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rereader33's review against another edition
5.0
Well, I have some very...conflicting emotions about this novel. I want to make it clear that despite my gripes, this was a great story, easily the most disturbing book in the Dark Fusion trilogy, and I sincerely doubt I will be able to get it out of my head anytime soon. And when I mean disturbing, I mean I originally thought this series should be aimed at a middle grade demographic and this book changed my mind on that. The imagery, the trajectory of the story, the final twist, the ending, holy shit all of it was so damn DARK.
One thing I was worried about going into this trilogy was how these stories were going to connect, considering they all featured different people. Now that I've had time to think about it, I think that what connects this trilogy is the idea of karma and/or taking responsibility for your actions. The protagonists in all 3 books do horrific things and the stories all end with them having to take responsibility for their actions in painful or horrible ways. I won't say how because it would spoil the phenomenal endings for all 3 books, but karma didn't bitch slap these kids, she hit them with a FUCKING TRUCK.
That being said, I don't have a lot to say with Duckling Ugly because I'm worried I'll spoil too much of it, so here's how I feel. I think Cara was the perfect protagonist for this particular story, and her transformation throughout the novel was well thought out and executed splendidly. I felt that the storytelling was a little disjointed and the story didn't flow as well as it could have, but the pacing was still spot-on so I can forgive that. I liked the inclusion of spells/spelling and thought that was a neat way to tie everything together, even if it's never really explained. I didn't think the bullying was too over the top, at least not for this kind of story, but I didn't feel like most of the characters outside of Cara and maybe Miss Leticia had any depth. Maybe that was intended, I'm not sure, but it did bother me a bit.
Overall, this was a great ending to a good series. I wouldn't say that this is my favorite series Shusterman has done and I can tell this is one of his earlier works, but it was still entertaining and a quick read. I do recommend this series, just make sure you're prepared for some disturbing shit.
One thing I was worried about going into this trilogy was how these stories were going to connect, considering they all featured different people. Now that I've had time to think about it, I think that what connects this trilogy is the idea of karma and/or taking responsibility for your actions. The protagonists in all 3 books do horrific things and the stories all end with them having to take responsibility for their actions in painful or horrible ways. I won't say how because it would spoil the phenomenal endings for all 3 books, but karma didn't bitch slap these kids, she hit them with a FUCKING TRUCK.
That being said, I don't have a lot to say with Duckling Ugly because I'm worried I'll spoil too much of it, so here's how I feel. I think Cara was the perfect protagonist for this particular story, and her transformation throughout the novel was well thought out and executed splendidly. I felt that the storytelling was a little disjointed and the story didn't flow as well as it could have, but the pacing was still spot-on so I can forgive that. I liked the inclusion of spells/spelling and thought that was a neat way to tie everything together, even if it's never really explained. I didn't think the bullying was too over the top, at least not for this kind of story, but I didn't feel like most of the characters outside of Cara and maybe Miss Leticia had any depth. Maybe that was intended, I'm not sure, but it did bother me a bit.
Overall, this was a great ending to a good series. I wouldn't say that this is my favorite series Shusterman has done and I can tell this is one of his earlier works, but it was still entertaining and a quick read. I do recommend this series, just make sure you're prepared for some disturbing shit.
aoosterwyk's review against another edition
3.0
Whew! What a morality tale. Who among us wouldn't give anything to change from being mirror breaking ugly to breathtakingly beautiful. But will it make you happy? Nothing in life is free and Cara is just not cut out for a happy ending.
scythefranz's review against another edition
4.0
"They say when you cry for the dead, you're really crying for yourself, and maybe partly I was."
It's difficult for me to review a book from my all-time favorite author that was Neal Shusterman since I'm worried it will came out biased or something. Or the worse is, I won't give enough justice to convince someone that this is a good book.
Anyway, it is my review so Imma do what I want. Hahaha.
Duckling Ugly is the last book in the Dark Fusion series of Shusterman. It's a no-brainer where this book has been based. It is a retelling of Ugly Duckling. Surprise! Ha! To be honest, I didn't remember now what's the story of Ugly Duckling so I can't assessed if this is a good retelling. All I know is I enjoyed reading Duckling Ugly not because it was written by Shusterman but because it was totally enjoyable and engaging, thanks to Shusterman. Lol.
Did you just say predictable? Oh yes, it was predictable. You and I know that when a character is ugly at first, you and I do assume he/she will be beautiful in the end. And that is correct in this book. 10 points for Gryffindor. Lol. But the journey to predictable-ness of this book is worth taking. Duckling Ugly is an enchanting coming-of-age tale of an ugly teenage girl and her life struggles as an ugly person.
A tale with a mystery of its own, magical and surreal events, intriguing characters and life realizations bound together with the great writing style of the author. It had a taste of revenge because that was a default in this kind of story and of course, the consequences after the revenge has been fulfilled. The important thing, however, is I learned. Along the way. And after reading the book. I savored what is there to savor and thought about things that needed to be thought about.
If the orange is the new black; in Duckling Ugly, beautiful is the new ugly.
shelbycolada's review against another edition
3.0
A super creative and interesting take on the Ugly Duckling!
thebooksupplier's review against another edition
At the (book) supplier: http://wp.me/p1D93k-1O
kvanderbeek21's review against another edition
5.0
I read this book in one sitting. I very much enjoy Shusterman's work and this was no exception. This one left me feeling queasy but captivatingly so.
iceangel9's review
4.0
The third installment in the Dark Fusion series. Cara is ugly, no I mean can't-can't-look-in-a-mirror-without-it-cracking ugly. She has been tortured by everyone at her school and others in the town of Flock's Rest. Then she receives a note telling her to seek her destiny elsewhere. After a particularly brutal prom date, Cara sets out to find her destiny. Shusterman takes several legends and fairy tales and combines them to create a truly creepy story. Another great installment in this series.
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