The Ugly Princess
Summary:
What would you give up to be beautiful? I don’t mean attractive, or pretty or any other term you could conjure up to describe that thing most women seek to be or most men seek to be with. I mean staggeringly beautiful, men falling at your feet with hopeless adoration as they gaze upon you dumbfounded. That beautiful. I could become that beautiful if I chose, but only with a steep price. Would you pay the price? Does that call to your heart?
It doesn’t call to mine. Yes, when I look at the girl in the mirror, I see a young woman of average height and slight build. I see her lovely emerald green eyes and I see her coarse, orange hair poking out in all directions like some unnatural haystack. I see the forty-seven warts that line her face, which accompany one large lump and two small boils. You’d probably think that I would be more than eager to trade for the great gift of beauty because I know some, if not all of you, would call me hideous. But I don’t think of myself as ugly.
I think of myself as powerful, strong and fierce – for I have magical powers – powers that amaze and terrify me at times. And today is the most important day of my life, because today my mother will say the words over me and seal my fate. For I, Olive, am the last of the Winnowwood and this is my story. (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)
Review:
This book is a nice new premise and has intriguing opportunities between the dynamics of the characters. There is a good message in here about true beauty, but it’s a little missed because there’s a lot of judgement from Olive towards her mother and sister. So much so, that the book started to lose its luster for a “stand up for what is right” and became a bit more of a “I will be a martyr no matter what”. Additionally, the book felt a little shallow and like the plot movement was too fast. I’d recommend this for more middle grade readers than YA fans.
There were quite a few grammatical mistakes throughout the book and the beginning and end both need another passthrough edit in particular. I am WELL aware grammar is not a strength of my own, which is why editors are wonderful.
Rating: 3 stars!
Who should read it? Pre-teen kids and their parents.