Duckling Ugly

The Printz Honor Award-winning author of Scythe presents an enchanting realm of dreams, where even the most unexpected creatures can harbor dangerous secrets. . . .

“Undeniably captivating. Multidimensional characters abound, and Cara’s wit and self-mocking tone lend an ease to the narrative. Another success for Shusterman!”—Booklist

Cara is so ugly that mirrors would rather break than show her reflection. Not even her own parents can deny her ugliness, and nothing can make up for the cruelty of her schoolmates. Tormented and tortured by the shallow people of Flock’s Rest, Cara has a miserable life. Then she receives a shimmering note from some exotic place suggesting that there’s more to her than meets the eye. Cara wonders if her destiny has something to do with her recurring dreams of a beautiful green valley where the people are so accepting that her ugliness doesn’t matter. Soon, Cara discovers that her valley of dreams is real. It’s a place where the ugliest of ducklings can become swans. A swan, however, can have a serious taste for revenge . . . deadly revenge.