Ugly: A Letter to My Daughter
SKU: 61353685124

Ugly: A Letter to My Daughter

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Ugly: A Letter to My DaughterA tender, moving, and insightful account of queer motherhood and an interrogation of life on the margins of American culture as a self described "ugly" woman "A rigorous ladyballs out polemic that also tells the most raw, tender, against all odds story of parenthood that I've ever read." Mary Gaitskill, author of Veronica Ugly is a word with fangs that can kill a woman's self esteem in one bite. Edicts about how women should look, behave, and think

A tender, moving, and insightful account of queer motherhood and an interrogation of life on the margins of American culture as a self-described "ugly" woman

"A rigorous ladyballs-out polemic that also tells the most raw, tender, against-all-odds story of parenthood that I've ever read." --Mary Gaitskill, author of Veronica

Ugly is a word with fangs that can kill a woman's self-esteem in one bite. Edicts about how women should look, behave, and think are the brutal forge through which they are made -- not born -- as Simone de Beauvoir famously argued in The Second Sex. And to defy the pretty imperative is to experience a kind of invisibility. It can be a hard thing to admit to yourself, let alone to your child, to say the words "I am ugly" or "I am seen as ugly." But early on in her motherhood journey, watching her young daughter begin to wrestle with beauty standards, Stephanie Fairyington felt compelled to face her own demons and to unpack her own ugly self-perception, one that she could trace to her own childhood, in order to conquer this seemingly immoveable frontier, far too taboo even among women to broach: the ways in which women's lives are unfairly contoured by the nature of their looks.

The multiple iterations of ugliness that Fairyington saw in her young self--her physical appearance, her formative gender dissonance, and obvious lesbianism--are not present in her beautiful and traditionally feminine daughter. But Fairyington's old feelings of inadequacy take on new meaning as she confronts fresh insecurities around her role as the nonbiological mother in her relationship, exacerbating wounds from a lifetime of being treated differently, from the poverty of her genetic inheritance to questions about her parentage to doubts about the legitimacy of her family.

Interlacing cultural history and analysis with memoir, Ugly is a probing investigation into cultural norms and the formation of our aesthetic sense of self. Fairyington contrasts her so-called ugliness with her daughter's attractiveness and adherence to beauty ideals, a tender and tenuous condition that her daughter was already walking a tightrope to maintain at age six. By sharing the history of her troubled self-image, Fairyington invites us to go rogue, to invent a new language and logic to overthrow all the ways that women have been cultivated to hate themselves.

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SKU: 61353685124

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4.3 ★★★★★
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GhostHina
Louisville, US
★★★★★ 5
Addicting!
Format: Kindle
I could not stop reading. It was so refreshing to have a series start so completely different than most fated mates/fantasy academy rh I’ve been reading. From the desert scenery to the magic and feeding plus the psychological trauma the characters are there to deal with. Pandora is absolutely adorable and I totally relate to hiding behind my hair. I love that she’s literally the most scary type of demon but it’s not the usual “badass mc” persona (which I do love a badass that can fend for herself and kick ass from the start but it was a nice change of pace). I’m not usually a big fan of bully within the harem but each character has their reasons for their actions and also conflicting feelings about them. I adore Dex and Reed! Complete opposites but their personalities and inner monologues made them instant favs. I can’t wait to see the character growth with the guys and continued strength for Pandora. The captivating characters and references to the Fate Hallow series added so much depth and now I need another reread while I wait for book 2. The concept of magic and the unique feeding habits of the demon characters were intriguing. I can't wait for the next book to continue this thrilling journey. In summary, this book is a must-read for fantasy and magic academy rh fans. With its enchanting characters, nods to the Fate Hallow series, and imaginative concepts, it offers an immersive reading experience that hwill leave you craving for more.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2024
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Verified Purchase
𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜𝕄𝕠𝕥𝕙
Louisville, US
★★★★★ 4
Best academy I've read this year
Format: Kindle
I need a few things when it comes to a first book of a PNR romance series 1-Good world building (which this totally did) 2-An FMC I can root for (oh hell yes, Pandora is someone I can cheer for) 3-Good drama (can you say GROVEL BOYS!) 4-Enough story to make you feel like you really read something with meat (you saw this book is like 600 pages, yeah?) 5-A hook at the end so I want more! (please, Lyra, gimmie more?!? I need more!!) Be aware this book is a slow burn, but damn do I feel like there'll be some big payoff when it finally happens. Who doesn't like the buildup?
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Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2024
S
Verified Purchase
Steffikins
Waukegan, US
★★★★★ 5
Pandora’s Pain, Power, and Passion
Format: Kindle
I absolutely love this new world Lyra Winters has created! The spin on a Demon Academy setting was fresh, unique, and completely addictive. Pandora is a character who immediately captured my heart. Thought to be powerless and enduring years of brutal abuse from her mother, it’s no surprise that her powers emerge at the exact moment she needs them most. After her mother’s death, Pandora discovers her father is none other than Death himself, a soul eater with a dark legacy. Her journey at the academy is anything but easy, filled with challenges tied to her father’s infamous reputation, her barely controlled abilities, and the cruelty of those around her. Pandora is easy to root for, you feel every ounce of her pain, resilience, and growth. Along the way she meets Reed, a half-human dream demon who’s kind, steady, and the kind of friend everyone wishes they had. There’s also Hunter, a vengeance demon and counselor connected to her father, who adds another intriguing layer to her story. Then there are the bullies: Dexter, a brooding shadow demon; Bram, a chaos demon with a drinking problem and deep hatred for demon nobility; and Skel, a fear demon wrestling with his own darkness. They might hurt her, but they also can’t seem to stay away when she’s in danger, making for some deliciously complicated dynamics. This book hits so many of my favorite tropes: friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, and of course, the irresistible “who hurt you?” storyline. I devoured it, and I’m already diving straight into book two!
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Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2025
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Brandi
Chelsea, US
★★★★★ 5
So good!
Format: Kindle
Oh my goodness! What did I just read? Lyra Winters you have some serious explaining to do! That cliffhanger killed me! I am so happy to be back in the world of Kalista. This is definitely darker than Fates Hollow but oh so good. This is a fated mates reverse harem which I absolutely love. Pandora had a very hard and rough upbringing. She lives in pain constantly and it makes it hard on her. She struggles with everything because she was kept so isolated and is new to her magic. Pandora gets sent to the Reform Academy and all of them have reasons why they are there. I love how, after everything she has been through, she is still a nice person. She is growing and becoming stronger too. Love her character. The guys all act like jerks at first but all have a back story that helps understand why even though want to smack them. I'm here for the groveling that I'm sure will come. I love them all. They each bring something for her. They are all drawn to her though. This is a slow burn book but there will be more books in the series so sure it will build. Man, that cliffhanger was a doozy and need book 2 now!
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Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2024
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Courtenay
Carnegie, US
★★★★★ 3
Good-ish
Format: Kindle
🌶️ 0/5 ⭐️ 3/5 I will preface this by saying I am not a huge RH fan. However it didn’t feel like a RH quite yet. The relationships and plot are all building in this book. At first I was thinking things were happening stupid fast since she’s had zero interaction with another being and has been tortured her whole life, and I believe they were for one side of the relationship, but by 50% things moved too slow lol. Idk I think the main 1-3 guys I’m actually interested in more than the others didn’t get enough air time so I hope the next book things start moving with them since it ended the way it did.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2025

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