The Ugly Duckling by Iris Johansen has some good things going for it.  But it also has some bad things going for it.  In fact, I struggled to finish it.  It was one of those books where I did want to know the final outcome, but getting there was a bit difficult.

The story started out OK.  We're introduced to Nell, a plain woman who survived a sad childhood, with a mother who told her she would always be the ugly duckling, never the beautiful swan.  But now an adult, it seems like Nell has a decent life.  Married to a successful executive, and with a four-year-old daughter, Nell seems to be happy.  But that world is shattered at a party for high-powered executives in her husband's business.  An intruder shoots Nell, and kills her husband and her daughter.  Nell is so badly injured she needs a whole new face. 

Nell emerges from the surgery an absolute beauty.  But more importantly, her new face allows her to stay one step ahead of the killer.  Because now Nell wants revenge.  And, she wants information.  Why in the world did someone want to kill her family?  Or, was she primary target, and if so, why? 

Enter Nicholas Tanek, the handsome stranger.  It seems he's spent years chasing the same man who killed Nell's family.  So, now the two of them can team up, to try to stop a killer. 

All of that sounds OK, right?  

Except it just gets dumb and dumber from that point forward.  I can understand Nell's desire for revenge.  But I can't understand half the decisions she makes, which are reckless to say the least, and frequently put innocent people in danger.  And I can't understand why Nell trusts the strangers who pop into her life throughout the book.  After all, someone did try to kill her, perhaps she should be a bit more discerning whom she trusts!

Then there's the obligatory romance angle between Nell and Nicholas.  First of all, the woman just lost her entire family; I don't think that hopping into bed with someone else was exactly the right thing to do.  Not to mention that she doesn't know a thing about Nicholas, except the little bits and pieces he bothers to share with her.  But mostly he's a closed book to her.

And, frankly, neither of them is very nice to the other.  In fact, they're really not very nice people at all.  They're completely self-absorbed, working their own agendas, without regard for anyone else.  Such unlikable main characters really spoil a book's potential to please.

On the positive side, there were some minor characters that I found quite charming.  Tania, for one.  She's a strong-willed woman who overcame her "victim" status and took control of her life, much as Nell is attempting to do now.  But Tania is much more likeable than Nell could ever be.  And I loved Peter, a special teenager that Nell befriends, and helps to overcome some difficulties in his life.  (But oddly, the character is prominent at first, then sort of disappears for the rest of the book, and we never really get full closure on his story.  We are left to assume what happens with him, but we don't really know). 

And, as far as the main story goes, I did like the twists and turns.  There were plenty of surprises along the way, and the ending was quite satisfying. 

So, overall, I found this book to be nothing special.  You won't be missing a thing if you decide to skip it.

Also by Iris Johansen
And Then You Die
Quicksand
The Ugly Duckling

Recommended: No