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Ugliest

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

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 girls' dorm.

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.

Ugliest is the inspiring third book in The Art of Being Ugly contemporary YA series. If you like protagonists who grow, making a positive impact, and standing up for the underdog, then you'll love Kelly Vincent's soul-stirring tale.

Buy Ugliest to find a voice today!

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  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      August 19, 2024
      Vincent's heartening third in the Art of Being Ugly series (after Uglier) follows 17-year-old Nic Summers into their second semester at Oklahoma Academy for Mathematics and Science (OAMS), finding their way as an gender-nonconforming teen in an environment that demands conformity. Nic and their friend Mack, who is trans, begin their semester on a high note with their own dorm rooms on a neutral floor. As Nic focuses on their new art mentorship and difficult classes, they and their friends decide to make a TikTok account to talk about banned books, but this quickly turns into a cathartic platform to discuss anti-LGBTQ legislation and their own struggles. But Nic’s freedom of expression soon angers the school’s Board of Trustees who fires back.
      As teens not yet able to vote, and with little control over their own lives, Nic’s point of view demonstrates how scary existence can be as a gender-nonconforming youth, especially when adults with agendas demand to make life decisions for them. Soon Nic and Mack are forced to give up the private rooms where they felt safe, and to share a room on the girls’ floor, and Vincent does a phenomenal job making the readers feel their despair and fear—Nic and Mack seem targeted out of hatred for who they were.
      As Nic and company face mounting hurdles to being who they are,they begin to share their own stories, anger, and fears in TikTok videos. Vincent writes each with raw, relatable feeling and hard-won insight that will stir deep empathy from readers, sometimes creating a sense of helplessness. That makes it all the more powerful and rousing when Nic—who is shy and avoids conflict—and their friends begin to publicly stand up for themselves in the hopes of helping others too. Readers will be left feeling hopeful and empowered to speak up for others after experiencing firsthand the challenges facing an LGBTQ teen.
      Takeaway: Empowering journey of LGBTQ teens standing up against adult judgment.
      Comparable Titles: Lisa Williamson’s The Art of Being Normal, Jeff Garvin’s Symptoms of Being Human.
      Production grades
      Cover: A-
      Design and typography: A
      Illustrations: N/A
      Editing: A
      Marketing copy: A-

Formats

  • Kindle Book
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Languages

  • English

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