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David Is an Ugly Word

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Don’t judge a name by its colors.

MacKenzie Hamilton has the unique ability to see letters and numbers in colors. Her synesthesia seemed almost useless until she decided to start categorizing people based on their names’ color combinations. For instance, her parents’ names are pretty, so they’re destined to reconcile. And David Shaw, the boy next door, has an ugly name, so of course, she had to push him away. For three years, she’s lived with a false sense of security until senior year, when her color theory is put to the test in the worst way possible.

David Shaw doesn’t understand why MacKenzie ghosted him. One minute, they were BFFs, and the next, it was like he never existed. But with money being tight, he has bigger problems to worry about. College may not be in the cards, especially music school. When David is paired with MacKenzie for a class mock-marriage project, he hopes she’ll finally tell him what went wrong. He would love to be friends again … maybe even more.

The more they work together, the closer they become, causing MacKenzie to question her rationale for ditching David in the first place. Perhaps David’s name isn’t so ugly after all. As long as he never discovers why she shunned him, everything will work out. Famous last words.

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About the author

Cindy Dorminy

17 books164 followers
I'm just a girl born in a two traffic light town, raised in the burbs, and now lives in Music City, USA. I love reading and writing YA and adult sweet romances about love when it's least expected.

My must haves when writing:
Diet Coke
Pretzels (or Gold Fish)
Netflix
My sweet dachshund

I recently built a she-shed and I'm in love with it!!! It's all mine - no music instruments allowed (ahem, hubby).

Sign up for my newsletter to hear about my latest bookish news. (I promise I won't fill your inbox with tons of mail).

http://www.cindydwrites.com


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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Profile Image for Hope Gibbs.
Author 2 books109 followers
March 31, 2023
McKenzie Hamilton and David Shaw have been neighbors and friends for years, growing up next to one another on a quiet street in Nashville. Entering their senior year, along with McKenzie’s twin brother, Michael, they have both endured a lot in their short lives. McKenzie’s parents are separated and David is still grieving his mother’s death. But they have each other to lean on when things get tough. That is until one day, out of the blue, she stops talking to her long-time friend, avoiding him like the plague, much to his shock and dismay.

However, it’s tough to ignore David completely. He’s Michael’s best friend and he and his bandmates, Nash Trash, are always practicing at McKenzie’s house, much to her annoyance. Though hurt by his old friend’s behavior towards him, deep down, David still cares deeply for McKenzie, secretly harboring a crush on her. But she has a secret of her own, something that only her twin knows—she has synesthesia. She SEES letters and numbers as colors. Because of this, she has put everything in her life into categories. Food, her high school class schedule, even people. Especially people. If your name has an appealing color combination, she’ll trust you. If not, she fears you will let her down in some way, and she bolts. And guess what? David is an “ugly” word.

When an unexpected class project brings the two together, McKenzie will either have to endure a month with her old friend or risk failing the assignment. Can she put "colors" aside and not judge someone simply by their name?

Told in dual POVs, DAVID IS AN UGLY WORD is an absolutely charming book! You'll instantly fall in love with McKenzie and David's chemistry and banter, rooting for them throughout. This is a perfect read for spring. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews.
2,849 reviews209 followers
March 8, 2023
Teenage angst is the worst! But this new novel reminded me of the drama I dealt with as a teen and how it impacted my life.

This story is told from two points of view - Kenzie and David. They are paired together for a project at school which is a problem for Kenzie just because of David's name. She has synesthesia which allows her to see letters and numbers in color. However, Kenzie has permitted this to cripple her and how she sees people, including David. There are times when she acts like a spoiled brat because of this, which is all wrong. After all, who decides what colors are good or bad?

David has his own issues. His mother passed away when he was younger, his dad works hard, but they don't have a lot of material goods (which isn't a bad thing), and he has a younger sister, Fiona, that can be quite a handful. That hasn't stopped how he feels about Kenzie and loving her from afar.

I wasn't quite sure how to feel about Kenzie. She seemed very childish when it came to her synesthesia, and expected her visions of color to be 100% accurate. Nothing could be further from the truth. It takes time to be proven incorrect in her thoughts about names and numbers.

I admired David and his desire to improve his life. This included applying for a full scholarship to the college of his dreams. He enlists Kenzie's help, but more as a bribe to complete their class project on his own if she will help him with part of his scholarship application. I chuckled when Kenzie thought this would be a slam dunk, yet something kept happening to the website that she was creating for David as part of his application. Turns out there were other factors at play, but I won't spoil that for you, so read the book to discover that for yourself.

I enjoyed the interactions between David and Kenzie as they both learned to let down some of their walls with each other. I chuckled many times during the conversations between Kenzie and her twin brother Michael. There is something about emotional blackmail from stupid things we do as kids that is funnier years later.

This YA novel was a delight to read and we give it 4 1/2 paws up.
Profile Image for Ade.
707 reviews26 followers
March 5, 2023
4.5⭐️

I enjoyed this book. It was refreshing to read. I loved everything bit from start to finish. It opened my eyes to see and understand synesthesia and how it affects people and their relationships with others.

I loved the project idea that brought together the main characters and wish that this can be replicated in real life.

It was fun reading about high schoolers and their antics. All of the characters were good, perfectly delivering their roles and doing what was expected of them.

I love David. Wise for his age. Forced to grow up through no fault of his. I love his dedication and love for his family and friends.

There were tender and romantic moments but this is as clean as they come as it is a kids just coming of age.

Although it is written from the dual point of view, it would have helped to know which character was talking. I got a little lost trying to figure out which character was talking early in the book.

If you are looking for a young adult book, this comes highly recommended.
Profile Image for Nikita Stanley.
445 reviews7 followers
March 8, 2023
A beautiful, eye-opening story!

This is a story that may seem like a quirky and angsty teenage love story, but it is so much more!

This book opened my eyes to a rare condition I didn’t even know existed and I absolutely LOVED how the author brought this story life.

It really resonated how easily one’s perceptions and biases can limit one’s life, and that it’s not always a conscious choice, simply one’s own “normal”.

This book delves into a rare genetic condition where one’s senses overlap, rendering the bearer’s perception of letters, words, colors etc different than most others.

This is a beautiful story where the main character learns not to limit her views while navigating her normal.

This story was sweet, funny, and eye-opening. Most importantly, this story was told with love and respect and is clearly near to the author’s heart (further indicates by the dedication and the acknowledgments).

This is a must read! Note: this book is a clean YA contemporary romance that is safe for readers younger than 18!
501 reviews
February 19, 2023
MacKenzie and David are high school seniors, neighbors, and used-to-be friends. The chapters alternate between them, telling their own point-of-view. MacKenzie has synesthesia; she sees letters and numbers as colors. She came up with a color system and categorized people into good or bad according to the colors. David's letters are ugly, and to her, ugly names always let her down. During a school project where they are assigned as partners, MacKenzie starts to realize maybe you shouldn't judge someone by the color of their name. Along with humor and sass, this is a sweet and charming story about acceptance, friendship, and budding romance that is perfect for teens and adults that are still young at heart. Thanks to author Cindy Dorminy. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
334 reviews1 follower
February 27, 2023
This was a sweet feel-good young romance that has the reader riveted from page 1. Kenzie is synesthestic and is grateful that her twin Michael always has her back. David is a dear friend of Michael’s and used to be good friends with Kenzie, and is desperately vying for her attention. Kenzie and her senses detest any word that does not sit well, and David is a word that Kenzie is unable to cope with. When a school project pairs them up as partners, much to Kenzie’s chagrin, what happens with their lives is what Dorminy narrates in her lovely tale. The characterisation is delightful and all characters share splendid chemistry. I loved the dual person narration that added to the charm of the story. I definitely recommend giving this a read. I’m thankful to Cindy Dorminy and Red Adept Publishing for gifting me with a copy of this book.
Profile Image for Lily.
3,329 reviews116 followers
March 7, 2023
I know this is geared for young adults, but I loved it! It was such a sweet romance. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like this, it was so unique, with characters so real you might run into them at your local coffee shop. It’s written in dual POV, so we really get insight into David and MacKenzie’s thoughts and motivations. I loved MacKenzie, and while her belief that her synesthesia was infallible was a bit naive, it made her endearing in a way. David has had a hard life, but hasn’t lost his spirit in it. It’s clear from the start that they’re definitely the perfect couple, even if MacKenzie doesn’t want to admit it. It was easy to get wrapped up in the story, and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a unique, sweet romance.

Profile Image for Sarah-Jane Fraser.
Author 9 books32 followers
March 7, 2023
This is an addictive YA sweet romance. It's a brilliant twist on a fake relationship trope with forced proximity fun told in dual POV. If you love a friends-to-enemies-to-budding-teen-romance kind of story with an intriguing subplot and fascinating backstory, then this is for you.

I hadn't heard of synesthesia until reading David is an Ugly Word, but, when raving about this book to friends and family, I've learned that it's less rare than I had realised, with friends of mine also living with this phenomenon. And the people I've told all about it can't wait to read it too.

No spoilers here, just me saying I would not hesitate to recommend this book. David is an Ugly Word, but Dorminy is a beautiful writer.
Profile Image for Kristie Wagner.
888 reviews28 followers
May 8, 2024
This was sweet and adorable in all the best ways. A school project brings together former best friends David and Kenzie, and they struggle to work together at first. For years, Kenzie has hated him and he's got no idea why. She starts to change her tune as they work together, but it's really hot and cold.

David has been holding out for her to forgive him for whatever it is he did, and is ecstatic when they start to become closer again. He's confused by her erratic behavior but doesn't want to waste the chance. Tackling big topics like divorce and death, this book took our characters through some pretty heavy stuff.

Of course, typical teen drama, which was really well done, and sprinkle in some twin magic and a band, and you've got a really heartwarming romance here.
Profile Image for Regina.
1,083 reviews
May 30, 2024
A truly delightful - and definitely NOT ugly! - story (potential color clashes notwithstanding).

I am a sucker for (former) friends-to-more stories, and the premise with Kenzie’s synesthesia throwing a wrench in the works drew me in from the get-go. Both Kenzie and David were so easy to root for, and I was cheering Kenzie on to overcome her preconceptions. Though I’ll admit that I can totally relate to Kenzie’s yearning for structure and a (seemingly) simple framework to help navigating her life, misguided as it might be in her case.

I also loved getting to know David’s and Kenzie’s families and friends, and I thoroughly enjoyed the banter and the family dynamics.

Overall, this was a sweet and funny (and clean) read that might have kept me up past my bedtime a time or two.
Profile Image for Audrey.
283 reviews10 followers
March 8, 2023
I can say I truly enjoyed reading David Is An Ugly Word by Cindy Dorminy. It is about a teenage girl who has synesthesia which means she can associate numbers and letters with colors and how it affects her life. It is told from a two-person perspective, Mackenzie and David. It was a cute story and I recommend reading it if you're looking for an easy-going YA read.
Profile Image for Valery.
Author 3 books23 followers
August 31, 2024
It's cute, but it's a bit annoying. A lot of the characters are cookie-cutter characters with no depth.

For my clean readers: language-some, but no f-bomb. Violence-nothing truly physical, but a lot of bullying. Romance-kissing and sexual innuendos. Discussion of anatomy at different ages. Porn is used as a joke.
257 reviews
July 20, 2025
MacKenzie Grace Hamilton has the neurological condition synaesthesia, where she sees letters and numbers in colours. Consequently, she categorises everything in her life, e.g. food and her class schedule, into good or bad, based on the resulting colour combinations. Even people are not exempt. In this way, she doesn’t have to go through the heartache when someone let her down. She knew from the get-go how someone would behave. For three years, this method gives her a false sense of security. Unfortunately, David Shaw, the boy next door and her previous BFF, was a casualty. He couldn’t understand what he’d done to deserve her shunning him.

MacKenzie knew that David had a huge crush on her. He has done so since he was twelve, when she held him in her arms on the night his mother died. In senior year, she and David are paired for a class social experiment, a mock marriage. They have to make decisions together, learn what the other wants in a partner, work on a budget, and take care of their offspring. At the end, they have to present their outcomes and what they learned about each other. MacKenzie hopes the project will prove that they’re not compatible.

I thought this book a bit corny. The author was trying too hard to evoke emotions from the reader/listener, e.g. with the mother dying from cancer, from the daughter hoping that her parents would reconcile, with the cute sister and the puppy.

It’s the typical story of the boy next door, with his and her bedroom windows facing each other.

The class project idea was great. I would have liked more on that rather than the synaesthesia, which to me, again, seemed more a forced issue. The presentation of the project was lame. These bits tended to be rehashed and dragged on.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews

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