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Kirkus Style Review

Nichols, Nikita Lynette. The Ugly Side of Me. 
Paperback 335 pages. Urban Books, LLC. 2015. 
ISBN 9781622868216.  $14.95.

 Rhapsody Blue knows she has a problem with falling for the wrong guys, but The Ugly Side of Me heroine does not let that stop her from falling for the much younger Malcolm Washington, making this the not-so-typical Urban Christian tale. Nichols' tale starts with a warning from Rhapsody to the reader not to be like her. As with any "Don't go there" warning, the reader is intrigued and pulled into the story if for nothing else, but to find out how Rhapsody ends up in her predicament. Honestly, that is about as good as this twisted tales gets. After the warning the reader is forced to watch Rhapsody go down in flames as her counterpart Malcolm carelessly handles the bad romance with Rhapsody. It is hard to read and to believe that a 34 year-old woman would behave so irresponsibly over a more that 10 years her junior. The breakneck pacing of the book comes from the increasingly outlandish behavior of Rhapsody. Nichols throws in a few Christian elements such as a best friend who tries to get Rhapsody to go to church and a mother who is "God Fearing," a well as a scene in the church which may have earned it the Urban Christian Fiction label. As for any saving grace, the book has none. More disappointing that the story is the lackluster ending which is very unlike Urban Christian's usual uplifting feel.

If you are looking for drama at every turn, this story is for you. Nichols' ability to tell a twisted tell is nothing short of amazing. Readers will not be able to stop themselves from turning the page to find out what crazy thing Rhapsody will do next. However, it you are looking for an uplifting tale about a woman who figures out her issues and fixes them  The Ugly Side of Me is not for you. The ugly side of this tale is the main character.









Comments

  1. Erin CataldiFebruary 17, 2017 at 6:42 AM

    Fantastic review! Your conclusion is especially great. You did a wonderful job outlining the flaws of the story and also summarizing the plot. Full points!

    ReplyDelete

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