April BotM: Uglies (Uglies #1) by Scott Westerfield

Format: Paperback
Pages: 425
Published: 3rd Jan 2006
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's
Genre: YA Sci-Fi, Dystopia

Description:
Tally lives in a world where your sixteenth birthday brings aesthetic perfection: an operation which erases all your flaws, transforming you from an 'Ugly' into a 'Pretty'. She is on the eve of this important event, and cannot wait for her life to change. As well as guaranteeing supermodel looks, life as a Pretty seems to revolve around having a good time. But then she meets Shay, who is also fifteen - but with a very different outlook on life. Shay isn't sure she wants to be Pretty and plans to escape to a community in the forest - the Rusty Ruins - where Uglies go to escape ' turning'. Tally won't be persuaded to join her, as this would involve sacrificing everything she's ever wanted for a lot of uncertainty. When she is taken in for questioning on her birthday, however, Tally gets sent to the Ruins anyway - against her will. The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she could ever imagine: find her friend Shay and turn her in, or never turn Pretty at all. What she discovers in the Ruins reveals that there is nothing 'pretty' about the transformations...And the choice Tally makes will change her world forever.

Review:
I have been eying these books for well over a year. I kept meaning to buy the first one but something else always caught my eye. So I decided to buy a used copy on Amazon and yet it still sat on my bookcase for months. I am kicking myself now for leaving it so long. Uglies was a wonderful read.

Uglies is set in a future world where when you turn sixteen you go through an operation to turn you from Ugly to Pretty. Young Tally wants nothing more to turn Pretty. Her best friend Peris has already Pretty and she is now alone. One day she mets Shay and they form a friendship out of loneliness and grow very close. However, Shay doesn't want to turn Pretty so she runs away to the Smoke. Suddenly Tally's world is turn upside when she is forced to find Shay, turn her in to the Specials or stay Ugly forever.

At first I found this book very slow I think I had really high expections from this book and was just disappointed. However after about 70 pages into it I really started to enjoy it. I really loved Tally as main character. She is really fun to read. Always playing tricks and sneaking around. She was just really fun to read. We also see another side to her when she is forced to travel to the Smoke. She is alone and scared on her travels and when she gets there you really feel what she is feeling and how she is confused. I have to admit though I really didn't like Shay, I don't know what it was about her. You sometimes just don't click with a character. Although I do understand her at one point when she is jealous of Tally and David growing friendship. I really liked David. He is an really nice guy who falls for Tally when he meets her. The cast of characters overall and a very mixed bunch. The main and secondary characters bring something different to the story and its very interesting and keeps the story full of suspence.

As mentioned above I did find the start of the story a bit too slow and it left me slightly disappointed at first. However the once the story picks up. WOW its really picks up. Its full of action and suspense and the ending it just wonderful. I want to share the end quote because just love Tally attitude but I won't because it's a major spoiler.

I highly recommend this to anyone who likes their Dystopia fiction and to those who don't its a great starter book into the wonderful genre of YA Dystopia, its easy to follow yet packs alot of meaning. So if you haven't read Uglies yet then please get out there and give it a try.



Rate: 4/5
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4 comments :

  1. I'm glad you wound up enjoying Uglies despite the slow start! This book started my love of Dystopian, though I didn't realize this until Hunger Games! I really like the new cover art about to come out, too! Very eye-catching!

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  2. I noticed them on Amazon US they look very cool Although I still prefer the old UK ones that match the above edition.

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  3. i been reading a lot more wierd and wonderful books of late unwind and the maze runner and this series really sound good im going to have to get it great review by the way

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  4. I didnt like The Maze Runner. I tried reading but gave up. Ive not read Unwind yet but I want to.

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