Ugly

Product Information

Young people want to talk about appearance and being different. It’s a central theme of their lives. Ever since the adult edition of Ugly came out I’ve had hundreds of conversations with kids about looking different and being disabled. So Mary decided it was time to explain to the other 4 kids exactly what was wrong with their new little brother. Everybody cried, but they all said Robert should come home. However, they hadn’t seen him yet, just heard Mary’s and Vince’s descriptions of the horrific tumour in the middle of his face and the half-formed, shortened legs.

Robert was born with a huge tumour covering his face, he required numerous surgeries to construct a face he likens to a clay sculpture gone wrong.. Home for the Hoges was a bayside suburb of Brisbane. Robert's parents, Mary and Vince, knew that his life would be difficult, but they were determined to give him a typical Australian childhood. So along with the regular, gruelling and often dangerous operations that made medical history and gradually improved Robert's life, there were bad haircuts, visits to the local pool, school camps and dreams of summer sports. Constance suffered extreme and constant physical and mental abuse throughout her childhood at the hands of her own mother. Her mother left her to fend for herself at the ripe old age of 14, and even then she would constantly return demanding money for rent, gas, electricity and physically abusing her. Stripped her of all her home comforts and left her literally in the cold and dark.I should have cringed or felt embarrassed or angry at those two women. I felt those things, at least in part. But I just wanted to laugh. Lady, if only you knew how much I wished I was this ugly because I was allowed to play football!” I learned a lot about Robert by reading his memoir, and am sure his book will interest many readers whether they know Robert or not.

I was extremely interested in reading this as I have known Robert for many years as someone interesting to talk to at Science Fiction Conventions. I had always wondered about his looks but being a politely brought up young lady, had never asked before exactly what had caused them. His memoir is a poignant, witty, self-deprecating look at life for the not-so-normal looking. I laughed with him, I cried with him, I marveled at how much his childhood memories mirrored my own as we grew up in similar decades, although I grew up in country Victoria and he in Brisbane. Some world events that had great impact on him had not even crossed my radar, but you can see that the personal strength he gained from being different has had a profound effect on his life and confidence. What an amazing, courageous young girl who goes on to become an even more amazing, powerful and committed woman! But I gave this book two stars because I didn’t know the purpose. What was the point of writing this book? Unfortunately, none of us can save Briscoe from her childhood trauma. What’s more, the end wasn’t really an end: it was just a cliff-hanger to another series of problems.

How to Vote

Narrated by the author, and he did a really good job of reading the book. Loved the tone and inflection. What about the thousands of kids worldwide that can't afford a miracle cure? What about when the miracle cure doesn't exist?

Robert Hoge is 4 years older than I am, but that’s where the similarities end. He’s endured hardship to an extent that I cannot fathom, and holds his head higher than I ever could. Yes he’s inspiring, yes he’s resilient, yes he’s a trooper. He’s a normal Aussie bloke that tells his story to a younger audience, he is someone that uses his adversity to carry a message.

Where Does the Ugly Ducking Story Come From?

What I find distressing is thinking about how many more children are being abused right at this very moment around the world whilst I sit comfortably writing my irrelevant little book review just because I like to. Ugly is Robert's account of his life, from the time of his birth to the arrival of his own daughter. It is a story of how the love and support of his family helped him to overcome incredible hardships. It is also the story of an extraordinary person living an ordinary life, which is perhaps his greatest achievement of all. Our faces let us look out and know others and let them know us.Due to a large facial tumor, Robert Hoge had severely distorted facial features. In addition, his legs were also malformed and nonfunctioning.

So, the grammar is wrong and sentences are not composed right. So what? You don't like the cover of the book? So what? You think its too repetitive? May be. But may be its because this book acted as a therapy, as a catharsis for her. This book bought out all emotions in me, anger, sadness and doubtful. Could a mother be this abusive to her own child. I certainly make sure I let my own child know how much i love him Was it mental health issues her mother suffered, or sheer evil and hatred for one of her children? She didn't abuse her other children, only Constance. She bought her other children Christmas gifts, new clothes etc. Constance would receive the same doll and spinning top year after year. Her mother would take the toys from the child's room, wrap them up and give them to her. She consistently called her "ugly" and many other derogatory and damaging names.This story of Robert's life is told simply and impactfully. I could understand his difference and his normalness. I loved the line at the end of the book: "I knew I was ugly. But everyone is uglier than they think. We are all more beautiful too. We all have scars only we can own." Terrible how they let kids so young play football these days,’ she said to her friend. ‘Look at the damage it does.’ Strengths: Robert's ability to write to a younger audience but have an adult audience enjoy the book as well is perhaps the greatest strength. He rivals JK Rowling with that ability, and he deserves the recognition. He also deserves a lot of credit for being able to write a story about being different and have it so warm-hearted. He put such a wonderful spin on something that could have been very terrible for him. I appreciate his work, and he deserves lots and lots of press for this book.