Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

A funny, entertaining book. It deals with all sorts of emotions.
Thank you to both the publishers and NetGalley for gifting me the book

This is one of those books that I would pick up, read a few pages, and put back down again.

The story was well writing, and I did enjoy the writing style, however, the story and characters were unfortunately not to my taste. I found the characters to be unlikeable, and couldn't form a bond with them.

As I did enjoy the writing style, and I was curious to see how the book ended, I did persevere.

This was a dnf and I don't think the last 27% I had left would have changed how I felt about it. The main character is insufferable and we're forced to be in her head because this is told in first person. The character refers to immigrants as 'illegals' and there are vaguely racist descriptions of Trinidadians. I'm inclined to think neither the character nor the author cares and so neither will I care to finish

From the incredibly tense first chapter that set up the location and family dynamic quickly and very effectively, this book constantly surprised me and kept me hooked to the end. The nonchalant opening page was reminiscent of "Dial A for Aunties", but it quickly takes a much darker turn that feels very real with its realistic depiction of what it must be like to be an illegal immigrant and refugee, a sadly commonplace story across the world that is hard to comprehend. Yola is a fantastic main character, as her feisty fun and saucy characterisation leaps off the page with the beautiful turns of phrase. So much stood out for me, especially the visceral depictions of lust, incredibly funny laugh-out-loud moments and warmth of the family dynamics, which all built to create so much sympathy for the undocumented characters and the uncertainty of their daily lives. A brilliant read that deserves to be far more publicised than it has been.
Trigger warnings for animal cruelty and death, and violence.

Wow, what a story. Wordy, raw, harsh, shocking, entangled with family ties, some funny bits, and stories of love.

One year of ugly looks at the life of the Palacio family as they become enslaved to their aunt Celia’s debtor, Ugly, as a result of escaping Venezuela as illegal immigrants to the safety, or so they thought, of Trinidad.

So much goes on, from family member roles, relationships, jobs, studies, to safe housing other illegal immigrants as a result of their aunt’s debt owed. A child born out of wedlock becoming pregnant by one of the men they safe-house, to another family member falling in love her. The main character, Yola, falling in love with Ugly’s right-hand-man who watches over the family as an informant, the family forced to work for free in a strip club, to escaping and going in to hiding, again.

A complete whirlwind.

What a fantastic rollercoaster of a story - funny, sad, dramatic, romantic...

Following the Palacio family how are from Venezuela and living illegally in Trinidad.
Due to circumstances beyond their control the family finds themselves working for gangsters.

The characters are so real and the story pulls the reader along - its impossible not to root for their success and happiness!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in return for the honest review.

DNF from me at 30%, uncomfortable themes of misogyny & stereotypes...

Disclaimer: A huge thanks to Borough Press for sending me this title. All opinions are my own.

This book is very funny and also witty.
I loved the characters in this book and the writing was so good.
This is a book that I would recommend. It’s a funny tale with serious issues at its core

Ohh I loved this book! It was so much fun, it was wonderfully written, a fantastic story which created a perfect scene In my mind! Would definitely recommend!

The funniest book of 2020? No, it’s not!

I got about halfway through this book and decided that I had better things to with my life.

The novel gets its title from Ugly – a trafficker who brings Venezuelans desperate for a better life into Trinidad. It’s not or should not be a funny subject – especially when they are forced to pay back exorbitant fees – sometimes taking years to repay.

I think that unless you’ve walked in someone’s shoes, maybe you shouldn’t tackle their incredibly difficult problems of trying to flee a country to find a better life, Caroline Mackenzie.

Rony

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review.

I'm not sure why but I was expecting this to be a very serious book but it was actually hilarious, I loved the writing style and the dry, witty humour of the main character.

I had this book on my Netgalley shelf for quite so,e time and finally got round it reading it thanks to lockdown.. it was such an unexpectedly good read, I wasn’t sure what to expect, I think the cover didn’t really “grab” me hence the reason why it took me a while to read it, but this book is fab it deals with so many life events, I really recommend you read it.

I started this book one afternoon thinking I’d just read a couple chapters, and that I’d be able to spread it out over a couple of days. But after the opening sequence, I was hooked — and so I ended up reading the entire thing in one sitting.

It follows the Palacio’s, a Venezuelan family living illegally in Trinidad. They end up getting dragged into a local crime ring after the death of Aunt Celia — and now Ugly is determined that the entire family do his bidding until Celia’s debt is settled.

Throw in a forbidden romance, suspense, drama, secrets and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments — not to mention a very big twist — it’s a book that I adored right from the very start. 

It deals with some difficult topics and very real situations in a sensitive way, while still maintaining its humour and heart.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

Great story. Couldn’t put the book down. However I was really disappointed at the end, not knowing what happened to all the characters. A crescendo story line that was left unfinished. Hopefully there will be a sequel

A dark comedy about immigration issues for the Palacio family after they settle into their new lives in Trinidad.

They become embroiled in the criminal underworld of feared gangster Ugly following the poor actions of the dead aunt. They have to live a year under Ugly’s rules and follow everything he tells them to do, sometimes endangering their lives.

Absolutely amazing - my favourite read of the year - completely blew me away. It was hilariously dark and had me cackling away into the night as my eyes refused to unglue itself from the sensational characters and compelling story. The strong language, violence and sexual content may not be everyone's tipple, but the political commentary is so sharp is grazes the tip of your nose.

An entertaining novel that kept its humor throughout a well written plot of twists and turns. There is a good sense of family and connection between them within the Palacios, a Venezuelan family illegally living in Trinidad and Tobago. There are some flaws-the hyper sexualization of the Venezuelans was sometimes too strong and I'm not sure we ever met a Black Trinidadian- but I was looking for something light hearted and this fit the bill.

One of the first books I requested and had approved on Netgalley this year was One Year Of Ugly. I wasn’t sure what to expect of it so, distracted by other books, I left it to sit on my Netgalley shelf to gather dust.

What. A. Mistake.

Before I go on, let me briefly outline the story. Having fled political upheaval and conflict in Venezuela, the Palacios family reside as undocumented immigrants in nearby Trinidad. In the aftermath of the death of Aunt Celia, thug and criminal Ugly turns up at the Palacios household to demand his due for Celia’s debts. Written through the eyes of Yola Palacios’, a year of paying off the debt manifests in many ways including hosting Venezuelan immigrants and working at a strip club, in the midst of which a dark and dangerous forbidden romance ensues between Yola and Ugly’s irresistibly gorgeous right-hand man, Roman.

My apprehension at reading One Year Of Ugly immediately dissipated upon the first few pages when Yola’s wry humour shines through. Immediately enthralled by the narrative, I found myself becoming immersed in the dysfunction of Celia’s family dynamics and the warmth of the closeness between the Palacios.

The underlying issues of escaping political upheaval, trying to live the quiet life as illegal immigrants under the radar of the authorities while doing Ugly’s bidding is far from trivialised by the hilarity. This unfamiliar subject matter is brought a wider audience by Caroline Mackenzie’s ability to engross readers with Yola’s directness and the natural character development. A notable character in One Year Of Ugly is Aunt Milagros who, initially regarded as uptight, comes into her own as a badass. It was insightful to read the depths of racism and colourism that exists within the Trinidadian culture as well as the attitudes towards Venezuelan immigrants.

The romance between Yola and Roman is steamy yet thankfully based on substance. My only contention was the depiction of the strip club the Palacios are forced to work at and opens up a greater discussion around the morals of choosing to work in the stripper and sex industry. I was appalled that the way to drum up business was forcing strippers pay a steep commission for their work reminding me of the gig economy we’re in and the similarity of such nefarious business practices to companies like Uber where they classify their drivers as ‘self-employed’ rather than employees.

Thankfully, the strip club doesn’t last long and the Palacios are able to find a way out of their predicament eventually resulting in a fairly obvious but not completely confirmed ending for Yola.

One Year Of Ugly is a wickedly hilarious debut from born and raised Trinidadian, Caroline Mackenzie, that’ll have you hooked and giggling on one page, apprehensive for the fate of the Palacios family on another and rooting for Yola and Roman on the third page. The versatility of this brilliantly written novel means you’re in for a fantastically fun time.