. Sometimes she doesn’t even trust herself.

The most interesting and unique part of the narrative is the fact that Ashley talks to herself. Most of us talk to ourselves at some point, but Ashley actually sees her “Older self” in the mirror. It is through the mirror that Ashley gets advice from her older and maybe wiser self. Their relationship is a complicated one. They don’t trust each other. Her “Older self” isn’t sure how Ashley will react. Meanwhile, Ashley believes her “Older self” is keeping something from her- and this is all part of the mystery. There are definitely a lot of “Woah!” moments in this book.

This is a gripping read that I could not put down. It is hard to express in words how powerful this book is. It has memorable characters that evoke strong emotions from the reader and it provokes a lot of intense reactions. This is a must read.

Good Points

Deals with important issues surrounding bullying
Strong character voice

Joanne Mumley, Twitter Manager Top 50 Reviewer 217 reviews

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A Brilliant Book on a Very Tough Subject

August 30, 2015

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4.0

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MY THOUGHTS
This was such a hard book to read. This book focuses entirely on the difficult subject of bullying. I usually avoid books about bullying because I have a very very low tolerance on bullying. When I read a book about bullying I get so angry. I go through the book in a field of rage because I honestly can't understand how anyone can be so cruel to another being. It makes me even more upset that this cruel people generally get away with what they do.
Reading books about bullying also makes me feel powerless, since I desperately want to help the main character and make others understand what's going on, but I can't do such a thing.

I had all of these feelings and more throughout this book. I hated almost everyone in this book except for the main character. Yes, I didn't even like Matt, who was supposed to be Ashley's best friend. He was okay by the end, but I can't forgive him for the fact that he treated Ashley like she needed to be fixed and sided with the evil demons that tormented her. I despised all of her classmates, who decided to make Ashley's life hell when she did absolutely nothing to deserve it (nobody deserves it), but I hated her mother more. Her mother is a very horrible mother. She only thinks of herself and sees her daughter as an embarrassment and constantly says that Ashley would only be better if she weren't fat or if she would stand up for herself or be popular. She says so many horrible things to her daughter, practically blames Ashley for what her classmates do to her, and even yells at her for crying at it. A mother is supposed to protect and comfort her child, she is not a mother.

This book was very realistic, but it had a little magical element added in. For the past few years, Ashley has been able to see her future self in the mirror and talk to her. Her future self is trying to prevent Ashley's life to play out a certain way and when it doesn't work, that Ashley becomes future Ashley and takes to her younger self. Confusing, I know, but it was a very interesting add in and made for a very unique way to tell the story. This book also goes back and forth between past and present. We have a present Ashley in some kind of mental hospital talking to a doctor about all of these events and it made for an interesting way of telling this story.

IN CONCLUSION
This was a brilliant book. It was unique and beautiful, but so so tragic. Ashley's story is horrible and it will make you so very upset. Be prepared to go through many emotions while reading this book and be prepared for your outlook to change.