Assessment:
Plot/Idea: Vincent creates a politically charged setting that represents a variety of communities that deserve to be heard. Vincent’s passion for these tough but current subjects radiates off the page through her characters and their call to action. While it is stacked with LGBTQIA+ challenges, each one is addressed in an appropriate manner.
Prose: Lots of conversation and interaction among the characters allows them to develop. With sufficient explanation Vincent helps the reader understand terms that belong to the LGBTQIA+ community. As tension rises throughout, thoughtful solutions are developed. Readers will have a deeper understanding of the issues the LGBTQIA+ face and hopefully lead to understanding and galvanization.
Originality: Addressing current issues is necessary to help those that have suffered or been victims of violence against the LGBTQIA+ community. The novel will surely create awareness among readers.
Character/Execution: Well-intentioned, relatable, and multilayered teen characters help drive the plot and embody the injustices they encounter both within their communities and far beyond.
Date Submitted: April 16, 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 were 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-
