About This Book:
Life, academics, and activism. Facing hate and bigotry, can this agender teen make a difference in LGBTQ+ rights?
Oklahoma City. Nic Summers is equal parts excited and nervous. Determined to excel, the seventeen-year-old strives to find time to survive physics, build confidence, and enter a competitive art mentorship. But the principled teen’s stress skyrockets when a protest video results in them and a trans friend being forced by the school to move to the female dorms.
Burning with a strong sense of justice, the normally shy teenager summons the courage to speak out against damaging state legislation. But when the vision goes viral, they’re shocked when the authorities hand down an ultimatum: stop or be expelled. Can Nic dig deep and prevail against institutional bullies ready to erase their identity?
Sharing the plight of those too often silenced, author Kelly Vincent opens the door to understanding and empathy. Through the eyes of a big-hearted main character, Vincent leads the way toward accepting and appreciating each other’s differences.
*Review Contributed by Evren Dodd, Staff Reviewer*
What I Loved:
The characters were interesting. Nic is our main character and I enjoyed the time spent with them. They’re a young teenager trying to figure out who they are and how they fit into the world, and they’re encountering resistance along the way because they don’t fit in with the norm. The author handled their identity, and how they interacted with others who did not agree with their identity, well. It was handled with care while not shying away from the touchier aspects of conversation. Nic’s group of friends also felt realistic and well-written. They were struggling with their own issues and it was nice to see the group of friends discuss their issues and how certain policies/cultural events were impacting them.
The book discussed several very important topics especially regarding book banning and the minorities that are impacted very heavily by those bans. The topic was discussed in a respectful way. It is also introduced as something that the characters are aware of, but there is enough information given for readers who may not be aware of the current wave of book bans.
What Left Me Wanting More:
The tone of this book felt off. The book is labeled as being a young adult book, but it would switch tone from a young adult book to a middle grade book. Some of the dialogue and situations that the characters found themselves in felt slightly out-of-touch from the general writing of the book. They didn’t work poorly together, but there was a tonal difference in some of the situations. There is a chance the author was aiming for a lower young adult book and that might explain the tone.
Final Verdict:
UGLIEST is a book that doesn’t shy away from talking about difficult topics with a protagonist that has to find the nerve to standup for themselves and others. The tone of the book does feel a bit more middle grade or lower young adult, so at times the 17 year old protagonist feels a bit out of place. The likeability of the main character and their friends helps to balance the story. The author’s writing style was also good and it was clear what they were trying to accomplish with their book.
An important story of standing up to hate and bigotry, UGLIEST is an engaging story that isn’t afraid to discuss real life topics and how they impact people.
