A review by marlak91
One Year of Ugly by Caroline MacKenzie

4.0

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this book. I won it through a Goodreads giveaway and all the reviews that talked about it being hilarious despite a dark situation we’re a little confusing. How could you make light of immigration, organized crime, blackmailing families? But after reading this I don’t think “making light” is at all what Caroline Mackenzie was doing. It was more of what real life thoughts might be had in these situations of someone just trying to make the best of terrible circumstances.

This book was a fun read. I couldn’t put it down. The fist person voice of Yoko was entertaining and profound at the same time and the lusty romance with Roman was a lot of fun. There were times the plot even felt a little Breaking Bad-esque. The characters were all very visceral. I really felt like I knew the Palacios family.

I would like to know a little more about how Caroline Mackenzie researched for the book seeing as how she is not a Venezuelan immigrant herself. Unfortunately I don’t know anything about the immigrant situation in Trinidad to know if this book is accurate in telling the story of immigrants or if their were liberties taken.

I’m looking forward to reading more from Caroline Mackenzie in the future!