Tally is an Ugly eagerly looking forward to her 16th birthday when she will be able to have the surgery that makes her a pretty. You see, new pretties get to have all the fun, and well, they aren't ugly. There's no reason to not look forward to that time. At least for most people. Tally's friend Shay has decided instead to run off to a secret place where no one has the surgery. Tally doesn't understand why Shay would want to do something like that, but when the government forces Tally to go look for her friend or not receive her surgery, she is taken to a world where things are not always what they seem. Tally isn't sure whether spying is the right thing to do at all.
Tally isn't wishy washy like some characters can be. Sure she changes her opinion a bit but its done in a very believable way. She has a lot of growth in the novel and while she has superficial tendencies, she's a good person. Shay on the other hand I think gets all the bad luck. I couldn't help but feel sorry for her throughout the whole novel. It was interesting to see the comparison between the "uglies" and the "pretties." Something very different is there and its fascinating to read about.
For a plot I think this one had a really good premise. The book starts out a bit slow in the beginning but you're quickly enveloped in the storyline, and if you're like me, can't set the book down. Westerfeld has also done a great job of incorporating new language and slang for the time his book is held in. The little nuances make everything believable and he treats the new technology like something that's been around forever; which in the character's eyes, it has. Since this book was written for young adults, there isn't strong language or heavy adult themes, but it is still not a book I picture a younger child being able to read just because the writing is more sophisticated.
I can't wait to read the next book in the series. An extra trip to the bookstore is in store for me I believe.
Uglies
Copyright 2005
425 pages
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