A review by thenovelmaura
One Year of Ugly by Caroline MacKenzie

dark emotional funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

It took me a long time to decide how to rate this one and I still feel conflicted about my decision. I really enjoyed this quirky story and its hilarious cast of characters. While reading it, I thought the author did an excellent job of conveying the hardships these immigrant families face, and how they can be taken advantage of because they can't go to any authorities for help. However, I was put off by the author's note, which revealed that the author, while Trinidadian, is not Venezuelan like the fictional Palacio family. In retrospect, I should have done more research before picking it up (and in my own defense, they hired a Spanish-speaking narrator for the audiobook, which caused me to let down my guard). Suddenly what I thought were "in jokes" seemed more like punching down, and the internalized misogyny from the main character felt more like a bad stereotype than a critique of the author's own culture. This book left a bad taste in my mouth, but I suppose I should chalk it up to a lesson learned and move on.
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