I read PRETTY/UGLY as part of a book club and while I can’t think of another book in this exact genre (I think it’s literary horror) that I’ve read before, I was immediately sucked in by the author’s storytelling and skillful way of painting pictures with words. We follow several characters as a global pandemic breaks out. For all of us who have recently lived through a global pandemic and had to deal with the trauma and anxiety of that experience in our own ways, this isn’t always an easy read. But it tells an important story, and I loved how the backstories of Omelia and Sam were developed in such a way, tragic as they were, that made me feel for them so deeply. That to me, is the mark of a great book, one that makes you feel and think about the characters long after the book is over. 5/5 stars. ( )