Ugly

By: Mark A. Roeder

Narrated by: Joe DiNozzi

Julian is ugly. He knows it. Everyone knows it. He is also a boy with secrets. He's gay, his family owns the local funeral home, and he's not certain which secret he more desperately desires to keep. Julian is a wallflower, but tries out for the soccer team to please his father. Beyond all hope, he makes the team - and there he meets boys who change his life forever and a coach he suspects is trying to kill him.

Julian's greatest love is music. He slips off at lunch and after school to play the grand piano in the music room. His music attracts the attention of a secret admirer and for the first time ever someone sees beauty in Julian - his music.

The tragic death of teammates forces Julian to realize that he might not have as much time as he believed and leads him to take a desperate chance. Julian is determined to stop sitting on the sidelines of life. Friendship and love is worth any risk.

©2014 Mark A. Roeder (P)2015 Mark A. Roeder

Great Story

I loved this book because it had a great realistic character. Someone who has body image issues. It shows that it truly isn't what is on the outside that matters.

Wonderful!

I especially enjoyed the music in this story and found the story very well written and touching. WAY too much self criticism by the main character, but otherwise heartfelt and touching.

Heartbreaker with a feel-good ending

bring on the kleenex, a 2L bottle of wine...and a good friend to hold your hand

Guilty

Total guilty pleasure...I mean technically when it comes down to it ....well yeah.....but I still really liked.....reading marks books is a total flashback to how I wish MY highschool life had been. Lol

Great background story, and gay

What did you love best about Ugly?

The background story, the boy's family is in the funeral business. Had me thinking of the HBO show - Six Feet Under while I read it. Unlike so many gay teen/romance books, this book had three main stories taking place at the same time. Which is why it isn't typical.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Julien of course

Which character – as performed by Joe DiNozzi – was your favorite?

Brandon

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Continue to seek. He is there

Any additional comments?

First book I have listen to by Roeder. He has a mixed review (good, bad, middle) on his other books. I would agree with one listener of this book - on the level comparing it to One Man One Guy. The stories are vastly different, yet their many of written narration is the same.

a truly wonderful story

I just can't stop saying how great a writer mark is. the story pulls me in to point where I'm apart of the story an reliving my own life back in the days. I laughed I smiled I got excited I cried an I felt what the story telling.
Jim Arrowsmith
Salt Lake City Utah
[e-mail]

I cried and laughed all the way.

Being gay myself a lot of what happens in this book has happened to me or surely I have such thoughts, especially when I was a teenager. The story is about being gay and fearing the hatred and bullying that it can attract. It is also seeing into what makes people who they are. How to measure the real beauty of each other. It is easy to be attracted to external beauty, but as we all know that is only skin deep. Knowing the kindness of others, their ability to love, is "true beauty" I feel and surely what I look for in others. This is a great story but it has eternal truths that we all need to remember and practice.

Great performance!

Joe DiNozzi was great! I had the privilege of auditioning him for some voice over work years ago. I bought this book then and finally had time to listen to it.
Joe keeps the story moving and I’m not going to lie, I laughed, I gasped, and I was enthralled the whole time. It took me two days to just steam through it while at work.

Average - maybe a little better due to humor

the story is a little different from most coming out stories due to the fact that you are kept in suspense about the love interest of the MC and you really cant figure out who it is. This makes it both better and worse than other stories in this catagory. Better because its different, worse because you really do not get to know him. But i guess this is not the point of the story. It is more a story of friendships and trials of being a gay kid with body issues in high school than anything else. If you listen to it with that in mind the story isnt bad and sometimes humorous. But do not expect a "normal" two gay boys coming out story.

Average at best

What did you like best about Ugly? What did you like least?

The overall story was compelling and important.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

The excessive references to how gorgeous the other guys were and how ugly he was got old fast. The audio quality was poor, whenever the narrator spoke, I could hear something like feedback / a background hum when he spoke which made listening irritating.

How could the performance have been better?

See above

Do you think Ugly needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No, the arc was fine as is.