Despite enjoying the overall writing style and tone, I didn't end up truly liking this book. I thought both Yola's character journey and her romance plot was poorly developed - an attraction built on a wildly inappropriate moment of insta-lust that we spent very little time seeing develop into the deep love that was supposedly there at the end - and the middle third of the plot really lost the thread of it all for me. The final third really picked back up though, and I was fully hooked from the strip club chapters through til the end. It's a good premise to focus on the plight of a Venezuelan refugee family in Trinidad (a situation I had embarrassingly zero real world knowledge of) through a humorous lens, and the author has talent, but the pieces never came together for me.

One Year of Ugly is NOT your typical Women's Fiction/Romance book. The protagonist, Yola, is unlikable, as is her idol (her late Aunt Celia), however this was an ENGROSSING and beautifully written story. Despite being totally unlikable, Yola was an intriguing character whose voice practically dripped from the pages. I was completely transported to Trinidad and the plight of the Palacios. The plot, especially in the final act, had me turning pages as fast as I could.

I think that this book shouldn't have been marketed as Women's Fiction/Romance. It is more a sweeping family drama. When I think of women's fiction, I think of a protagonist whose emotional journey changes them, however Yola doesn't seem to really change, or recognize that she (and her idol Celia) have flaws to overcome. I also felt that the romance was forced. There were so many moments we didn't get to see with Yola and Roman that I think would've solidified the chemistry for me, but we didn't get those cute little moments until nearly 70% of the way into the book.

TL;DR:
I'm really torn on how to rate this book. The writing, the unique qualities, and the plot make me want to give this a 5. But the romance arc could've used "more." The parts where Roman and Yola got to know each other were summarized so that I didn't get as invested in their relationship as I wanted to, and I would've liked to have seen more awareness from Yola about her (and Aunt Celia's) flaws.

So consider this 5 a 4.5.

One Year of Ugly by Caroline Mackenzie is an intriguing book that weaves together a story of love, migration, and dysfunctional families. When the Palacio family arrives in Trinidad after fleeing volatile Venezuela, they are shocked to learn that they have to take on a family debt and do whatever is asked by Ugly until the debt is paid. The content of the book is deep, but it's done in a way that is darkly comedic.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book. My thoughts are my own.

I loved this book more than I expected to. Meet Yola and her family that made the move from Venezuela to Trinidad. They find themselves having to pay a debt, and we get to learn more about their dysfunctional family. This held my attention from the beginning until the end and made me literally laugh out loud. This family's antics are ridiculously hilarious! This is a 5-star read to me!

Thank you @netgalley and @simonandschuster for providing me an arc copy of One Year of Ugly in exchange for an honest review!

One year of ugly is a story about a family's illegal migration from Venezuela to Trinidad. The Palacios family lived a moderate life within their means. But then they get a visit from the local crime lord who is called Ugly, it seems that their recently deceased aunt Celia owed money to Ugly. The family has to work to clear the six hundred thousand Trinidadian dollars by which ever way Ugly required them to. Ugly left them with no doubt that that if they didn't comply, violence would ensue.⠀
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There is a nice cast of vivid characters, ranging from the philandering brother and the drunken uncle to the prim and proper aunt who morphs into a cigarette smoking, gun toting vigilante. The story is told with great wit and powerful humour and the events the characters get caught up in are devastatingly funny. ⠀
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It might seem odd to say that a story about illegal immigrants who have had to flee their home country and are now living with the fear of deportation is comic but as the author herself says ‘I wrote the book as a comedic novel because there is nothing that makes even the heaviest subjects more accessible than humour.’⠀
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It was a nice change of pace for me and the usual books i tend to gravitate towards. It surprised me many times over!⠀
This in my opinion may be one of the best books of 2020. Its pub date is 7/7/20 and one to add to your tbr pile for sure! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

One Year of Ugly is a remarkable and entertaining debut novel by Caroline Mackenzie. It is an intriguing, fast-paced read that I did not want to put down. It is funny, sarcastic, and full of heart, culture, drama, and passion. There are so many laugh out loud moments and lines, and at the same time Mackenzie is able to tackle the serious topic of Venezuelan immigrants and Trinidadian society without the story feeling too bogged down and heavy.

One Year of Ugly is told in first person narrative. Yola is a 24 year old writer and member of the Palacio family. The Palacio family are illegal immigrants who flee from Venezuela to Port of Spain, Trinidad. When the story begins, Yola's Aunt Celia has died and a local crime lord/mafioso type guy named Ugly arrives on the scene and blackmails the family into repaying the huge debt left by this beloved family member. The story covers one year in the life of this family as they attempt to settle the debt. Mackenzie weaves in an incredible cast of characters, including the late Aunt Celia who we meet through the stories in her manuscript she left to Yola, crazy Aunt Milagros, and a group of quirky immigrants that come to stay with the Palacios.

The writing is so good! Mackenzie has a way with words that made me feel as if I was right there in the Palacio home, in the countryside with Yola and Roman, at the Pink Pie, or roaming around in the night with Aunt Milagros. (Caution to readers sensitive to foul language) I loved the chapter titles! So many good ones- Unavoidable Cliches, Where's the Gewurztraminer?, and Biting into the Sugarcane, to name a few.

The author's note at the end of the book is so well done. MacKenzie explains why she used humor in a story that is ultimately about the struggles and ordeals that immigrants face. Her hope for the reader is that "you'll come away from it with a renewed thirst for life, knowing that no matter what form of ugly crosses your path, there's always a way to laugh through it." Indeed, this is a message that is so relevant to today.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and Net Galley for providing me with a free digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. I highly recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.

I never received the book in my Kindle. Please send it so I can read and review it. I have my email address in my profile, so I don't know why I never received the book in my Kindle.

This book was one heck of a rollercoaster ride. The beginning was a little slow, but after I got past it I couldn't put it down. I am so thankful that Mackenzie wrote this - she truly illustrates some of the challenges and desperation of illegal immigrants and asylum seekers throughout the plot. Doing that through humor and fiction is a unique path to take, and I commend her for doing so. I do wish that there had been a bit more time taken to discuss more of the struggles and issues in Venezuela, but overall I found that I enjoyed this book.

This book provides an insight look into a world wide refugee crisis. Caroline Mackenzie is able to put a humorous take on a serious problem which adds laugh out loud moments with over all arching themes of family values, sticking together, and uniting as one during difficult times.

After the death of Aunt Celia, a man named "Ugly" comes to tell them about Celia's large 600,000 debt owed to him for assisting the family in relocating illegally. When they realize they can't go to the police to seek help, they realize they must do whatever it takes to work off the debt. Ugly is a violent man and places a "handler" with them, named Roman. They are forced to completed unpaid jobs and assist other illegal family as they enter the country.

There are different story lines developing throughout the novel, and I felt that Caroline did a great job of wrapping everything up in a nice bow to end the story. If you're looking for a quick, fun read with underscores of more serious issues, this is the book for you! Thank you for an ARC!!!

Yola Palacio and her family flee to Trinidad but are there illegally where they get into some trouble with the local criminals. A man named Ugly turns up one day and says they owe him a lot of money and must somehow work to pay it off.

Additionally, he brings in Roman - his right hand man to oversee the Palacios' debt repayment. Yola is attracted to Roman - who wouldn't be, he's incredibly intelligent and very good looking but she doesn't know if she can trust her feelings.

I was very hopeful for this book but something about it just wasn't clicking for me from the start. I often enjoy stories that are set off in far away places because it feels like an adventure to immerse myself in them but I found the plot lines and the constant swearing in the book to be off-putting and I couldn't really get into it.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster via NetGalley for providing me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Colorful and quirky, "One Year of the Ugly" is a brilliant portrayal of a family's illegal migration from Venezuela to Trinidad. Mckenzie's writing is completely unique in using humor to highlight serious underlying social issues.

Reasons Why I'm Obsessed With This Book:
- I have absolutely nothing in common with Yola Palacio besides being twenty-four and a migrant, but I was able to relate to her like she was my sister.
- I don't know anything about the Venezuelan or Trinidadian, but this book is an interesting introduction to both.
- The story gripped me from the beginning and wouldn't let go; it's funny, romantic, witty and very unique.
- It skillfully deals with a number of important issues: refugee crisis, poverty, loansharking and sex work.
- The multicultural romance storyline is realistic and particularly well written.
- I can't stop telling people about it.

"One Year of the Ugly" is one of my favorite reads this year. I'm just so happy this book exists.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lovely read charming a book that drew me in and kept me turning the pages.A book I will be recommending a wonderful read.#netgalley#simonandschuster

This was a very charming, witty, and well written book, but for some reason I just couldn’t get into the story. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for this and will try it again later. I still would recommend it for fans of this genre.

This review is of what may be a pre-final-edited-version of this book provided to me via Net Galley.
One Year of Ugly takes readers on a riotous ride of family and romantic drama. Twenty-four-year-old Yola Palacio and her family are middle-class Venezuelans living illegally in Trinidad and thrown into a situation involving a criminal who calls himself Ugly. Ugly takes advantage of the Palacio's precarious position as illegals and blackmails them into supporting his criminal activities. In the story that unfolds, Yola struggles with a forbidden love interest and discovers that there is more to the people in her family, and more to life in general than she thought. Her family grows closer, mature, and emerge at the other end of this personal crisis scarred, transformed, but somewhat in tact.
Although the book portrays the family's plight in a humorous tone and some of the events which take place may seem implausible, MacKenzie treats the idea of displacement and the trauma involved in living in constant uncertainty very thoroughly. She does not spare her characters from physical, mental, or emotional harm. Instead, she takes them on a journey with increasingly tougher challenges to overcome until they get to a point where they lose almost everything they cherish.
In One Year of Ugly, we meet a wide swath of Venezuelan characters who serve to humanize the many reasons people may choose to risk their lives by leaving their homes. I do not know enough about the Venezuelan community in Trinidad and Tobago and so I cannot comment on the the accuracy of their portrayal, however, Yola discusses all the groups she encounters, Venezuelan, Trinidadian, and sub-cultures of these nationalities with an equal sprinkling of stereotyping, and perhaps it is understandable given Yola's position in the country, that she would see Trinidadians (like the author) in a homogeneously negative light.
The treatment of the sex workers - yes, there are sex workers in the story - seemed naive. Yola's final assessment of their situation seemed to ignore a number of important truths about that industry and readers may struggle to see this as Yola's point-of-view and not the author's.
When the situation comes to a nail-biting head, the description of the action is precise, The improbabilities of the plot increase, but MacKenzie avoids a neatly-wrapped up ending. She leaves the reader with a lot to think about and speculate about where the family will find themselves next.
I enjoyed the time I spent with the Palacios and would definitely read more about Yola if she showed up in a sequel.

Its was fun reading “One year of Ugly”. Its a fresh take one family drama. You might have read many dysfunctional family stories, but this is truly unique. I loved everything about the Palacios.. and who names a local thug “Ugly”, the author pulled off wonderfully with this one. Read it to know why this book is named after a thug!! Its light, funny and witty throughout..
Thank you NetGalley, the author and the publisher for reader’s copy of this book. This review is my own and is not influenced in any way!

This book was so good! The characters were so well rounded, you felt like you actually knew them! The plot was so good you didn't want the book to end!