Ugly Opal Gail Ylitalo Lulu Press ISBN: 1-4116-5704-7 Fiction, Contemporary Reviewed by Dr. Tami Brady

Ugly Opal is a first person retrospect of important scenes in the main character’s life as she lay ready for her deathbed. As long as she could remember, Opal had been called ugly, actually ugly and smelly. Her siblings tormented her with the nickname Ugly Opal and her abusive parents called her homely. Despite, or perhaps because of her own pain, Opal is drawn to people who are also outsiders without any ounce of prejudice or desire to name call.

Ugly Opal is a touching novel filled with the pain and hurt of feeling different and never quite fitting in. I can’t say I really enjoyed this story because it is rather dark and the character rather desperate being on her deathbed and all, not really the type of story that one is entertained by. Nonetheless, I felt that the author amply and realistically described the cruelty of children and adults alike when it comes to those perceived as somehow different.

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