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.

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!