Robert Hoge

Robert Hoge has done pretty much every kind of writing there is. He has worked as a journalist, a speechwriter, a science writer, and a political advisor. He's also written numerous short stories, articles, and interviews that have been published in Australia and overseas. When he's not writing, Robert enjoys photography and talking with people about looking different and being disabled. He lives in Brisbane, Australia and is married and has two amazing daughters. Visit him at RobertHoge.com and follow him @RobertHoge. From the Hardcover edition.

Ugly

Robert Hoge was born with a tumor in the middle of his face and short, twisted legs. This poignant memoir about overcoming bullying and thriving with disabilities shows that what makes us ''ugly'' also makes us who we are. From PW's starred review: ''Unique and universal.''

Briar's Reviews

** spoiler alert **
           Book Review:
Title: Ugly
Author: Robert Hoge
Date Read: September 28th - October 4th, 2016
Date Reviewed: October 6th, 2016


Introduction: I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. When I read the synopsis of this novel I was incredibly intrigued. A memoir of the life of a child that went through surgeries due to birth defects seemed realistic and interesting. Most school aged children (and even adults) feel like they don't fit in, so reading a story about a life long battle with trying to fit in and how Robert Hoge managed to keep going made my heart warm. 


Spoilers Ahead?: Yes.

Quick Summary: Robert Hoge was born with a few issues - he had a tumor on his face and his legs did not form correctly. As a small child, he went through surgeries to remove parts of his legs (to the knee and above the knee), remove the tumor on his face and realign his facial features to appear more 'normal'. Throughout his life Robert had to learn how to adapt - like walking with mechanical legs, deal with bullying, and making life decisions regarding future surgeries. This story is uplifting and inspiring to read, and this version of the story is written as a kid friendly story.

Evaluations: I loved this book - it was inspiring, beautifully written and aimed at the right audience. This easy read was made so children would be not only interested but able to understand. Robert Hoge uses metaphors and similes to explain how it feels to be different, which I think will help the audience grasp a better understanding. Overall, I'm impressed. I would definitely suggest that anyone read this novel, and if possible that school's should adapt the book into their reading curriculum. If more people understand, perhaps there would be less bullying and hate in this world. 

Plot: The content of this story revolves around Robert Hoge's life and his struggles. It starts from when he was born, to when he was in his pre-teens. If anything, I would have liked to see what his struggles look like now, but I don't know if that would have worked with the audience he was writing to. Children want to hear about lives similar to theirs, so perhaps it was for the best. 

The plot moves quick enough to keep the reader interested. I was more than impressed with how the story was adapted - a child could easily read this book and understand, but as an adult I also enjoyed the novel. It's hard to find stories that translate well for both kids and adult. I applaud Robert on how well he wrote this story.

I haven't been able to find any problems with the story itself. It's a great narrative with lots of substance - not only is there a story to be told, but Robert explains how he feels, and how the reader might feel. His metaphors work well with the audience - making a clay head that's perfect, but suddenly there's a giant piece of clay in the middle - and he continues to reference them throughout the novel for further understanding.

Overall, the context of the words in this book are excellent. The author tells a great story, and the fact that it was a true story, a memoir, that makes it even better.

Characters: The "characters" of the story are mainly Robert and his family, with a splash of friends, schoolmates, doctors and teachers. All the characters are realistic in the setting (and of course they are all real life people as well). You can't tell if they were portrayed the way they actually were, but everyone seems to be acting realistically. No character seems out of place or unrealistic within the context of the story.

Robert's character (of himself) also acts realistically for his age. I've found in some memoirs that when the author writes about themselves that the child version of themselves acts like an adult. Child Robert acts like a child, which is refreshing. Little Robert isn't having intense emotions similar to an adults, he is acting and thinking like a child throughout the novel. A+ for characterization!

Themes/Creativity/Uniqueness: If this novel would have been Young Adult or aimed at the Adult audience (which Robert Hoge has an "Adult" version of this novel that you can also check out) there probably could have been more themes implemented. This book doesn't deal with some of the emotional pain and bullying that most likely happened. The pain isn't discussed as much as it probably happened, either. But, this book wasn't aimed at an audience that needs to feel that pain just yet. For the audience it's made for, it does it's job. It explains how he was bullied and puts a light spin on the names he was called. 

The main theme of this story seemed like "Be yourself" or "Nobody is perfect". Robert could have gotten more surgeries to look more "normal" but he didn't want to. Why would he want to go through more pain, time out for surgery, and the possibility for further injury just to look "normal". Everyone has their differences, and Robert constantly highlights this throughout the book. Nobody is truly normal - there are individuals with physical, mental, physiological and psychological changes out there. There are no two people alike - even twins are different with their personalities and interests. If people weren't quick to judge and accepted differences, perhaps this world would be a better place.

Overall, the themes and creativity within this book were tremendous. Yes, I would have liked Robert to expand on many topics, but this book wouldn't have adapted well for children if he did.

Strengths: Robert's ability to write to a younger audience but have an adult audience enjoy the book as well is perhaps the greatest strength. He rivals JK Rowling with that ability, and he deserves the recognition. He also deserves a lot of credit for being able to write a story about being different and have it so warm-hearted. He put such a wonderful spin on something that could have been very terrible for him. I appreciate his work, and he deserves lots and lots of press for this book.

Weaknesses: His weaknesses within this book are mainly the themes and context that readers wanted - but readers need to be aware that this specific version of the story was adapted for children. Yes, I would have liked to see more of the struggle of his story and understand what he went through (the bullying, the pain, the thought process), but children don't always understand those aspects of an adult's story. Adults understand adults, children do not understand adults. 

Score: 5 out of 5. 

Robert Hoge's book is inspiring and uplifting. This inspirational read is truly a gem and I would love for more people to read this book. It addresses many topics that schools are trying to plant within their curriculums - embracing differences, dealing with bullying, and adapting to change. This book was incredible, and I can not give it enough stars or great reviews.

** spoiler alert **
           ** spoiler alert ** Book Review:
Title: Ugly
Author: Robert Hoge
Date Read: September 28th - October 4th, 2016
Date Reviewed: October 6th, 2016


Introduction: I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. When I read the synopsis of this novel I was incredibly intrigued. A memoir of the life of a child that went through surgeries due to birth defects seemed realistic and interesting. Most school aged children (and even adults) feel like they don't fit in, so reading a story about a life long battle with trying to fit in and how Robert Hoge managed to keep going made my heart warm.


Spoilers Ahead?: Yes.

Quick Summary: Robert Hoge was born with a few issues - he had a tumor on his face and his legs did not form correctly. As a small child, he went through surgeries to remove parts of his legs (to the knee and above the knee), remove the tumor on his face and realign his facial features to appear more 'normal'. Throughout his life Robert had to learn how to adapt - like walking with mechanical legs, deal with bullying, and making life decisions regarding future surgeries. This story is uplifting and inspiring to read, and this version of the story is written as a kid friendly story.

Evaluations: I loved this book - it was inspiring, beautifully written and aimed at the right audience. This easy read was made so children would be not only interested but able to understand. Robert Hoge uses metaphors and similes to explain how it feels to be different, which I think will help the audience grasp a better understanding. Overall, I'm impressed. I would definitely suggest that anyone read this novel, and if possible that school's should adapt the book into their reading curriculum. If more people understand, perhaps there would be less bullying and hate in this world.

Plot: The content of this story revolves around Robert Hoge's life and his struggles. It starts from when he was born, to when he was in his pre-teens. If anything, I would have liked to see what his struggles look like now, but I don't know if that would have worked with the audience he was writing to. Children want to hear about lives similar to theirs, so perhaps it was for the best.

The plot moves quick enough to keep the reader interested. I was more than impressed with how the story was adapted - a child could easily read this book and understand, but as an adult I also enjoyed the novel. It's hard to find stories that translate well for both kids and adult. I applaud Robert on how well he wrote this story.

I haven't been able to find any problems with the story itself. It's a great narrative with lots of substance - not only is there a story to be told, but Robert explains how he feels, and how the reader might feel. His metaphors work well with the audience - making a clay head that's perfect, but suddenly there's a giant piece of clay in the middle - and he continues to reference them throughout the novel for further understanding.

Overall, the context of the words in this book are excellent. The author tells a great story, and the fact that it was a true story, a memoir, that makes it even better.

Characters: The "characters" of the story are mainly Robert and his family, with a splash of friends, schoolmates, doctors and teachers. All the characters are realistic in the setting (and of course they are all real life people as well). You can't tell if they were portrayed the way they actually were, but everyone seems to be acting realistically. No character seems out of place or unrealistic within the context of the story.

Robert's character (of himself) also acts realistically for his age. I've found in some memoirs that when the author writes about themselves that the child version of themselves acts like an adult. Child Robert acts like a child, which is refreshing. Little Robert isn't having intense emotions similar to an adults, he is acting and thinking like a child throughout the novel. A+ for characterization!

Themes/Creativity/Uniqueness: If this novel would have been Young Adult or aimed at the Adult audience (which Robert Hoge has an "Adult" version of this novel that you can also check out) there probably could have been more themes implemented. This book doesn't deal with some of the emotional pain and bullying that most likely happened. The pain isn't discussed as much as it probably happened, either. But, this book wasn't aimed at an audience that needs to feel that pain just yet. For the audience it's made for, it does it's job. It explains how he was bullied and puts a light spin on the names he was called.

The main theme of this story seemed like "Be yourself" or "Nobody is perfect". Robert could have gotten more surgeries to look more "normal" but he didn't want to. Why would he want to go through more pain, time out for surgery, and the possibility for further injury just to look "normal". Everyone has their differences, and Robert constantly highlights this throughout the book. Nobody is truly normal - there are individuals with physical, mental, physiological and psychological changes out there. There are no two people alike - even twins are different with their personalities and interests. If people weren't quick to judge and accepted differences, perhaps this world would be a better place.

Overall, the themes and creativity within this book were tremendous. Yes, I would have liked Robert to expand on many topics, but this book wouldn't have adapted well for children if he did.

Strengths: Robert's ability to write to a younger audience but have an adult audience enjoy the book as well is perhaps the greatest strength. He rivals JK Rowling with that ability, and he deserves the recognition. He also deserves a lot of credit for being able to write a story about being different and have it so warm-hearted. He put such a wonderful spin on something that could have been very terrible for him. I appreciate his work, and he deserves lots and lots of press for this book.

Weaknesses: His weaknesses within this book are mainly the themes and context that readers wanted - but readers need to be aware that this specific version of the story was adapted for children. Yes, I would have liked to see more of the struggle of his story and understand what he went through (the bullying, the pain, the thought process), but children don't always understand those aspects of an adult's story. Adults understand adults, children do not understand adults.

Score: 5 out of 5.

Robert Hoge's book is inspiring and uplifting. This inspirational read is truly a gem and I would love for more people to read this book. It addresses many topics that schools are trying to plant within their curriculums - embracing differences, dealing with bullying, and adapting to change. This book was incredible, and I can not give it enough stars or great reviews

Home for the Hoges was a bayside suburb of Brisbane. Robert s parents, Mary and Vince, knew that his life would be difficult, but they were determined to give him a typical Australian childhood. So along with the regular, gruelling and often dangerous operations that made medical history and gradually improved Robert s life, there were bad haircuts, visits to the local pool, school camps and dreams of summer sports. Ugly is Robert s account of his life, from the time of his birth to the arrival of his own daughter. It is a story of how the love and support of his family helped him to overcome incredible hardships. It is also the story of an extraordinary person living an ordinary life, which is perhaps his greatest achievement of all.

My Memoir

Nadine 

This book would be a great companion book to Palaccio's "Wonder" as it's a real life tale of a person who was born with multiple issues due to a brain tumor. The book is interesting in that it's factual and a first person account of living through this. However, it fails on a number of levels to reach its true potential. The writing begins very strongly in the first chapters, but then descends into a more pedestrian description of incidents. Also to appeal to students beyond the narrative element, pictures, xRays, newspaper articles, more medical information (at the right level) etc would increase the appeal of the book.