Uglies
I just finished the book, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. It’s a young adult novel, so it’s a quick and fun read. Even though it’s a teen book, the premise of the story is set in hardcore sci fi. Our heroine, Tally, lives in a world where everyone is blessed with being pretty on their sixteenth birthday. They endure surgeries that make them beautiful. Everyone in the city is beautiful after they get their operation. She eagerly awaits the day that she can become pretty and join her friend, Peris, on the other side of the river.
While counting the time to her birthday, she meets Shay, a girl her same age. Instead of counting time until her birthday, Shay isn’t really looking forward to the operation. She likes herself the way she is: ugly and a little too skinny. Tally is given a choice to run away from the city, her parents and Peris to go to a place where you never get your operation.
This book felt like it started in the middle of a big mess, but the situation keeps getting messier and messier. I was describing it to Mike the other day, “It’s like a Lois McMaster Bujold book where things keep getting more complicated the further we get into the book.” Mike was quiet for a second and then answered, “If he solves the problems at the end of the book, he’s like Bujold, but if he leaves all the problems open for the sequel, then he’s like David Brin.”
Everything isn’t tied into a neat little package at the end of the book. The major problems are taken care of, but a new problem starts right at the end of the book. Now, I’m eagerly awaiting the sequel, Pretties.
Update 03-28-08: Here are my reviews of the other books in the series.
Here are also my reviews of other Scott Westerfeld books:
This book was really good.
Comment by Kelly — 2/18/2006 @ 11:06 am
i liked the book,it just kept you reading and not what to put the book down!
Comment by Caitlyn — 3/14/2006 @ 5:51 pm
Uglies is my favorite book. I think the second book in the series is even more exciting. And I am counting down the days till the 3rd and final one comes out. My mother-daughter book club is reading it and our meeting is tomorrow. Guess who is hosting it? Yours truly!
Comment by Ginna Claire — 3/18/2006 @ 1:57 pm
I just finished Uglies as my first summer read. It was wonderful. It kept me in constant suspense and the characters were filled with a certain longing in each goal that made me urge myself to suck in every detail, in a trance. I absolutely loved it and am already on to Pretties.
Comment by Mandy — 6/15/2006 @ 8:05 pm
Good Job, Mandy!
I’ll tell you, I love EVERYTHING Scott Westerfeld has written. After you finish Pretties and Specials, get So Yesterday. It’s a great story. It’s not sci-fi like Uglies and Pretties. It’s set in current times and the hero is a trend-watcher who is able to tell big companies what is cool (since corporations are so clueless). That plot sounded so boring to me that I didn’t read So Yesterday for a long time. I was totally surprised at how much action it had.
He also has a book called Peeps. It’s a fantasy novel about vampires. I know, that sounds so lame. They aren’t the Anne Rice type of Victorian vampires. These are really cool cannibals and our hero hunts them down. I wrote a review about that one.
http://laura.moncur.org/archives/2005/10/24/peeps/
Specials comes out in four days. I can’t wait!
Comment by Laura Moncur — 6/15/2006 @ 8:50 pm
yes. i just got finished reading the book also. it was amazing. i’m going 2 read the other trilogies. if u wanna knoe they are called Pretties,and Specials. check them out scott really did his thang on dez books hurr!!!!!!!
Comment by tierra — 8/31/2006 @ 6:34 pm
Do you know what time frame the book Uglies is set in? Like, what year?
Comment by Mandy — 10/11/2006 @ 2:55 pm
I believe its set 300 years from now. They mention it in Specials ( 3rd book ).
Comment by Kim — 10/28/2006 @ 11:56 am
I loved this book! I read it in one day. I can’t wait to get pretties and specials. In the uglies book I had there was an included preview to pretties. I read it and I was horrified! David never came! Please tell me- does David ever come for Tally? I want to know really bad!
Comment by Mia — 11/3/2006 @ 9:15 am
This is by far my most favorite book. Truly amazing.
Comment by Andrea — 11/20/2006 @ 3:27 pm
I just got through reading this book, and I really liked it! I didn’t like the way it ended, though. Scott ended it like that, so we are so anxious to read the second part!! Cause I’m dying to find out! I’m a very impatient person! I hope David comes back for her because I think that it is so sweet what they have going on! He loves her because he thinks she is beautiful on the inside, and doesn’t care what she looks like on the outside! It’s super sweet, I think her and Peris should remain Best friends, like her and Shay, and Peris and Shay should wind up together!! I don’t know! I will be really really excited to read the next one if I can manage to find it!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by Joannie — 11/22/2006 @ 10:05 am
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! I can’t wait to read the next 2 books. ugh the suspense is like killing me. I hope David comes back
Comment by Rachel — 12/13/2006 @ 6:58 pm
OMG i love this book as soon as i read the first chapter i got so into it that i could not put it down now i just started reading the second book and it even better like just the charecters and the plot of the story is great i cant wait to read the third one!!!
Comment by brianna — 1/15/2007 @ 8:48 am
I just finished the uglies ohh i love that book!!!! and the end is great….and i have just started the Prettys it is soo good but confusing at first i had to read the 2 chapetrs over twice :P
i reconmend this book to any teenager girl!
Comment by Michele — 1/16/2007 @ 3:27 pm
Hayy! Uglies is my fav book ever, rock on!
Comment by Skye — 1/29/2007 @ 10:23 am
I love the trilogy its the best read ever! especially uglies! u rok Scott Westerfeld!
Comment by Patricia Cunnington — 2/17/2007 @ 11:22 pm
Uglies is a really great book, I’m going to be reading it again as part of my book club. Then I’ll move on to the next two! I really like Scott Westerfeld’s writing!
Comment by Roxanne — 3/2/2007 @ 10:29 am
i absoulutly [ L O V E] this book i read it in 2 days same along with the pretties and specials i really think you are talented and it made alot of sense, and i thnk it might actually happen in the future
Comment by Danielle — 4/5/2007 @ 11:38 am
Hello, i haven’t read this book yet, but i can’t wait to!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by Claire — 6/4/2007 @ 9:20 pm
i just got done reading this book about an hour ago, and i really liked it! i read it in about 5 hours! now i can’t wait to read Pretties and Specials.
Comment by Alie — 6/11/2007 @ 12:55 pm
I am reading it for a reading competition and it has taken me a long time to read. I like the book and the storyline but I just can’t get into it for some reason.
Comment by kathleen — 7/1/2007 @ 8:55 pm
I’ve read the Uglies, Pretties, and am almost through with the Specials. Its a really amazing trilogy, and I don’t want it to end, so I’m reading the Specials EXTRA SLOWLY. I’m so eager to find out how it all ends…I can barely stop reading!!
Comment by Gabriella — 10/28/2007 @ 8:30 am
I absolutely love these books my sister had read them and so I then started. I finished uglies in two days and pretties in one I could not put them down. I cant wait to get the third
Comment by ashley — 12/22/2007 @ 6:39 pm
What happens after Tally goes looking for Shay.
Comment by Marko — 12/27/2007 @ 1:12 pm
i love the three books i could not put them down!!!!!! Brovo Zulu
Comment by cynthia — 1/7/2008 @ 10:10 am
omg i LOVE this book!!! i got it from my uncle for Christmas this year and im already just about finished with the 2nd one(Pretties)!!! once you start a Scott Westerfield book, you WILL NOT be able to put it down!!! hope you love it as much as i do!!! :D:D
Comment by CarrieBeth — 2/19/2008 @ 7:33 pm
REPLY TO GABRIELLA!!!!
idk if you knew or not, but S.W. wrote a 4th book to the trilogy just recently released called “Extras” i havent read it yet but ive heard its good!!!
Comment by CarrieBeth — 2/19/2008 @ 7:35 pm
I just finished reading Extras last night and it’s the PERFECT addition to the series! Just when I thought there was nowhere else for the series to go, Westerfeld pulls this one out of his mind!
AWESOME!
Comment by Laura Moncur — 2/20/2008 @ 9:54 am
i think this book was very inriguing, but younger children may want to read this novel
Comment by Tharwa — 2/27/2008 @ 9:17 pm
It only took me one nite to finish this book it was that great.
Comment by Will — 3/1/2008 @ 4:07 pm
I am reading Uglies as of right now for an english book report, which i may say i procrastinated on by not reading the book until a few days before my report is due. I have only been reading this book for a few hours, but i love it! There is so much suspence and i never know what is going to happen next. I can’t wait until i finish the book to read Pretties!
xoxo -kayt
Comment by kayt — 3/2/2008 @ 5:01 pm
I read Uglies within two days because I just couldn’t put it down. I finished Pretties in a day and a half and I’m so eager to get Specials. David didn’t come after Tally, Croy ended up coming back for her. But when she does go back to the Ruins, David is the one to pick her up and take her to the New Smoke.
So interesting I’m in LOVE with these books.
Comment by Kayla — 3/6/2008 @ 5:27 pm
this book had such an interesting twist i really enjoyed the differant feel to it
Comment by annemarie — 3/26/2008 @ 5:28 pm
i just finished specials and i read uglies and pretties
i don’t know if i’m going to read extras. the characters are different.
and that makes me really mad because i’ve waited since i finished uglies for david and tally to get back together, and as soon as they do, the fourth book changes everything!
if anyone has read it already, let me know how it is.
Comment by lindsay — 3/27/2008 @ 8:35 pm
Lindsay,
It’s supposed to be a secret, but I promise you will see more of David and Tally in Extras. Plus, you’ll get to love Aya Fuse as much as all the others. Here is my review of Extras:
http://www.quotationspage.com/weblog/2008-02-27-extras-by-scott-westerfeld/
Give it a chance!
Laura Moncur
Comment by Laura Moncur — 3/28/2008 @ 7:00 am
I had 60 pages to go in the uglies book then i droped in the ocean in edypt. i was sooo gutted i was where Tally and David had just met 3 new runaways! what happens next!! i can’t get the book cause the libary doesn’t have it! if a uglies book with a music credit washes up on your beach plz giv it back! ive started pritties but i wanna know what happens to croy, david, davids mum + davids dad!! so gutted still but try reading chreab books there great i stole my bros when my book sunk into the red sea, bit like uglies but its a junier MI6!! great but a bit rate or slat!!!
Comment by Flo — 4/27/2008 @ 10:43 am
I loved that book!!!!! It was the best book I ever read!!!!! I really trying to get the pretties at my school library. But I got no luck! so I search for it everytime I go to the library. But I might just go to a local library to get it. I used it for a school project too! Well to sum it up, that was a awesome book!!!!
Comment by Priscilla — 10/13/2008 @ 2:59 pm
The book caught my attention when Tally goes to see Peris! I love that part!
Comment by maryam — 11/25/2008 @ 5:24 pm