Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Genre: Juvenile Science Fiction

Published in 2005

Recommended Age Group: 14 and Up

Summary: Uglies is set about three hundred years in the future and is about a culture where at the age of 16 everyone gets changed from being ugly (or normal) into supermodel beautiful through an operation and then they move to New Pretty Town. We follow the story of Tally, an ugly who is about to change. She and her best friend Peris make a deal that they’ll stay friends even though he gets to change over three months ahead of her. Tally is surprised when he doesn’t keep his end of the bargain and acts weird when she sneaks over to New Pretty Town to see him. On the way back she meets Shay and they spend the next three months becoming fast friends. Tally is surprised at Shay’s lack of enthusiasm about the change but thinks nothing of it until about a week before they are to change Shay tells her about Smoke, a secret city, and her desire to run away and not be pretty. Tally then must pick sides and decide which she wants more, to be pretty or to keep her new friend.

Personal Notes: This book was not at all what I expected it to be but it was much better. My sister recommended it to me and I've been surprised how often it's come up since.  I was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected sci-fi element. I also enjoyed that the plot didn’t go how I anticipated it to. There were surprises along the way that definitely kept me reading with interest. Overall a great read and a captivatingly fresh breeze in the literary world.

Other reviews available:

Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

Specials by Scott Westerfeld

Extras by Scott Westerfeld