Monday 19 October 2009

My Thoughts: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld


After whinging about having readers block I then went and read all afternoon and a lot of the evening, it was still a bit of a struggle, I kept getting figgity but I managed to read for a decent length of time. Luckily I had the rilliant Scott Westerfeld to get me through.

Near about everyone in blogland seems to have read these - although they seem pretty unheard of on English book blogging sites.
Ugles is the first book in a quartet based in a country where between the ages of 12 to 16 you become an Ugly. You leave segregated away from your parents along with all the other uglies. Everyone is normal looking, they have unsymmetrical faces, spots, greasy hair, they may be slightly to fat or a bit to thin. They all look different and therefore are deemed Ugly.
They dream of being 16 of becoming a Pretty from the day of their 16th birthday when they will be whisked off for plastic surgery to make them look perfect. In New Pretty land not only does everyone have large sensual lips and big doe eyes, but they are allowed to party all night and day until they become middle pretties and have jobs and kids and stuff.
Tally can't wait for her chance to be 16, until she meets and befriends Shay, a girl who reveals to her that not everyone wants to be a Pretty and in fact some go off and live in a hidden city over where the Rusties (us) used to live, before we screwed up the world. I was shocked at her decision at the ending, looking forward to seeing where things go next.

A great teen read, good for adults to read as well. I'm looking forward to Pretties, the next book in the series which I have siting on my desk, its fast looking like it is going to be read for the read-a-thon this weekend.

Challenges:
Barts YA Dystopian Chalenge
The Scott Westerfeld Mini Challenge.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Whilst I never enjoyed this series as much as The Midnighters, they are all as good as this one.

(Don't forget to post it to the reviews page!:http://www.bartsbookshelf.co.uk/ya-dystopian-reading-challenge/ya-dystiopian-reading-challenge-reviews/)

Andi said...

Somehow I've managed to NOT read these yet (no idea how), but I really want to. Love that cover, by the way. It's far better than the American one.

Cecelia said...

I read these 'after everyone else' too...and then found out (via comments) that not 'everyone' had actually read them. This series is definitely addicting, though I have to say I liked Uglies and Extras best of all.
And I agree with Andi - that cover is awesome. The American one is what turned me off of reading the series for so long.
Great little review, by the way, and best of luck with the rest of your YA dystopian challenge items!

Louise said...

I just read this one so you are not the only one who had not read them previously :-) Was a great read, but I liked other books I've read for the YA challenge better.

http://louspages.blogspot.com/2009/12/uglies-by-scott-westerfeld.html