"Reclaiming UGLY: Uplift Glorify Love Yourself" by Vanessa Rochelle Lewis is a transformative book that delivers a powerful message of self-love, resilience, and empowerment. With an unmatched combination of personal anecdotes, theoretical insights, and practical exercises, Lewis invites readers on a journey to dismantle societal standards of beauty and reclaim the word "UGLY" as a positive affirmation of self-worth and individuality. This book is not only a call to action but also a comforting embrace, offering a radical perspective shift that encourages embracing one’s uniqueness with pride and joy.

Vanessa Rochelle Lewis's writing is both poignant and uplifting, weaving together her personal experiences with a broader analysis of how societal norms and media representations shape our perceptions of beauty and worth. Her voice is authentic and relatable, making complex ideas accessible and engaging. Lewis's courage in sharing her own journey towards self-love and acceptance inspires a sense of solidarity and hope, making "Reclaiming UGLY" a deeply personal and universally resonant read.

One of the book's most significant achievements is its ability to balance critique with positivity. Lewis does not shy away from addressing the harsh realities and the pain inflicted by beauty standards and discrimination. Yet, her focus on empowerment, healing, and joy provides a refreshing and necessary counter-narrative. The book is filled with exercises and practices that encourage self-reflection, self-celebration, and community building, making it a practical guide for anyone looking to deepen their relationship with themselves and others.

"Reclaiming UGLY" also stands out for its inclusive approach. Lewis acknowledges the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, body size, and ability, emphasizing that the journey towards self-love and the dismantling of beauty standards must be inclusive and intersectional. This inclusivity not only broadens the book’s appeal but also strengthens its impact, offering a message of hope and empowerment to a wide audience.

Moreover, the book fosters a sense of community and collective healing. Lewis's vision extends beyond individual self-acceptance to envision a world where all are free to define beauty for themselves, without fear of judgment or exclusion. Her call to "Uplift, Glorify, Love Yourself" is not just a personal mantra but a communal one, inviting readers to support one another in the journey towards a more inclusive and compassionate society.

In conclusion, "Reclaiming UGLY" by Vanessa Rochelle Lewis is a groundbreaking book that challenges, comforts, and inspires. Its blend of personal narrative, critical analysis, and practical advice makes it a must-read for anyone struggling with self-esteem issues, as well as for those interested in social justice and body positivity movements. Lewis's work is a beacon of hope, reminding us of the power of self-love and the importance of reclaiming our narratives. This book is not just about accepting oneself but about transforming the way we all think about beauty, worth, and love.

I wasn’t sure what this book would be but I do enjoy a self help book and learning. I’ve never thought of the word ugly as being an oppressive word or that it would hold someone back. After reading further I can see how like many other words it’s used to keep a person out of a group & put them down.
While I don’t think I am the target for this book, I did enjoy it and will look at my behavior and words I use to be sure I’m not putting myself or someone else down. We all need to lift each other up on all of our life journeys.

Thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I will have to wait to read this at my library and will be so excited. I did not see the archive date and missed downloading it. I am excited to read this and be empowered.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an ARC i missed because of the archive date (oops).

This was a fantastic book about reclaiming love for yourself in a motivational and powerful way. It’s hard not to leave this book and think about all the positive changes we could (realistically) make to our lives. It talks about how uglification works in Western society from social justice down to personal opinion. It was packed full with information that is accessible/easy to follow, with resources and further educational recommendations to apply to yourself once you’re done with the book to continue the journey.

I think the only criticism I have with it is that, at times, it felt like it rambled a bit and points were repeated a lot, but one way you could take that is how the repetition was reinforcing the point and emphasising their importance.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

I don't know, I kind of don't sit well with this book. It's not bad. Topics that are discussed are immensely important overall and for me in particular, as I would be the first one to call out problematic societal standards. But this is very far from a self-help book. The amount of personal stories in this book is definitely what I signed up for.

For a "self-help" book, I don't see or hear myself while reading this book. Self-assessment therapeutical questions, at the end of the chapters, are not doing much, those hardly correlate to the topic because "Me-me-me, and how do you feel? Oh, never mind, here is what I think" and were forgotten by the middle of the book. Call it for what it is - a personal story or essay.
I was so excited to start reading this book, but even then with so many points to relate with the author based on belonging to some marginalized groups, I never became engaged in any of the stories or any of the chapters.

Let's say this book wasn't my cup of tea, and call it a night.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Such a relatable, empowering, and good read! The perfect book that the world needs now when the world is riddled (and maybe even crippled) by the unattainable, unrealistic beauty standards, that keep being pushed and imposed by social media and the obligatory use of filters.

"Reclaiming UGLY!" is for anyone lacking confidence amidst increasingly unrealistic beauty standards.

I expected this book to be an important piece of feminist literature that puts forth an important message, encouraging readers to embrace "ugliness" as a powerful tool to fight against oppression. In reality, this is more of a "self-help" book to promote self-love and acceptance. Although both are equally important, self-help narratives are something I don't particularly enjoy and so it was a struggle to get through this.

Personal grievances with the genre aside, I appreciated the advocacy for inclusivity and think many people would enjoy this as an uplifting and empowering book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the much-appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

I was sent an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, so here we go.

As someone who has always been different for a number of reasons, from being a victim of playground and classroom bullying during my school years, to discovering I have epilepsy and coming out as LGBTQ+ in adulthood, I found this book to be a fantastic survival kit for turning the corner on healing from other traumas I've experienced throughout my lifetime. The author is very understanding and, whilst I'm not usually one to read self-help books, I actually enjoyed this and it was just the pick-me-up I needed.

Four stars.

Thank you NetGalley for the review copy!
Reclaiming UGLY! is a empowering and moving book. I highly recommend it!

I am not sure if I was the target audience for this book but I did quite enjoy it. It was one I dipped in and out of, not sat and read for long periods.

It touches on multiple important social justice topics and includes author anecdotes, uplifting self love activities and a cry for the reclamation of "ugly". At times it was very thought provoking.

this was not at all what i was expecting. it's not necessarily a self help book. it's more like a study of the uglification of marginalised groups. it's very political which i'm not a fan of in my reading. nevertheless, it was truly insightful and interesting, especially as a white woman that hasn't experienced a lot of things that were talked about in this book. a must - read!

Reading Reclaiming UGLY! was definitely not the experience I expected - in the best way! A powerful polemic, Vanessa Rochelle Lewis writes with passion and precision on broad issues of social justice. This is definitely not your run of the mill self-help book - it often felt more like a passionate thesis or (as another reviewer as written) an extended TED talk. Reclaiming UGLY! is a book about deconstructing "ugliness" across a broad variety of societal expectations and standards, and is wildly inclusive and built on radical self-love. For those willing to dig deep, I think it will be an uplifting and engaging book.

My one criticism would be regarding statements about rapists and the prison system. On the one hand, the author emphasises survivors of incest, molestation and rape aren't required to forgive their abusers, yet also states that prison isn't the place for rapists, but doesn't offer any clear alternative. I would like to have seen the author's ideas for a better solution on the page, since I can think of a number of options, including execution, chemical castration, all the way through to care in the community. Obviously this is quite a broad spectrum of potential opinion, so it makes it difficult for me to judge the author's potential solutions without seeing the substance of alternative solutions, and limits my ability to consider how I think of the book's argument without the full context available.

I am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of Reclaiming Ugly! in exchange for an honest review.

Vanessa Rochelle Lewis' book "Reclaiming UGLY!" provides remarkable insight into how perceptions of who's ugly and who isn't work to maintain structural oppression, ensuring the world continues to look the way it does. Backed up by personal anecdotes, historical facts and statistics I was blown away by this book. This is a worthy addition to works that seek to interrogate and confront beauty standards and perceptions surrounding ugliness and social worth.

Admit it. When you hear the title "Reclaiming UGLY," you cringe just a little bit.

You think to yourself "Why would I want to reclaim UGLY?"

In Vanessa Rochelle Lewis's "Reclaiming UGLY! Uplift, Glorify, and Love Yourself - and Create a World Where Others Can as Well," this reaction is really the point.

In what often reads like a passionate TED Talk of sorts, Lewis empowers readers to heal, connect, and revolt against what she calls uglification, a weaponization of ugly that oppresses and designates some bodies as more or less worthy of love, respect, access, and dignity. As someone who has the claim to fame of a published poem titled "The Ugliest Man You'll Ever Want to Fu**," I read "Reclaiming UGLY!" with a gleam in my eye and a giggle in my heart. While Lewis wears me out at times here, I was with her the entire way largely owing to her joyful and spirited "self-help magic" and her astute social analysis and personal experiences.

Far encouraging readers to simply embrace "ugly," Lewis empowers us to reclaim UGLY as a subversive act that roars an unapologetic "Yes!" to joy, healing, community-building, and success as we define it.

Lewis looks at the worlds of white supremacy, ableism, sizeism, sexism, and queer/transphobia and vulnerably explores what they mean, how they impact us, and how we, personally and universally, can do something about them.

While Lewis does analyze, "Reclaiming UGLY!" is a deeply felt book that encourages radical acts of rebellion, liberation, and self-love with very deliberate exercises, lessons, meditations, and collective unification to help us deconstruct societal and internalized messages about ugly.

As someone who's always been different for a myriad of reasons - significant abuse/trauma, multiple disabilities, double amputations, and soon an ostomy - I found "Reclaiming UGLY" a tremendous tool for the toolkit for turning the corner on healing from my upcoming bladder removal and new ostomy resulting from bladder cancer.

Lewis's writing here is warm, personal, spirited, understanding, and uncompromising as she guides us toward lives of radical self-acceptance, joyful community-centered healing, and remarkable, remarkable, remarkable self-love.

"Reclaiming UGLY!" was almost exactly the book I expected it to be and almost precisely the book I needed it to be.

I found this book incredibly empowering and thought-provoking. It dives deep into social analysis, tackling the issue of uglification. It gave me a lot to consider and contemplate. It's a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the current state of our society and how we can make a difference.

This book is kind of self-empowerment for people who has insecurity because of term "Ugly". In fact, there is a distinction between "feel ugly" and "got ugly label". And both of them is not always true.

At first, the author emphasize the difference between Uglify, Uglification and Uglied, to make people understand their circumstance, whether they "feel ugly" or just "got ugly label" by people who don't really know you.

Then, she shared her experience as "black people" who often got "uncomfortable" stereotypes, and how to survive in that condition. Also, there are self affirmations to help reader build their security.

Overall, this book will fit to people who have insecurity because they're not suit with "beauty standards". Although, there're few points might I a bit disagree. But, it's still good book.