Diary of an Ugly Sweater

by Cassi Eubank

Have you ever felt alone? Can you remember a time when you thought you weren't good enough? Maybe you have even felt ugly before? Sophie certainly knows how you feel. Sophie was created a Christmas sweater and was feeling on top of the world when she was chosen to be featured in a newspaper ad. For one day, she was shipped off and was the model for a glamorous photo shoot. Her feeling of joy faded when she got back to Warehouse City and had to quickly learn to understand and find the best way to work with all the different personalities of the other sweaters. With compassion and humor, Sophie was able to turn those who started out as adversaries into allies. These were skills she would need when she arrived at the Superstore, the place where her forever person would find her. During her short stay at the store, before Katie purchased her, Sophie had the opportunity to watch and observe human nature in a big way as the masses of holiday shopper descended when the doors opened each day. All of the things she learned would be needed for what was to come. At first, Sophie believed she was the happiest sweater in the world. The perfect forever person had chosen her, and she even heard her talk about going to a Christmas party and being entered into a best sweater contest. Sophie was alive with excitement, especially when she found out that Katie was going to “bling” her out. Oh the glitz, the glam, Sophie was loving it all. First came the garland. Then the blinking lights. Next it was larger ornaments and presents under the tree. Being an over-achiever, Katie also added bells, bows, a purple peacock, a raccoon, an elf, a floating Santa head, an angel and candy canes all over her right arm! Sophie was feeling like a freak show and wondered why her forever person would want to change her so much. Why wasn’t she good enough just the way she was? With the help and support of her new family, Sophie learned some new coping skills that allowed her to grow and gain from the feelings she once had. With these new skills in place, what once seemed overwhelming was now simple and easy. Life was good. Until….. One evening, Sophie and the family that had been attached to her were left on the kitchen table. There before her, Sophie saw things that caused her world to crash in around her. In plain sight, was an invitation to the party she was going to with the prompt to Get Your Ugly On! $100 to the winner of the UGLY SWEATER CONTEST. As her heart sunk, she glanced to the right and saw a newspaper advertisement. What it said made her go numb. There on the open page was a picture of her. It was one that had been taken when she had been sent to model at the photo shoot. UGLY SWEATER SALE the words above her head screamed. She had been created… no, she had been born to be ugly. Her only purpose in life was to be a hideous amusement. Sophie was heart-broken and saw no reason for her worthless, pathetic life. Thanks to the love and understanding of her adopted family, Sophie came to learn her true value. Having come to love herself, she was able to offer those around her so much more, which made her feel even better. She was also able to let her challenges turn her into a champion! Join Sophie as she shares real life solutions to the opportunities for growth that present themselves in our lives. When you delight in these pages, you will come to love Sophie and feel both her trials and her triumphs. Take this journey now and engage in a delightful ride that will capture hearts of all ages during all seasons.

Genres: Christmas, Fantasy

198 pages, Paperback

First published May 4, 2015

About the author

Cassi began writing at a young age and was first published in the local paper, the "Coral Springs Forum" at the young age of 8.
Communication always being something Cassi was passionate about, she launched her career in doing corporate training for such conglomerates as the Wynn Casino, HMS Host, Oracle, Burger King, IHOP, the United States government and hundres more.
Even while doing this work, the scribe continued writing during her off hours and when she was blessed with the birth of her grandson, she made the commitment to rekindle her passion and delve into the world of books, with a desire to share valuable advice in a fun and entertaining way.
A woman of many passions, she also love travel, gardening, music, beaches, a cozy fire, a night with friends, her beloved dog Rocky and mostof all her family.
Cassi is blessed with "the best husband in the world", John and her son Leif, daughter in law Elissa and precious little grandson Elliot.

To read more about Diary of an Ugly Sweater or watch the video visit www.DiaryofanUglySweater.com To get YOUR copy and see why it has earned 19 FIVE start reviews less than a week after the official launch party visit
AMAZON at http://www.amazon.com/Diary-Ugly-Swea...
or BARNES AND NOBLES at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/diary...

Reviews

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book to review in exchange for an honest review. This in no way had any impact on the review.

When I first received the email to review this book, I almost deleted it before I looked over at my daughter and thought: ‘okay, it’s a kids book. I have a kid now, lets go ahead and give this a shot’. I know the earlier you start reading to kids the better, but the books that reside on my shelves aren’t really ‘kid material’ and while I have a few I have started reading to her (Harry Potter, The Series of Unfortunate Events), this one looked like it would be an interesting Christmas story. I didn’t read anything about the book other than skim over the blurb given with the book name and author name so I assumed when it arrived it would be a book written for younger kids and it would be one of those that had the hard covers. I was in for a shock when I arrived as a paperback, chapter book with a total of 198 glorious pages.

My next complete shock was when I realized the book was told from the perspective of the sweater herself. Her name is Sophie and had I done more than skim the blurb, this wouldn’t have shocked me at all. However from the very first sentence in this novel, I was hopelessly drug into the story and I found myself relating to a sweater in ways I never really thought that I would (haha, never thought I would say that either). You see, normally I avoid nonhuman characters (unless they are young kid books) and I attempt to avoid first person point-of-view stories too (though I think they are growing on me). I read this entire book and had to go back and see what point-of-view it was written in, I was that engrossed with story itself.

Anyways, Sophie goes through so much in the month of December and she writes down the events of her life daily. She is examined often, she gets to be a model and she even gets separated from her family. Through all the devastation and numerous disappoints, Sophie struggles with her thoughts and her mindset. She learns to persevere through it all with the help of her “framily” and she learns ways to help stay happy.

I believe that this book was meant to come across my path, I have been having issues with a lot of things here lately and this novel has helped me in so many ways. I read it on May 27th, 2015 in one day. I didn’t get to finish it in one sitting, but I did often read out loud to my daughter as I cuddled her or fed her. Diary of an Ugly Sweater is a heart warming novel that is meant for all ages, it will help adults just as well as it will help children. I loved the fact that you felt just about every emotion while reading this book.

I took a lot away from this book as far as lessons go and it’s currently housed on my shelf with all my favorite books. I will cherish it and love it for as long as I live. I give it five out of five stars, because I adored it and because I related to it in so many ways that it made it extraordinarily hard to to feel as if it were speaking to me. In parts, if even felt like it had been written for me. There are so many pages I have marked with post-it notes that it was hard for me to pick just one thing to quote from the book, but being the constant worry worm that I am, I choose this one:

“So why worry about something that will probably never happen? Why not enjoy your life and think about all the stuff that makes you feel good?” ~Cassi Eubank

If you enjoy a good story, if you are feel down and depressed, if you are worried about anything or if you are like me and are a bit pessimistic (I am really trying to change this) then please, pick up this book and read it. I can honestly promise you that you will love it and you will not regret it. I just wish it had been written sooner.

Ps; This book fills the slot of nonhuman characters in the 2015 Reading Challenge. <3

http://www.crandomblog.com/?p=425

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the greatest Christmas traditions in this era is the ugly sweater contest that most families, friends and co-workers host. But what about the sweater have you ever thought how they feel about being called ugly. Well Cassi tackles this subject and many more when we are taken into the world in which Sophie lives.

Sophie is a sweater who is learning that life can be difficult and unkind sometimes. She is also learning with the help of others that how you deal with life's hardship is very important. In the month of December Sophie is born and lives a lifetime of experience. She is examined, showed off, hurt and loved all in a short span of time. She also learns that though life can be unkind you can still keep happiness in your heart.

When I first received this book I was in awe because the author herself took extra care to make the book delivery special. I immediately knew the author was someone special so I had great hopes that the book would reflect this. I was right from the first chapter I was hooked. Not only is this a book that is fun to read but it allows children to learn something new with each chapter. It teaches them that how they view the world and what happens to them can affect their feelings and that how they deal with it is a choice they can make.

They can choose to be happy or they can let the bad seep in and steal their happy. Either way it's up to them. Cassi uses Sophie to teach children how to have good self-esteem, self-care and how to deal with negative people. I came away from this book feeling happy and with a smile in my heart. This was a very wonderful read and I encourage parents to get a copy for their kids to read or to even read it with their children.


**Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.**

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

A soft adventure with a lot of feelings expressed

The term “ugly sweater” is actually a harsh euphemism for more nice-sounding terms such as “unique” or “unusual” or “custom designed” sweater. This story is told from the perspective of a sweater that was manufactured to be a bit unusual but was then purchased by a woman with an idea to make the most “unique” sweater in the world.
The sweater’s name is Sophie and she was purchased by a woman named Katie. Sophie is a bright and sensitive “girl” and she experiences emotional ups and downs when she hears Katie discuss her plans for modifying Sophie in an attempt to win the Christmas Eve “ugly sweater” contest. Sophie suffers the “indignity” of having a raccoon, elf and even a Santa’s head sewn onto her “person.” This turns out to be a good thing, for now she has a captive set of companions to talk to.
The story is very much a soft adventure, Sophie lives through several personal crises and she gets by with a little help from her friends. She also learns that uniqueness is what all creatures possess, it is just the case that she has more uniqueness than others. It is a good story for adolescent girls as it packages many of the difficulties they have into a form that is easier to examine and react to.

This book was made available for free for review purposes and this review also appears on Amazon.

[Marjorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Given To Me For An Honest Review

Diary of an Ugly Sweater by Cassi Eubank is written by Sophie. Sophie is a Christmas sweater and she writes the book in diary form. All that Sophie feels and wonders is exactly how kids and adults feel. There is great advice and tools that kids can use as they try to fit in at school and in life. It teaches how to be confident and deal with others in a positive way. This book was so much fun to read. Once you begin reading it, you won't be able to put it down until you are finished. Then you'll find yourself reading and re-reading it again. Although it has a Christmas theme, it doesn't matter it can be read at anytime. I gave this book 5 stars but wish I could give it more. It would make a great gift to give. Christmas is coming and there is always a birthday coming along. I highly recommend this book to everyone. I look for more from Cassi Eubank.

[Sally Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

One little Christmas sweater decided to write a diary about her journey from the factory to her forever home. Along the way she learns a lot about friends, family, and the power of positive thinking. Like the sweater, this book is more then it seems it is filled with great tips for motivation, positive, thinking, self-worth, love, forgiveness, dreams, and family. A big theme throughout this book is the importance of loving yourself for who you are no matter what others think of you. Some readers may be weirded out by the narrator being a talking sweater, but sometimes people do not listen to others when they try to teach them life lessons and this author found an ingenious way of making learning about yourself fun. I would highly recommend this book to everyone it is a wonderful heartfelt tale told in a very imaginative way.

[Charissa Wilkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for the purpose of a fair review.

Overview: Sophie is a sweater that is excited about meeting her forever person. She plans on telling her diary everything that happens to her. Here comes a season of shoppers, decorators, and an upcycler with a plan. Should we warn Sophie that she is an ugly sweater.

Likes: The idea of reading diary entries seems like a great way to encourage children to keep a journal or diary themselves.

Dislikes: Some of the encouragement sections here got to be…well, over emphasized. It wasn’t like learning a lesson out of a story, but more of the story becoming a lesson.

Conclusion: This is a pretty good story. A bit of advice though. Pick the days based on the age and maturity of your child. Enjoy the read.

[Susan Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful book that will enchant its young readers. I loved the fact that it was written in diary form from the viewpoint of the sweater, names Sophie. Many children are encourage to keep journals and diaries and this is a wonderful example they can emulate.

The characters are wonderful. They are well developed and I think they make great role models. The plot moves along at a cracking pace and is certainly a page turner.

I highly recommend it to any young reader and suggest parents grab a copy to add to your child’s bookshelf – you won’t be sorry.

[Kasie Cavanagh · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐⭐

This book was a gift from my mom, who loves themed holidays. This particular one was an ugly sweater Christmas, and she picked this book for our celebration.

Some memorable lines include:

“The sexy snow girls were erotic.”

“An erotic clan of ugly sweaters with short skirts.”

“I felt like I was living a charmed life.”

The book is supposed to be about Christmas, change, and self acceptance. However, I found myself confused by how often the story returned to sexual humor. For something that visually feels like it could almost be a picture book, the tone did not match what I expected at all.

Because of that, I would definitely say this is not for all ages.

I also struggled with the formatting. The passages often felt repetitive and the structure made the story difficult to follow. Without the sexual content and with some editing, this could actually become a cute children's story about diversity and acceptance.

Normally this might have been a DNF for me, but my mom gave it to me and wanted us to have something to talk about during Christmas. She even made a quiz for our holiday surprises based on the book. Her intentions and enthusiasm were absolutely wonderful, and she personally loved the book and gave it five stars.

For me, I just could not connect with it.

I think this book could really benefit from being re edited and refocused, then possibly rereleased with a clearer audience in mind.

[Denyse · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible book!

[Sandra Stiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read books from many different perspectives. This is the first time I’ve read a book told from the perspective of a sweater. That made this book very interesting. Sophie is the sweater’s name and she is a Christmas sweater. Her story is told in diary form. The beginning is charming. She describes her family as the “Tree with Pom Balls” family. She is a sweater with a Christmas tree on the front and pom poms that decorate it like ornaments. She refers to other sweater families such as the “Santa Sitting on the Toilet” family. From the different “families” she mentions you get the idea of what each sweater looks like. She addresses issues such as judging others based on looks, attitudes, how to get what you want out of life. This is a unique way to teach life lessons. The story is charming and the lessons are subtle enough not to detract from the story. It is so well written that you can feel the emotions throughout the story. This is a book that is for young and old alike. I don’t think I will ever look at an “ugly” sweater the same way again, and never without thinking about this story. This is the perfect read for the Christmas season.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book as a GoodReads FirstReads Giveaway book. I appreciate the 'thought' behind what the author had in mind. And the little bit of the story I read there were very impressive thoughts that teach a lesson to pre-teens to adults. However the story itself in between these thoughts wasn't such that it kept my attention. My 'rule of thumb' is to read the first 100 pages or first 5 chapters before I give up on a book. And this unfortunately was one of those books I just couldn't finish. However, I'm an adult also and probably didn't find the funny parts that a preteen may find. I am going to ask my dear friend's pre teen daughter to read this book and see what she thinks. Not a horrible story but just didn't catch my attention.