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hmetwade's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Violence, Classism, Grief, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Deportation, Pregnancy, Stalking, Blood, Gun violence, Racism, Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Death
charlieeee's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Sexual content
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Trafficking, Violence, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, and Body shaming
Minor: Torture, Deportation, Racial slurs, Excrement, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Gun violence, and Grief
At first I thought this was going to be a deep-dive into the immigrant experience in Trinidad, but it just reads like ‘middle class folkx are uncomfortable boo-hoo poor us’. Casual fat phobia throughout, stereotypes and constant sexualisation of Latinas with a general shrug of ‘what can you do’ rather than developing these women into complex characters in a complex situation. Megan and Vanessa deserved better writing.hannah_lilli's review against another edition
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Deportation, Alcoholism, and Alcohol
Moderate: Antisemitism, Medical content, Violence, Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Pregnancy, and Grief
Minor: Sexual content
ecobookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
I was really excited to read One Year of Ugly, as it's set in my home country of Trinidad & Tobago and I'd been wanting to read a contemporary book set there. Upon finishing it, though, my feelings are mixed.
There were many things I enjoyed about this story, as we follow the Palacio family and their trials under the whims of the gangster Ugly, specifically from the perspective of 24-year-old Yola. The family dynamics were poignant at times and hilarious at others, with a connection that held them together through everything. They had their struggles but remained determined to make it work. Yola's grief for and connection with her aunt Celia was moving, and Celia's memoirs were a brilliant addition to the story. The romance side-plot was a bit of a head-scratcher sometimes but overall I did enjoy seeing Yola and Roman's burgeoning romance and their escapades, though their immediate attraction did come across as insta-love-y at times. The Trinidadian setting was vivid and well-rendered in a way that made me feel nostalgic for home, especially all the descriptions of culture, food and celebrations. The fast-paced developments and plot twists make for highly entertaining reading, and the climax was absolutely captivating. I also appreciated the conclusion, as it was open-ended in a way that did justice to the story and made for a satisfying resolution to the year.
The Venezuelan refugee situation in Trinidad is fraught and troubled, and I was curious to see how that would be illustrated here. In some ways, I did enjoy it, as it showed the difficulties faced by Venezuelans in Trinidad, the prejudices and limitations, the dreams they still hold despite their difficult experiences, and all the changes from the life they've had to leave behind. But it also seemed to downplay it in some ways, as the Palacios still seem to enjoy a pretty good lifestyle that doesn't really reflect the news and stories I've seen on the refugee situation. Of course it's possible that the author is a lot more familiar with the situation through her translation work, but it doesn't mesh with the type of exploitation and struggles that I've heard a lot more of.
Another aspect worth mentioning is the description of the Palacios young women, which left me really uncomfortable at times. They're oversexualized to a degree that's almost ridiculous, with gratuitous descriptions of their breasts, legs and backsides, and even memorably a brief description of Yola's own genitalia. How was that necessary?!
Despite these concerns, overall I did really enjoy this read and would recommend it. There's a passage near the end, where Yola is reflecting on experiences of loss and memory and how they change over time, that was deeply moving and resonated with me. And though some may take issue with the dark humour laced throughout, I agree with the author that sometimes laughter is the best salve in difficult situations.
There were many things I enjoyed about this story, as we follow the Palacio family and their trials under the whims of the gangster Ugly, specifically from the perspective of 24-year-old Yola. The family dynamics were poignant at times and hilarious at others, with a connection that held them together through everything. They had their struggles but remained determined to make it work. Yola's grief for and connection with her aunt Celia was moving, and Celia's memoirs were a brilliant addition to the story. The romance side-plot was a bit of a head-scratcher sometimes but overall I did enjoy seeing Yola and Roman's burgeoning romance and their escapades, though their immediate attraction did come across as insta-love-y at times. The Trinidadian setting was vivid and well-rendered in a way that made me feel nostalgic for home, especially all the descriptions of culture, food and celebrations. The fast-paced developments and plot twists make for highly entertaining reading, and the climax was absolutely captivating. I also appreciated the conclusion, as it was open-ended in a way that did justice to the story and made for a satisfying resolution to the year.
The Venezuelan refugee situation in Trinidad is fraught and troubled, and I was curious to see how that would be illustrated here. In some ways, I did enjoy it, as it showed the difficulties faced by Venezuelans in Trinidad, the prejudices and limitations, the dreams they still hold despite their difficult experiences, and all the changes from the life they've had to leave behind. But it also seemed to downplay it in some ways, as the Palacios still seem to enjoy a pretty good lifestyle that doesn't really reflect the news and stories I've seen on the refugee situation. Of course it's possible that the author is a lot more familiar with the situation through her translation work, but it doesn't mesh with the type of exploitation and struggles that I've heard a lot more of.
Another aspect worth mentioning is the description of the Palacios young women, which left me really uncomfortable at times. They're oversexualized to a degree that's almost ridiculous, with gratuitous descriptions of their breasts, legs and backsides, and even memorably a brief description of Yola's own genitalia. How was that necessary?!
Despite these concerns, overall I did really enjoy this read and would recommend it. There's a passage near the end, where Yola is reflecting on experiences of loss and memory and how they change over time, that was deeply moving and resonated with me. And though some may take issue with the dark humour laced throughout, I agree with the author that sometimes laughter is the best salve in difficult situations.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Sexual content
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