Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat." Introduction: I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. When I read the synopsis of this novel I was incredibly intrigued. A memoir of the life of a child that went through surgeries due to birth defects seemed realistic and interesting. Most school aged children (and even adults) feel like they don't fit in, so reading a story about a life long battle with trying to fit in and how Robert Hoge managed to keep going made my heart warm. Okay okay, you had a cr*p childhood, I get it. I found out she has written a follow up book that goes through her college years. That's the book that I Think would be more interesting - how she dealt with 'normal' life after having such an abnormal childhood. The mother was struggling with a house full of children and an errant husband who didn't maintain them, yet the author fails to admonish him and his violence, reserving her hatred for the mother who remained and retaliated. Heaven help any domestic violence victims that enter her courtroom.

I'm almost torn on this book as to its reality. This is a harsh, brutal tale of severe neglect and hardship endured by a child who essentially raises herself from a young age. Abandoned by her mother, Constance spends the majority of her formative years making a living just to support herself as she has no one else to do it for her.He has, umm.. How many houses?? And he didn't bother himself help his children in any sort of way!! >< 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.

I commend the author’s bravery for putting her story out there, and for being honest about her personal demons. That is not something I think I could do. In any case, she survived, and so did I. Terrible how they let kids so young play football these days,’ she said to her friend. ‘Look at the damage it does.’ Overall, the context of the words in this book are excellent. The author tells a great story, and the fact that it was a true story, a memoir, that makes it even better. So, I think this book is incredibly important - not only for normalizing disabilities BUT ALSO not curing them for the sake of a heartwarming ending. Jika kamu pernah membaca buku "A Child Called IT", maka buku berjudul UGLY ini membawa tema yang serupa. Bagaimana seorang Constant Briscoe berjuang sedari kecil hingga tumbuh remaja melawan penyiksaan ibunya dan bagaimana ia akhirnya terkerdilkan oleh setiap perkataan ibunya bahwa ia adalah buruk rupa, sunggguh teramat jelek, and uncapanle of doing things...Robert is a straight shooter, and states his story plainly, in an easy to understand manner. This edition in perfect for the younger reader. I read it after my 11 year old son. 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.