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A review by francinesisterreads
One Year Of Ugly by Caroline Mackenzie
2.0
I don't read romance (I should say no longer read, as I read tons of it as a teen/young adult). so would have never chosen to read this, but it was selected by my book club. I love my club, and have read a few things I wouldn't normally because I enjoy our discussions, so I gritted my teeth and went for it.
It has confirmed to me that modern RomComs are not my thing, but that aside this book is incredibly problematic.
On reading that this was a story of illegal Venezuelan immigrants living in Trinidad, I immediately looked up the author. I'm a huge proponent of OWN voices, so I was dismayed to find out that Caroline Mackenzie is a white Trinidadian. She works as a translator, and has worked with Venezuelan migrants, but this in my opinion does not qualify one to write convincingly about a community one is not a part of.
Unfortunately my fears were borne out as the book is filled with ridiculous stereotypes, not just about Venezuelans, but just about every sector of society written about. All the characters were caricatures without any depth or growth. The "romance" was a reach at best, and the ending was laughable. Many of the situations that moved the plot along were so contrived that I was "steupseing" throughout the entire thing.
The author has said that she wrote the book to show another side of the Venezuelan immigrant situation, as there was lots of bigotry and prejudice from Trinidadians, but I am unclear how she thinks this story would endear the migrants to anyone as this family had a better lifestyle than many Trinidadians can afford. I am very curious to find out how the book was received by both Venezuelans and Trinidadians alike, as the author also did not do any justice to her home island, which is a place I have lived, and remember very fondly. In fact I am convinced that this book was not written for Caribbean people. which deeply disappointed me.
To add insult to injury, there was also a large amount of what I called "literary name dropping" as the story was filled with references to literature which did nothing to enhance the narrative. It felt like we were being shown just how much the author knew. The prose is filled with an over abundance of metaphors, and cliches, and it felt like she put everything she thought of in the book. I couldn't help but wish that she had held some back for future work, and tried to hone just a few of her best bits to be sharper.
The wit and humour reminded me of those funny hyperbolic blog posts, which I do enjoy, but have no desire to read an entire book's worth of. I found that her humourous approach to the story trivialised the very people she was seemingly trying to help. and only brushed the surface of the many things she tried to address.
I think there is a definite need for a book that addresses the situation of the Venezuelan immigrants in Trinidad. and that treats the topic with empathy, concern, and critical thought. This book is not it.
It has confirmed to me that modern RomComs are not my thing, but that aside this book is incredibly problematic.
On reading that this was a story of illegal Venezuelan immigrants living in Trinidad, I immediately looked up the author. I'm a huge proponent of OWN voices, so I was dismayed to find out that Caroline Mackenzie is a white Trinidadian. She works as a translator, and has worked with Venezuelan migrants, but this in my opinion does not qualify one to write convincingly about a community one is not a part of.
Unfortunately my fears were borne out as the book is filled with ridiculous stereotypes, not just about Venezuelans, but just about every sector of society written about. All the characters were caricatures without any depth or growth. The "romance" was a reach at best, and the ending was laughable. Many of the situations that moved the plot along were so contrived that I was "steupseing" throughout the entire thing.
The author has said that she wrote the book to show another side of the Venezuelan immigrant situation, as there was lots of bigotry and prejudice from Trinidadians, but I am unclear how she thinks this story would endear the migrants to anyone as this family had a better lifestyle than many Trinidadians can afford. I am very curious to find out how the book was received by both Venezuelans and Trinidadians alike, as the author also did not do any justice to her home island, which is a place I have lived, and remember very fondly. In fact I am convinced that this book was not written for Caribbean people. which deeply disappointed me.
To add insult to injury, there was also a large amount of what I called "literary name dropping" as the story was filled with references to literature which did nothing to enhance the narrative. It felt like we were being shown just how much the author knew. The prose is filled with an over abundance of metaphors, and cliches, and it felt like she put everything she thought of in the book. I couldn't help but wish that she had held some back for future work, and tried to hone just a few of her best bits to be sharper.
The wit and humour reminded me of those funny hyperbolic blog posts, which I do enjoy, but have no desire to read an entire book's worth of. I found that her humourous approach to the story trivialised the very people she was seemingly trying to help. and only brushed the surface of the many things she tried to address.
I think there is a definite need for a book that addresses the situation of the Venezuelan immigrants in Trinidad. and that treats the topic with empathy, concern, and critical thought. This book is not it.