Uglies
By Scott Westerfeld
Published: Febuary 8th, 2005
Publisher: Simon Pulse Genre: Young Adult
Series: First Book in the 'Uglies' series Format: Paperback
Pages: 425 Cover Art I don't really feel much of anything about these covers. The book that I purchased has the cover on the left; it is OK, not terrible but definitely didn't catch my eye in the shop or make me have to have the book. Only after reading to you understand the significance of the hoverboard that is featured. I don't really like the middle cover as I am not a huge fan of photographs of people on covers...I think it's because I like my imagination to create what the characters look like not the publisher! The one on the right is also fairly average, although I do think this one would have got me more interested in the book if I'd seen it in a shop. It is a more visual representation of the premise of the book as well I think. Plot Synopsis
This book focuses on a 15 year old girl called Tally Youngblood who is about to turn sixteen. When she does, she which will finally be eligible for the extreme cosmetic surgery which will make her a Pretty and she will be able to move from Uglyville into New Pretty Town, something she has wanted and dreamed of since she was a Littlie. However, things don't go to plan on her birthday and Tally ends up on an adventure crossing the wider world, where she realises that things weren't as simple as she thought they were and she starts to question everything she knew before.
My Rating
First Line
'The early summer sky was the color of cat vomit'
Review
I don't know about this book. I enjoyed it. I found it addictive. But it didn't really do it for me. It's not very...well imagined. Take all the plot holes in great YA like'The Hunger Games' and 'Divergent' and even 'Harry Potter' and multiply them by 20 and the result is this Swiss cheese of a novel. It's over simplified and the world is built on some very shaky foundations.
What I liked about this book to begin with was the way the main character, Tally, isn't your typical 'special' protagonist who thinks a different way to everyone else around her and is a heroic figure right from the beginning. She is the opposite; she is completely indoctrinated with the values of Uglyville and truly wants to be Pretty. She is not too intelligent or too moral to have second thoughts; it is what everyone has been told they want since they are born and what will make them happy so, naturally, she wants it. I found this to be a fresh approach as it can be very frustrating in YA fiction to always have the protagonist as this angelic person who rises above everything their society believes in because they are better than everyone else. Tally is much more normal and relate-able. At least at first.
I also liked the message of the book; that looking normal and natural is better than looking artificial and like everyone else. I am very against plastic surgery for purely cosmetic reasons and think it is a horrifying aspect of modern society that so many people believe they need it. People seem to believe that looking a certain way (usually changing facial or bodily features to fit in with the generally perceived idea of what is beautiful) will make them happier and more confident. It never does. You can never be perfect enough. It's something that really bothers me, and I hope that more than a few young girls have changed their minds about surgery from reading this book. Saying that, it does seem that Tally changes her mind a little too quickly in this novel; she goes from being completely repelled by Uglies to kissing them in a matter of days...but I guess this is a fast-paced novel so I can forgive it.
Tally does become a bit of a strange character in general. She commits one of the ultimate sins in YA fiction: she becomes a bit of a boyfriend stealer. I didn't like that. She's not very loyal and kindof gets swept away really easily by compliments she receives. She doesn't discover for herself that she looks fine the way she is and doesn't need an invasive procedure to sort her face out; she only changes her mind because a boy tells her she's beautiful. What if he turned around and said he thought she was ugly? The whole story would have played our differently and she would have been begging for that operation. I didn't really appreciate the way that a woman's self worth and body image are in the control of a man here. It happens too often in real life and girls shouldn't be taught that you can only feel good about yourself if you get male attention. That did not sit comfortably with me.
I will be reading the next book- I have just ordered a second-hand copy and am awaiting it's arrival, but looking at some of the reviews of the next books I may be giving an even more negative review next time. Hopefully I will actually be able to complete the series! Other Thoughts This Book has Inspired me to Read: 'Pretties' by Scott Westerfeld. Three Words to Describe this Book: Dystopian. Exciting. Average.
