Uglies Book Review

3rd Quarter Outside Reading Book Review
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. SIMON PULSE, 2005 Genre: Fiction
Uglies is the first book in a trilogy which includes Pretties (the second book), and Specials (third). The story takes places in a futuristic place called Uglyville, where, at the age of 16, you get an operation making you pretty and move to New Prettytown. But not all the Uglies are sure they want to be pretty. Some will run away to the Smoke, where many non-pretties live, but the government (AKA Special Circumstances) wants everyoene to become pretty. When a girl named Shay escapes to Smoke, Special Circumstances gives her almost sixteen year old friend Tally Youngblood (the main character) a choice- lead them to Smoke and betray her, or never become pretty. Ever.
From School Library Journal:
“Ethical concerns will provide a good source of discussion as honesty, justice, and free will are all oppressed in this well-conceived dystopia. Characterization, which flirts so openly with the importance of teen self-concept, is strong, and although lengthy, the novel is highly readable with a convincing plot that incorporates futuristic technologies and a disturbing commentary on our current public policies. Fortunately, the cliff-hanger ending promises a sequel.” -Susan W. Hunter
Uglies shows (I think) what will happen if people became so obsessed with their appearance that nothing else matters. To them, their world is a Utopia, and the Smokies are the only people who see that it isn’t one (and the Special Circimstances). It reminds me a lot of the book The Giver by Lois Lowry. I read that book a few years ago, and it’s the same plotline- a futuristic utopia that isn’t a utopia at all.
Scott Westerfeld uses many similes and metaphors in his descriptions. It really helps you get an idea of what he is talking about in the story.
“Her whole body writhed like a snake in its death throes.” Page 301
I really liked this book, and I thought it gave a good message about being pretty on the inside matters more than being pretty on the outside. I hope to read the rest of this series as soon as I can get my hands on them.