Review: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Description from Goodreads:

Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. Not for her license—for turning pretty. In Tally's world, your sixteenth birthday brings an operation that turns you from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks Tally will be there.

But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to be pretty. She'd rather risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world—and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. The choice Tally makes changes her world forever.

Review:

I highly enjoyed Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. This is the first in a series: Uglies, Pretties, Specials and Extras. At first, I was sceptical about the book as the blurb did it little justice- I got the impression that it was about teenagers partying day and night. However, Uglies tackled some very difficult yet important issues such as the definition of beauty, friendship, acceptance and ethics in an innovative way.

As Tally, the main character, moves from the city into the wild, her mind expands, freed of the confines of the doctrines of the city. She realises that there is more to life than being ‘pretty’. Tally found out that there is more to people than just their outward appearance. This road to self-discovery was interesting to observe.

Tally Youngblood was a strong character who was easy to relate to. I was constantly aware of her thoughts and feelings (which is what I like in a book). Though Tally was strong, she still had her own vulnerabilities which she had to overcome.

Tally had to weigh her own wish for becoming a ‘pretty’ against the wishes of her own friends; not to betray them. She had to discover what was most important to her. This made her human and a complex, 3D character. The romance in Uglies was realistic, not overly done and served a purpose in the book. I liked that Tally’s character didn’t change so much after the start of her romantic relationship.

There was a solid image in my mind of Tally’s world which Westerfeld artfully created. Though the city’s name remained anonymous, a real sense of place was established. I liked the rules and boundaries that were developed. Westerfeld thought up some interesting, futuristic gadgets such as hoverboards, bungee jackets and interface rings, to mention just a few, which encapsulate the freedoms and restrictions of Tally’s life.

Uglies contained some complex relationships full of emotional turmoil which is always relevant in any era. Readers of any age can relate to this story and take something away from it. As in most dystopian novels, Uglies does have a moral message; however, it is not over-emphasised. In this case, the book addresses the ever- present need to conserve and protect the Earth or risk destroying both it and civilisation itself. This book is especially relevant for today’s society with the overwhelming obsession for fashion, cosmetic surgery and the desire to fit in whilst remaining unique.

Overall, Uglies was well-paced and I didn’t lose interest. I do believe that more time should have been spent at ‘The Smoke’ so that we could gain a better understanding of their lifestyle. The book was very descriptive; Westerfeld provided enough detail about the society in which Tally lived. Uglies was easy to read and understand and I would recommend it to other people. I was very impatient to get my hands on the next book. This is one of my favourite books that I’ve read this year and one of my favourite dystopian books.
Look out for my review of Pretties coming soon!

Cover: 5/5

Concept: 5/5

Rating: 5/5

Author: Scott Westerfeld

I wrote this review as part of Dystopian August over at Presenting Lenore. Check it out!