This book was unique in the fact that I could not make up my mind whether I liked or hated it until nearing the final pages. It was an alternate type of read for me and I'd have difficulty placing it into a particular genre. It is the story of the Palacio family and is told through the voice of 24 year old Yola. This is a family who had to flee Venezuela and become refugees in Trinidad. Yola is feisty, clever, independent and funny. The entire family seems crazy at times; yelling, drinking and fighting one moment and then hugging and looking out for one another. In their own unique way, they love each other. This book is literally about the shit hitting the fan and how Yola and her family contend with that. There is a devil of a character named Ugly and he is every bit as scary as his name implies. He has a hold on this family and there seems to be no end to their struggles. Simultaneously, Yola is falling in love with someone she should not be falling in love with, given the circumstances. Ultimately, this book is about hope and for that reason, I give this book 3.5 ⭐️ rather than 3 ⭐️ Thank you to @netgalley @simonbooks and the author for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. #oneyearofugly #carolinemackenzie #simonandschuster #bookstagrammer #netgalley #bookreviewer #booksandmrdarcy #withhernosestuckinabook❤️📚

I absolutely loved this book. So engaging from page one, with a wild plot that throws one thing after another at you. This book makes you laugh while also breaking your heart and shining a light on real world struggles. Mackenzie does the perfect job of showing the problem without becoming preachy or pulling you out of the story. The characters are so real- I was so sad to finish the book and know that Zulema would never tell me what the best colors for me are, and that I would never be invited to a Palacios family party. Throughout the book, it feels as if you're listening to your shockingly vulgar, hilarious best friend tell you a story. I found myself saying OMG Yola out loud as I read. A great read, I highly recommend diving in.

I really enjoyed this book! It was funny and light-hearted; exactly what I was looking for. I think fans of Crazy Rich Asians will enjoy this book, too. The book follows a large Venezulean family who immigrates illegally to Trinidad. They become indebted to a crime boss named Ugly and begin a year of illegal activities on his behalf.

The family is a mix of loud and crazy characters who make good and bad decisions during the story. The reader ends up rooting for the family to come out on top, even the characters who aren't very likeable. I really liked the main character of Yola. I also was very impressed with Mackenzie's writing style. The book is full of humor and craziness, but in the midst of that, Mackenzie offers some very poignant insights into life as an immigrant, social politics, poverty, and sexual politics.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a lighter, funny read. I would also recommend this book to fans of Crazy Rich Asians

Loved this book- the family back story and the romance were so well done. I felt like the main characters really felt real as did the family dynamics and issues. I could barely put it down.

I received an ARC from Netgalley.

Yola is an illegal immigrant from Venezuela now living in Trinidad. Her aunt passes away and is in debt to a local crime lord. Her family must turn their homes into safehouses for other refugees and later work at a strip club to repay her aunt's debts.

It is a story of survival, love, and life. Even though the language is a bit vulgar at times, the story is beautifully written. You will cry, you will laugh, and you will learn a few things. Great read but I wish there was an epilogue to see how the family is doing a year after the book ends.

There just aren't enough book about Latino families out there, and most of the ones that get published are tragic. The family at the heart of One Year of Ugly definitely goes through some upheaval and tragedy, but this book feels like a love letter to their survival. It goes through family dynamics that feel familiar to almost anyone, even if you have not been through the trials of being Venezuelan as this family has. I love that about this book and hope more get published with Latinos at the center.

I wanted to read this one because I love reading relatable family dramas & relationships that also show how each of us is the same or different, no matter what that family looks like or where they’re located. This debut novel grabbed my attention with the bold characters and all the feelings, which were my favorite parts of the book with a great pacing in the story. A solid 4 star read for me!

This book is... interesting. There is a kind of crass humor that I sometimes enjoy, but mostly do not. I had no idea what I was getting myself into from the title and I was really enjoying the book up until about 17% of the way in. I found myself not enjoying the crassness of the writing nor the romance at all. The feelings and the descriptions of what is going on between Yola and Ramon made me not want to pick this book up again. I get the "forbidden love" appeal, but this is not sexy. It's weird. Maybe I'll pick this up again at some point, but for now I am DNF-ing because I am too put off by this romance.

Recommended: yeeeeeeeesssssssss!!!!!!!!!!
for a lovable lot of characters, for a story that has a lot of elements to it, for a wide variety of situations

Thoughts:
I saw this book's synopsis and thought I would probably love it, and yup, I was right. 😍

What I loved
The setting in Trinidad was an quick obvious draw for me, because I don't know much of anything about it. Well, now I do! Like the fact that there's the largest natural tar deposit in the world there, and also that they have notoriously poorly paved roads because they export all their tar. 😂 The little tour around the island on Yola and Roman's excursions were a perfect way to introduce readers to the area.

I also appreciated the political and social conversation, since the whole plot of the book is based around immigration and how families can be forced into doing it illegally when all the legal ways are made pretty much impossible. The details of Venezuela as well were sobering, especially since I know it's not the only place like that in the world.

Life is already sad and depressing enough (reminder that I'm writing this during Covid-19, for future readers...) so I always enjoy a book that can take me away from that and make me laugh. And wow, okay, I laughed SO MUCH! I absolutely loved Yola and her family. They're so varied and the way they clash was like being at a friend's house whom you know so well that no one tries to pretend they're anything but who they are. 😂 And the little details like them being a "naked house" where no one wears pants if they don't absolutely have to cracked me up. (Again... writing this during Covid. This feels very relatable right now. 😂)

What I didn't love
I'm a little torn on the story and overall progression. This is touted largely as a romance, and there were elements of that for sure, but there was also so much more. I'm not saying that's a bad thing at all, just that the expectation I had going in was quite different from what it actually was. You're not going to get just some steamy scenes and longing, you're also going to get fear and embarrassment and desperation and abso-fuckin-lutely WILD dramatics. So while that was really fun in a way, it was also a bit of a curveball and took some adjusting.

Verdict
Nah really just read it. It's so good.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

I started and stopped this book several times, but I just couldn’t get into it. I read it about 60% of the way through, the characters were interesting but the story was kind of depressing. I read that the author tried to write with humor, but I just didn’t get it. 2 stars.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The author really pulls it all together with the delicately orchestrated mayhem of the year of Ugly. She manages to bring wit to an important subject and I found the story to be very interesting.
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

DNF so I'm giving it a 2. Got one or two chapters into this. Didn't really resonate. Honestly, I was skeptical at first, but based on summaries from other GR reviewers my apprehensions weren't unwarranted. Despite her being Trini, it seems like the author's characters were not appropriately captured and represented in the book.

This book surprised me in so many ways! I wasn't expecting to love it as much as it did, but it has all of the elements of a great book - characters written that makes you feel like you know them and can hear them, smart. clever, witty, funny lines, romance, love, loss, culture, and a bit of too-true reality regarding immigration and refugees.

This book was outside of my comfort zone but I’m so glad to have read it. These days, I don’t like reading fiction with a non-predictable ending. As a result, I’ve been opting for non-fiction and romance where a happily ever after is guaranteed.

This book had me nervous throughout but I learned so much and enjoyed the story and the characters. I became heavily invested and am so glad I finally pushed myself to read it.

More than a work of fiction, this book was a hard look at the flaws in immigration systems around the world and how people fleeing for their safety are made vulnerable to exploitation.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a copy of this book.

This story had me from the opening scene. I felt like I was watching a movie the whole time I was reading. I couldn’t put this book down and I bet you won’t either! There are many twists and turns that I didn’t expect. Recommended for a quick read about family and all that you do for family.

A fresh, riveting, hilarious saga of the series of disasters/adventures the Palacio family face during their illegal residence in Trinidad after fleeing the volatility of their home in Venezuela. Upon the death of a beloved aunt, the family finds themselves indebted to a dangerous criminal nicknamed "Ugly", and chaos ensues.

Sparking with wit and romance, it's an exploration of assimilation, the immigrant perspective, and cross-cultural difficulties--tackling themes of grief, forgiveness, compassion, and last but certainly not least: hilarious, tumultuous familial complexities. The pages fly by with rom-com energy, as you ride the highs and lows with the characters. Expect laughs, fears, and havoc.

The ending was perfect, not too cliché (as I feared) with skillful closure. I loved this book--it's definitely made it to the favorites list.

Venezuela is near and dear to my heart, so I was intrigued when I saw this book about a Venezuelan immigrant in Trinidad. The authenticity was a mixed bag for me, there were word and food or cultural references that hit the mark interspersed with references that felt geared toward an American or anglo culture. I feel like I would have been able to glean more mindless entertainment for this book if it wasn't about a culture I grew up in. Perhaps this one hit too close to home to enjoy.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Caroline Mackenzie's offbeat debut novel certainly is unique and I felt that the dark humor was polarizing and many had strong feelings in reading this book.

Mackenzie certainly addressed the issue and plight of the global refugee crisis, illegal immigration and family drama in a way injecting humor throughout. How the family tried to survive and the characters in this story are over the top made for quite the interesting read. There may be some issues mentioned in the book about transphobia, fat shaming and many examples of stereo types that made me squirm in the story that will be difficult for many to get past.

Overall, despite the issues I did enjoy this read as I enjoy reading about books set in other countries and learning about different cultures.

“What’s the worst that could happen?” That statement perfectly sums up this delightful novel by @carolinemackenziewrites. The heavy topic of #illegalimmigrants is paired with humor and #forbidden love in a way that sometimes makes you forget the main characters hardships. Thanks to @netgalley and @simonandschuster for the opportunity to #read this #advancedreaderscopy. I especially appreciate the introduction that was included at the start of the novel by the publisher. I was amused to read that they compared the novel to #wheredyougobernadette since that was my last read and unknown to me that this would be my next. Be sure to add this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ novel to your #fallreadinglist. 📚📚📚 #booklover #bookrecommendations #bookreview #netgalleyreview #netgalleyreads #venezuela #trinidad

This one was ok for me. I didn't love it as much as everyone else seemed to. To me it just seemed to stereotypical . I wasn't expecting a character called Ugly either. I can tell the author tried to inject more humor into the book that just didn't work. It took me a while to get through it as I kept putting it down and then picking it up to try to get through it.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the Publisher for the arc in exchange for my honest review.