Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
161st out of 826 books
—
1,074 voters
The Ugly Duckling
If fate suddenly made you more beautiful than you ever dreamed possible, would it be the beginning of a fairy tale, or your worst nightmare?
The brutal attack should have killed anybody, but Nell Calder did more than survive. She emerged a woman transformed, with an exquisite beauty found only in fairy tales. Nell Calder deserved a happy ending. Instead, her descent into te...more
The brutal attack should have killed anybody, but Nell Calder did more than survive. She emerged a woman transformed, with an exquisite beauty found only in fairy tales. Nell Calder deserved a happy ending. Instead, her descent into te...more
Mass Market Paperback, 408 pages
Published
December 1996
by Bantam Books
(first published May 1996)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
not one of the best of her's that i've read so far, but certainly WELL worth reading! very gripping "tale"!!
i must admit, tho, i'm beginning to wonder if the woman (Iris Johansen) has had some unpleasant dealings w/ the CIA or something in her life?! except for 2 of the books of her's i've read, she's involved some governmentally abc'd agency, if not more, in her plots, and they've not all been "clean" characters that are SUPPOSED to be protecting us and are SUPPOSEDLY setting good examples for...more
i must admit, tho, i'm beginning to wonder if the woman (Iris Johansen) has had some unpleasant dealings w/ the CIA or something in her life?! except for 2 of the books of her's i've read, she's involved some governmentally abc'd agency, if not more, in her plots, and they've not all been "clean" characters that are SUPPOSED to be protecting us and are SUPPOSEDLY setting good examples for...more
First Johansen novel I ever read, and I was hooked. I think this was the first time I'd read a novel solely about a woman making it on her own, and I found I liked it.
Nell suffered a great deal before her transformation, but I loved her determination to exact revenge on those who started the suffering. She wasn't about to be bullied, and she was going to use her new face and figure to her advantage, come Hell or high water.
That she didn't need to put herself in mortal danger was never a consider...more
Nell suffered a great deal before her transformation, but I loved her determination to exact revenge on those who started the suffering. She wasn't about to be bullied, and she was going to use her new face and figure to her advantage, come Hell or high water.
That she didn't need to put herself in mortal danger was never a consider...more
This book was a fun read. The story was interesting and the main characters were extremely likable. Iris Johansen did a great job telling the story without bogging me down with useless details and unnecessary information. I really like her writing style. Will definitely read more of her books.
1 like · like · see review
May 03, 2011
Carolyn Bunkley
added it
Recommends it for:
nobody
Shelves:
really-bad,
not-recommended
This is one of the worst books I ever read. I stuck with it to the end, though, because it was a best-seller and reviewed well, so I had to try to find out why. I then passed it to a friend without telling her my opinion of it, telling her we'd discuss it after she finished; she then tortured her sister the same way.
We were never able to figure out if Johanssen was writing tongue-in-cheek, or if she were trying to write seriously. She stumbled back and forth across the line so may times it was i...more
We were never able to figure out if Johanssen was writing tongue-in-cheek, or if she were trying to write seriously. She stumbled back and forth across the line so may times it was i...more
Jun 05, 2010
Linda G
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Yes
Recommended to Linda G by:
Bookaholics Anonymous
Shelves:
iris-johansen
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
1 like · like · see review
The Ugly Duckling by Iris Johansen is a highly enjoyable novel. This well-written book shows grieving mother Nell's tragic fall from a plain, humble wife into a destroyed wreck, and then eventually into a beautiful and deadly avenger. Along the way Nell grows stronger physically and mentally, finding a possible new love with her deadly protector, Nicholas. Despite how complementary these two characters are to each other, Nell resists Nicholas in order to prioritize finding and punishing the man...more
This was unique. The heroine of the story has some serious psychological, mother-inflicted damage before the circumstances of her transformation ever arrive. She goes through what I can only imagine is the worst horror inflicted on someone, the loss of a child coupled with the loss of her spouse. Because of scars received during the attack on her family, she's transformed physically into a stunning woman. But her mind is conflicted by the internal vision she has of herself. So she goes on a viol...more
When I first read this book in the winter of 1997, I was much younger and impressionable. I promised myself to read it once I became a legal adult, just to be certain I wasn't smitten with this novel because it was a mature read for me.
My young logic did not prove me wrong--this book is phenomenal and on the cutting edge, if you will, of what suspense novels would grow to become.
Wallflower Nell Carter enjoyed a plush life in a time period much like ours. All was well until her husband and young...more
My young logic did not prove me wrong--this book is phenomenal and on the cutting edge, if you will, of what suspense novels would grow to become.
Wallflower Nell Carter enjoyed a plush life in a time period much like ours. All was well until her husband and young...more
The book held my interest throughout, I think partly I thought the writing style flowed well and partly because I wanted to find out why Nell was a target. I found some parts annoying and unnecessary, for instance, the training camp. I thought the way these multiple men wanted to rape her was treated kind of lightly. She actually went hiking in a swamp with them the day after the attempted rape incident, like it was no big deal. Also I didn't really understand the point of Peter being in the sto...more
3 1/2 stars.
This is a story that shows a woman's transformation from an unattractive, submissive wife, into an assertive and lovely woman who knows what she wants and how to achieve it.
Nell Calder wasn't born beautiful, a fact that her unfeeling mother informed her about. How she was able to grow normally in a home with an unloving mother was a tribute to an inner strength that she didn't know she had.
She married well but at a party on an island on the Aegean Sea, her husband, Richard, a banker,...more
This is a story that shows a woman's transformation from an unattractive, submissive wife, into an assertive and lovely woman who knows what she wants and how to achieve it.
Nell Calder wasn't born beautiful, a fact that her unfeeling mother informed her about. How she was able to grow normally in a home with an unloving mother was a tribute to an inner strength that she didn't know she had.
She married well but at a party on an island on the Aegean Sea, her husband, Richard, a banker,...more
Nell Calder: The Ugly Duckling. Nothing was special about her. Her own mother said she was an ugly duckling and would never be a swan. Nell's life revolved around Jill, her daughter. This life fell apart in one night. The night of the hit. A Knife-man named Maritz was hired to murder her at a party. She was in her room when he attacked her and she ended up falling of the balcony into rocks (they were on an island) her face was smashed and Maritz killed Jill too. So a plastic surgeon gave her a n...more
"The Ugly Duckling" by Iris Johansen was an very interesting book and whenever I would pick it up it was hard to put down. There were some spots in the middle that did get a bit dry but overall it was very entertaining. The premise is quite scary, actually, how would you react if you lost everyone you ever loved to a madman, including your own face? The main character in the book, Nell, is forced to change all of who she is after being attacked. Previously plain, now she has a beautiful face...a...more
Jul 02, 2010
Lisa (Harmonybites)
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of Thrillers with Romance
Recommended to Lisa (Harmonybites) by:
The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Ultimate Reading List
Johansen, like Roberts and Coulter, is one of those that has made it onto the bestseller lists and can be found in other than the romance section--in this case, this novel was found in general fiction and works as a thriller and mystery, and it has a fairly clean style that can hold point of view. It fits in the standard revenge plot, as the titular heroine, Nell, works to avenge her family's death--plastic surgery upgrades her from ugly duckling to swan. Well-paced, often suspenseful, this stor...more
I have a bunch of Iris Johansen books, just trying to read them in order. I heard her being labelled as a mystery/suspense author so I was eager to collect some of her books. For the most part I am happy with the first book read. I think it's a great starting point to get to know the author's style. The writing itself is well structured, heavy dialogue and sometimes you may lose track of who is saying what. The big problem I have with the book is that it is oriented towards women, after all the...more
This isn't a book that I was dying to read. It was one that I had kind of left behind because it didn't sound that great. However, I was pleasantly surprised to have really liked it! In fact, I liked it enough that I read it in 2 days.
Tanek is the perfect savior for Nell. He's determined and driven, but soft and caring when he's needed to be. Nell is also driven and a little stubborn to boot. They work well together once they lay it all out there! There is one part of the story that Nell takes i...more
Tanek is the perfect savior for Nell. He's determined and driven, but soft and caring when he's needed to be. Nell is also driven and a little stubborn to boot. They work well together once they lay it all out there! There is one part of the story that Nell takes i...more
Easy-read thriller... I've read other Iris Johansen that I liked much more than this (the Eve Duncan series in particular)...but this was a decent, easy read that kept me interested throughout. I think though that I just was a little tired of the weak, helpless women who becomes strong with the help of a big, strong, silent, non-committal type man. And then they fall in love and live happily ever after. The last I read (actually listened to via audiobook) of hers had the exact same theme...same...more
I was really surprised that I enjoyed this book. I don't usually go for romance-ish types of book. I typically like the tragic Romeo and Juliet to a sweet "happily ever after book" or ones too crammed with sex. But this one was nice and light. the romance wasn't heavy at all and I enjoyed the budding relationship between the two. I liked the plot (which was not about them just getting together) but was actually a type of mystery "who done it" more than romance. It was a great twist and has remin...more
To be honest, I only got this book because it was in the 15 cent bin at my local thrift store. I had heard the author wrote thrillers but I am always a little nervous reading a new author. I also read some of the reviews from other people. I do like the way the author kept me reading by not fully forming all the characters right away, I was still learning about them at the very end. I also really enjoyed the way she sort of "broke up" the stories in their own little sections through out the chap...more
Unspeakably good!
The Ugly Duckling is a story of how a woman survives after being betrayed and then goes on a road to revenge the killing of her little daughter.
Synopsis: If fate suddenly made you more beautiful that you ever dreamed possible, would it be the beginning of a fairy tale, or your worst nightmare?
The brutal attack should have killed anybody, but Nell Calder did more than survive. She emerged a woman transformed, with an exquisite beauty found only in fairy tales. Nell Calder deserved a happy ending....more
Iris Johansen has created and romance, mystery,and thriller all combind into one work of art. The story plot is amazing the why she plans out everything to be reveald just at the right moment.
Nell Calder tricked herself into believing she loved Richard. So she settled as being a trophey wife. She thought she could not get better. She loved being home with her daughter Jill. Jill was and will always be Nell's life. After Jill and Richard had died, she had no reason to live. Tanek didn't agree....more
Nell Calder tricked herself into believing she loved Richard. So she settled as being a trophey wife. She thought she could not get better. She loved being home with her daughter Jill. Jill was and will always be Nell's life. After Jill and Richard had died, she had no reason to live. Tanek didn't agree....more
1 like · like · see review
The best Johansen's book I read so far!!
Even if some general traits of this book are quite common among other books of the same genre and, most of all, other books of the same author, I think in this case the storyline and the characters were developped with more care and attention to the details and it really paid off! All the secrets machinations and intrigues that linked one character with the others made this book even more enjoyable and intriguing.
Even if some general traits of this book are quite common among other books of the same genre and, most of all, other books of the same author, I think in this case the storyline and the characters were developped with more care and attention to the details and it really paid off! All the secrets machinations and intrigues that linked one character with the others made this book even more enjoyable and intriguing.
This is the first Johansen book i've read and I couldn't put it down until I finished it. It's not really that suspenseful to keep your heart beating fast most of the time but it's enough to keep you hanging. The writing is better than most suspense writers, there wasn't a moment where I felt it draggy. I give it 4 stars though because I did not expect it to end that way. It was all too easy. But then, you can't put so much suspense in only one book, could you?
I first read this book years ago and I think it was the book that got me hooked on Johansen's stories. It is a really great story with sufficient parts romance and action. I must admit though now that I am older and a mother this book is harder and harder to read. but overall it is a great story. The secondary characters are great and if there were plot holes they weren't enough to mare the store. overall a good book
Iris Johansen is another of my favorites. The only problem I've ever had with anything she writes -- this book in particular -- is I don't get the chemistry between the hero and heroine. But that's just me. The romance aside, this is an excellent book with an excellent and surprising reveal. The surprise ending's makes Romantic Suspense good or bad IMO, and this one is really good. Didn't see it comming.
I really liked this one. I felt like she toned down her usual "KID IN TROUBLE/DEAD, MOM MUST FIND A WAY TO HELP/COPE" meladrama that Iris Johansen does in order to focus more on the revenge plot. There was a lot of internal struggle with the main character that I liked, but it was obvious to me that the author didnt do a ton of research on many of the small things like: self defense the character learns, drug wars, the native americans, and plastic surgery. She always writes in vague notions and...more
This book marks a turning point in Iris Johansen's writing. She doesn't write romance anymore, publishing suspense/mystery books now. Another good romance author bites the dust. I enjoyed this book, but it focused on the suspense a little more than I liked. It was still very good. I liked the heroine's transition from passive to empowered. I especially appreciated the scenes where Nell trains to become a badass so she can get her revenge. I enjoyed the interactions between Nell and Nicholas and...more
A woman after losing everything focuses on revenge and transforms from a timid mouse to an avenging angel. An amazing tale of strength, growth, focus and suspense. A solid 4.5 and I wish this had been unabridged audio I know the ending would have been exception in audio. This was my first Iris Johansen novel and it won't be my last.
Rating 4.5
Rating 4.5
Enjoyable mystery/thriller/romance novel. It was written a while ago so it feels a little out dated as a contemporary book. It does make you think about how our appearance affects us and how people treat us. At times the writing was a little generic/cheesy (thus 3 stars instead of four) but worth your time as a easy summer read.
I was reading another book while at work one day at a gas station. An officer that frequented the store saw me reading and brought to me this book that he had just finished. It was my first Iris Johansen and definitely not the last! I love her! This book was amazing! I read it in one day!
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Johansen began writing after her children left home for college. She first achieved success in the early 1980s writing category romances. In 1991, Johansen began writing suspense historical romance novels, starting with the publication of The Wind Dancer. In 1996 Johansen switched genres, turning to crime fiction, with which she has had great success. She had seventeen consecutive New York Times b...more
More about Iris Johansen...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“I'm only Superman, I'm not God.”
—
2 people liked it
“We all die. I can't promise to live forever." His arms
tightened around her. "But I can promise to love you as long as I
live.”
—
2 people liked it
More quotes…
tightened around her. "But I can promise to love you as long as I
live.”
Mike
Please check my blog, I'm having a giveaway of "The Lucky O...more
updated Apr 16, 2011 02:16pm