Back of Book: 

An honest and heartfelt YA novel about a gender nonconforming teen

She’s struggling to know her authentic self. When a teenager loses her best friend, can she muster the strength to forge a different path? Small-town Oklahoma. Nic Summers feels deflated. Overweight and cruelly labeled as an “ugly lesbian” despite liking boys, the fifteen-year-old artist is devastated when her best and only friend announces their family is relocating to Scotland. And after a well-intentioned makeover freaks her out, the desperate introvert tumbles down an internet rabbit hole questioning her gender identity.

Trying but failing to make new friends before she’s left all alone, Nic is plagued by self-doubt. And when her soul-searching leads her to stumble on the label “gender-nonconforming,” she fears sharing that revelation might only make things worse.

As she battles uncertainty and cruel judgment, can Nic learn to feel comfortable in her own skin?

In a sensitive exploration of real teen struggles, author Kelly Vincent deftly weaves a compelling story of individual identity and social expectations. Navigating anxiety, confusion, and loneliness, Vincent crafts an authentic journey through one of life’s most difficult Figuring out and accepting who you truly are.

Ugly is a heartfelt contemporary YA novel. If you like rooting for the underdog, true friendship, and relatable LGBTQ+ characters, then you’ll love this empathetic coming-of-age tale.

Book Number: One 

Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary | LGBTQIA+ 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

A raw narrative showing the often brutal nature of high school and one girl's journey to self discovery. 

Nic has always been a bit of a loner. Luckily, she has her extremely loyal friend Sam at her side. That is, until Nic learns that Sam is moving to Scotland. Now, Nic is forced to grapple with the difficulties of high school on her own. Constantly bullied and feeling more alone then ever, Nic begins to question her sexuality and her place in the world. 

"Ugly" is a book that can be a tad difficult to stomach at times, but it does a great job of showcasing just how mean some people are and the terrible things that our fellow humans sometimes have to live through. Nic is relentlessly bullied throughout the entire book and is often misidentified as a male. Characters such as Logan, Carlos, and Kyle can be truly awful, but Vincent does a great job of representing bullies authentically. 

This book really does cover a bunch of really sensitive topics, but their handled in a mature way. From sexual assault, bullying, gender identity, teenage sex, financial struggles, depression and much more, this book truly does cover a lot of ground. I never found it too overwhelming, but some of these topics can be hard to chew. Nic herself can be a tad pessimistic at times, so it isn't the most uplifting story, but I really enjoyed watching Nic learn to cope with many of her struggles and begin to stand up to her demons in the end. 

My favorite part about this novel has to be its exploration of sexual identity and different parts of the LGBTQIA+ community. Nic has never felt feminine and people have called her a lesbian for as long as she can remember. The discussions surrounding her self-discovery are very solid, and I always appreciate seeing things like this in literature, especially in things written for teens. 

One thing that did bother me however is the transitions. Pretty much every break in the story resumed with saying "On x day, Nic did this." I found this to be a tad tedious, but it didn't take away from the story too much. The fact that I consciously noticed this does show that it bothered me though. 

Overall, I enjoyed my time with Nic as I made my way through "Ugly." It is a realistic story that showcases high school at its best and worst. I appreciated Nic as a character and thought that many of the themes explored are interesting. I'm intrigued to see what will happen in the next two volumes of the series; the only thing I can truly guess at this point is that they will take her all the way through high school. 

Back of Book: 

A new school. An opportunity to fuel her passion. A mean girl waiting in the wings to burn it all down.

Oklahoma City. Nic Summers is ready for a fresh start. Entering her first semester at a boarding school far from her narrow-minded hometown, the talented teen artist hopes to continue exploring her gender identity in a safer environment. And after meeting a boy she likes, connecting with another student, and discovering a supportive teacher, she’s relieved things are looking up... until once again she faces a cruel bully.

Trying to stay positive, the shy artist focuses on nurturing her fledgling friendships and honing her skills under the guidance of a kind mentor. But after Nic’s crush is vengefully outed as trans, she blurts out something awful and fears she’s ruined everything.

Can she mend shattered trusts and reclaim her authentic self?

Written with heartfelt empathy, author Kelly Vincent gives voice to modern youth as they face challenging social issues. With sensitivity and insight, Vincent puts the reader in the shoes of young people desperate to thrive and find their place in this universe.

Book Number: Two

Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary | LGBTQIA+ 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Nic works to come into their newfound identity in a new setting away from home in this follow up to Vincent's "Ugly." 

Nic is finally getting out of their toxic hometown to attend the boarding school of their dreams. Yes, it may be based around STEM, not art, but at least they can finally escape the bullies that plagued their life. Upon arriving in Oklahoma City, Nic meets several allies almost immediately: their spunky art teacher, a poetic girl who loves to read, and an attractive boy that they can't help but crush on. Unfortunately, with all the good comes newfound bullies, too. But no matter, the new and improved Nic is here to conquer and they are ready to find a place where they truly belong. 

I must say, I enjoyed this one more than the first one. I feel that there is more at stake, the characters are more interesting, the art aspects are explored in more detail, and there is an even more diverse discussion of LGBTQIA+ themes. They are more things that worked really well in this book and it is a tad less repetitive than the first. 

One of my favorite things about this book has to be the friend group that Nic surrounds themself with. Jenna, Jacob, and Mack are all nerds and it is fun to see Nic find their type of people. I am totally a part of the nerd club, so it was very fun to follow these four on all their ups and downs. The fact that they are all different parts of the LGBTQIA+ community is also really fun to see and leads to great learning experiences for the reader. However, I will not discuss this in more detail, because it reveals much of the plot. I must say, this book is packed with even more info on the LGBTQIA+ community than "Ugly" and would be a great resource for questioning teens. 

This book had a book club element, which made me very nostalgic for the book club that I did with my friends this year prior. I really miss reading with people and I might need to start group readalongs up again. I love the friends discussions on certain books, though they could be a bit spoilery at times. I'm pretty good at zoning this kind of thing out, so I was mostly unfazed by this. I love how Vincent advertises diverse reads and how the characters (especially Jenna) stand up against reading "the norm" and gives diverse fiction the attention that it deserves. 

I feel that Nic's self-discovery journey is really pushed to the max in this one. Between obtaining their first boyfriend, officially coming out as nonbinary, and embracing their identity, they really come a long way as a character. They still have many hurdles to tackle, but I am very proud of them in the long run. 

The thing that really jarred me with this one was the time jumps. All of a sudden, it would be a month later and the only distinction of this was the break in the page. I really wish that this series would have been written as diary entries. I feel it would have really elevated the series and would have kept me from being confused how much time had past between the days that start out each section break. This is a minor thing, but I think it would have made my reading experience quite a bit more enjoyable. 

Overall, I enjoyed reading "Uglier." I like the new additions to the cast, the exploration of more LGBTQIA+ themes, and the complicated road to self-discovery that this book presents. I'm excited to read the next one and see where Nic's journey takes them next! 

Back of Book: 

Life, academics, and activism. Facing hate and bigotry, can this agender teen make a difference in LGBTQ+ rights?

Oklahoma City. Nic Summers is equal parts excited and nervous. Determined to excel, the seventeen-year-old strives to find time to survive physics, build confidence, and enter a competitive art mentorship. But the principled teen’s stress skyrockets when a protest video results in them and a trans friend being forced by the school to move to the female dorms.

Burning with a strong sense of justice, the normally shy teenager summons the courage to speak out against damaging state legislation. But when the vision goes viral, they’re shocked when the authorities hand down an ultimatum: stop or be expelled. Can Nic dig deep and prevail against institutional bullies ready to erase their identity?

Sharing the plight of those too often silenced, author Kelly Vincent opens the door to understanding and empathy. Through the eyes of a big-hearted main character, Vincent leads the way toward accepting and appreciating each other’s differences.

Book Number: Three 

Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary | LGBTQIA+ 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

A nuanced look into the lives of teenagers who are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community featuring BookTok, political action, and the courage to stand up for what one believes in.

Nic returns to their second semester of boarding school with a skip in their step. They have an amazing group of friends, an exclusive art mentorship, and faith in the fact that they can truly succeed at life. I mean, people here seem to accept their identity and things are really starting to look up. But then suddenly, their life is turned upside down. A complaint from a parent at the boarding school insists that Nic and their trans friend, Mack, shouldn't be recognized as the genders they are. This causes them to be forced to live together despite all their past history. The usually shy teens are fed up with this unconstitutional treatment and decide to speak out against the way that members of the LGBTQIA+ community are being treated, no matter the consequences.

"Ugliest" is a bit more heated than the prior installments in the series and it also features way more politics. I usually don't love reading things that are politically heated or filled with such hatred, but these topics that this book tackles are just so important. This novel takes a deep dive into a bunch of the anti-trans legislation and other such movements such as the "Don't Say Gay" laws. These laws are truly appalling, but I fear that many people have never heard about some of them. Reading "Ugliest" is a great way to introduce teens to some of these things in a friendly environment that leaves room for open discussion. The things that Nic and their friends get forced through are truly sickening and so important for readers to witness because there are people like them going through these things all over the world on a daily basis.

An aspect of this book that I wasn't expecting was for Nic's book club to turn into a BookTok thing. I think it is cool that they wanted to share their opinions on books featuring diverse characters. I recently read "Gender Queer" by Maia Kobabe, so it was really exciting to see this book brought up in the first dozen pages of "Ugliest." It is such a good guiding light for people who have ever questioned their sexual/gender identity, and I'm glad that Vincent brought this up as a resource. I really know very little about BookTok, but I thought it is a neat tie in for the modern reader. Yes, it may date this book more than it already is, but "The Art of Being Ugly" series really does take place in the early 2020s and I think it is one of those series that will need to be viewed through the time lens that it was written during.

I am really proud to see how much Nic has evolved throughout the series. They have way more confidence, are way less shy, and have really embraced their art and their identity. I really couldn't be more proud of them. I hope that this book finds its way into the right hands and inspires many people like them to take action or feel seen in a positive light, despite all the negative things that Nic goes through. I really appreciate Vincent sharing so much of her personal life experiences with the world; vulnerability is never easy, but is greatly appreciated by many.

Overall, "Ugliest" is brimming with insight on the LGBTQIA+ community and showcases important politics that are affecting Americans today. It is a bit of a loaded read, but it has many important messages concealed within its pages. I would love to see more of Nic's journey and would be delighted if Vincent decided to write more books in "The Art of Being Ugly" series.