Kelly Vincent is the author of the new young adult novel Ugliest, the third in their The Art of Being Ugly series. They live near Seattle.
Q: Ugliest is your third novel featuring your character Nic Summers--do you think they’ve changed over the course of the series?
A: Nic has changed so much that they’re almost a completely different person.
In the first book, they were a shy, lonely, bullied, teen with extremely low self-esteem but a strong commitment to being an artist. They also have a strong sense of self and a conviction that they shouldn’t pretend to be someone they’re not, but they still feel like a failure at being a girl (and a human).
In the second book, they find a friend group and revise their opinion of themself as someone who isn’t the biggest loser, after all. They have the confidence to come out as agender and to apply for a competitive art mentorship.
But it’s in the third book where they really come into their own. They have real confidence for the first time in their life and are willing to risk everything to stand up for the right thing, something Nic in the first book would never have been brave enough to do, even though they might have wanted to.
Q: How were the books’ titles chosen, and what do they signify for you?
A: Nic is based on me and their experiences in the first book are very much in line with my own growing up. People made sure I knew that they considered me ugly, and it was something I struggled with. Nic is also called ugly, and they’ve internalized that as I had, so calling it out made sense to me. So, I named the first book Ugly.
In the very early days, I didn’t imagine this book as part of a series, but when I thought of two more storylines, which meant two more books, the grammar nerd in me immediately went to the comparative and the superlative—this way I could keep the main idea of Nic being unjustly considered ugly and smoothly give a sense of progression.
Q: Did you know how the novel would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?
A: With Ugliest, I knew the main story and I knew the teens would become activists for LGBTQ rights. But I was struggling to figure out a way to give it a positive ending, because the book is grounded in the realities of LGBTQ rights being stripped away in red states, and I couldn’t see the kids fighting for something and winning in Oklahoma, where the book is set.
But then, a friend reminded me of the Don’t Say Gay Bill protests in Florida and how they weren’t failures. So I changed things a bit and figured out a way the kids could make a real impact. Ugliest ended up being probably the most optimistic of all of my YA books, which was a nice shift.
Q: Especially given the current political climate, what do you hope readers take away from the story?
A: I’m hoping people can better understand what it’s like to be a trans kid in today’s political climate.
But most importantly, I want people to be inspired to step up for LGBTQ rights. The laws that are discussed in the book are real and things are largely getting worse. We have to vote out all the hateful politicians who are pushing through discriminatory and largely illegal legislation that is removing basic human rights from people who fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.
The laws these legislators are creating often violate both the US Constitution and also the individual states’ constitutions, but they are proceeding unchecked. Most regular people don’t want these laws, even in conservative states—it’s just a small proportion of extremists who do, but so many non-extremist people aren’t paying enough attention to who they are voting for.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m taking a bit of a detour and working on a book about data science (my day job) for a tech press. This will keep me busy the rest of 2024, but I’m hoping to get back to my YA next year.
I have two stories in the works. One is a third draft of a suspense novel where my main character seeks to avenge her sister’s murder with her dead sister’s help, and the next is an as-yet-unwritten story about two science nerd girls who surprise everyone—and themselves—by proving the existence of ghosts, finding love in the process. I’m not sure why both of these have ended up in the supernatural realm, but they have.
I’m also considering writing a follow-up novella about Nic’s first semester in college, but I’m not committed to that yet. I’ll reevaluate things when I’m finished with the tech book.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I love to hear from my readers, especially those who’ve been moved by Nic’s story. I’d also welcome new subscribers to my monthly newsletter. Readers can sign up at my website, kellyvincent.net.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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