Friday, December 12, 2014

BOOK REVIEW: Every Ugly Word

This is a book review for Every Ugly Word by Aimee L Salter. Seventeen year old Ashley Watson endures bullying and taunts from classmates every day. She also can't seem to make her best friend Matt fall in love with her. But Ashley also has a secret: when she looks in the mirror she can see her twenty-three-year-old self. Her older self has already been through all the bullying and the taunts and the heartache. But there is one thing her older self is keeping from her: something terrible is about to happen to Ashley. Something that will change her life forever.

The book starts with Ashley meeting with a therapist. She begins telling the story of everything that leads up to the "incident." The book alternates between the past and present. This is a powerful narration about the effects of bullying. I think a lot of people were bullied as children. I was. I wasn't bullied quite to the extent that Ashley was, but the author did an amazing job of portraying Ashley's fear and hopelessness. There were a lot of different narratives going on between the time jump from past to present and also the conversations between Ashley's older self and her younger one. But it never got confusing. It was enthralling. And I read the entire book in one day so that should say something.

Amy's relationship with her mother was infuriating. Every time her mother insulted her, I sympathized with Ashley and I felt her anger. What did bug me was Ashley's idolization of Matt. He started going out with one of the girls who hated Ashley and she didn't stand up for herself at all. It was hard to understand some of Ashley's decisions. It was frustrating when Matt tried to get Ashley to hang out with her bullies so they could become friends, but it was equally frustrating that Ashley didn't tell Matt everything they were putting her through. The therapy session was interesting because we got to see the doctor question Ashley on some of her decisions and feelings throughout this ordeal. The main issue I did have with the book was the ending, with the final scene in the office. It started out disheartening. The point of the whole story was for Ashley to see what was real and what wasn't and to glimpse at her trauma and see how it influenced Older Ashley and her reality. But the scene just turned chaotic and confusing. It also bordered more on fantasy than reality.

I did find the overall conclusion to the book very uplifting and hopeful. This was a powerful look at a very real and important issue. I give this book a 4/5.

18 comments :

  1. I'll have to ask my students if they've read this. Sounds like something we could share.

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    1. Oh yes kwizgiver. I think students could really benefit from reading this.

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  2. I tend to have an adverse reaction with books of this theme. I get frustrated and annoyed, and most of the time, I find myself shaming - even blaming the victim. I'm the worst of the worst, I know. I just want them to stand up and fight for themselves. But I guess, that's not how it works in the real world. Otherwise, bullying will not be such a prevalent problem, isn't it?

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    1. Joyous Reads, I understand completely how you feel. There were a few times I was frustrated that Ashley wasn't at the very least more honest with peers and teachers about how bad the bullying was. I wish it were as simple as the student standing up for themselves.

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  3. This is sounds like something that a wide circulation.
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  4. This sounds interesting and I love the premise. Now I want to know what happened!

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    1. Yes it is a great read kimbacaffeinate. You should read it!

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  5. Hm, this one sounds pretty interesting. The ending does kind of worry me though, especially with the mental health themes, I don't like when mental health issues end up being portrayed in an unrealistic way. But it does sound pretty good overall, so I would likely give it a chance! Great review :)

    Shannon @ It Starts At Midnight

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    1. I would really recommend it. Even with the ending, I still really enjoyed it.

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  6. OMG I LOVE THIS BOOK TOO. I love how it's about bullying. I was briefly bullied in 5th grade, so it made me understand more of the novel. This book is amazing! :))))

    Jillian @ Jillian's Books

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    1. Jillian, so glad you loved it too! I was bullied a bit as well so that's why it hit home for me a bit. It is wonderful!

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  7. I've heard a lot of good things about this book and I really need to check it out! I'm very interested in this ending, more fantasy than reality? Very intriguing.

    Glad you enjoyed this one! =)

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    1. Nobody, yes please give it a chance! I enjoyed it even with the ending. :)

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  8. Hmm, this is not the kind of book I would enjoy reading. Stories with bullying and that of a family relationship are not what I search for in my reads, but it's good to step out of our comfort zone from time to time. Great review! :)

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    1. Yeah, some people don't enjoy this type of book. To each their own, I guess. :)

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  9. This sounds like a really powerful book. And I just went on Goodreads to read about it and saw that the author herself was bullied as a teen, so it just makes it that much more powerful. I'll definitely be reading this one!

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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    1. Yes Nicole you are so right about it being more powerful because of the author's experiences. I was bullied in high school as well (though not to the extent shown in this book) and I could really relate. I hope you enjoy it!

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