Specials

Read November 2009
Photo courtesy Scott Westerfeld's site.

The Scoop: The third in the Uglies series with protagonist Tally Youngblood. Written by American author Scott Westerfeld in 2006, published by Simon Pulse.

The Ingredients: Tally Youngblood is now part of a unique Special Circumstances crew with her friend Shay and other Cutters. Being a Special also means undergoing a different surgery that makes one virtually superhuman. They are tasked to find the new location of the New Smoke, the camp where Uglies go to rebel against the Pretty operations and lifestyle. Aaaand adventure ensues.

Serves: Young adult.

[Part 1: Being Special] Crashing a Bash - The six hoverboards slipped among the trees with the lightning grace of playing cards thrown flat and spinning. [2/5 Not very enthralling, but...hoverboards!]

Result: Very action-packed, suspenseful, and thrilling. We find out what characters who appeared previously had been up to, so there's a good sense of cohesion and tying things back together. The technological concepts Westerfeld incorporates just add to his strength at science fiction writing. It makes the story all the more interesting and really drew me in to imagining all of it in full form. I think it's pretty neat when, while you're reading a book, you can just picture everything happening right in front of your eyes, down to the littlest details. The sneak suits, the Specials' unique body modifications, the hoverboards of course, position finders...they really make for a fascinating world. [4/5 A significant improvement from the second. The action scenes are very exciting and the ending left me wanting more.]

Pretties

Read September 2009.
Photo courtesy Simon Pulse.


The Scoop: The second in the young adult sci-fi Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld (US). Published by Simon Pulse also in 2005.

The Ingredients: The continuing story of protagonist Tally Youngblood. Don't want to give away too much, because it might spoil the preceding book.

Serves: Young adult.

[Chapter 1] Criminal: Getting dressed was always the hardest part of the afternoon. [2/5 Again, not very inventive or enthralling, but the style does play to describing a 16-year-old's "pretty" life.]

Result: I didn't like this one as much as Uglies. We learn a lot more about the life of "pretties" and it couldn't be more of the kind of people and lifestyle I don't like. Also, the language of the pretties (their slang, you could say) got on my nerves quickly, but I just got used to it. It's still an easy read, I still was able to read it over the course of a day, but it just dragged on more than the first, as I guess the premise was getting stale. Not to say there's no excitement in it; there still are thrills and suspense, even some pretty emotional parts. But some things (and people) I liked about the first one weren't here to the same extent. It's been awhile since I finished it, but still I'd have to go back and skim the end to remember what happened and see where the next will pick up from (and yes, I do plan on finishing the series, so that's still saying something...) [2.5/5 A bit lower than the first, but still a good young adult fiction book compared to some trash that makes it out there. Not a high reread value, but I will move on to the following book.]

Uglies

Read via free download offered by author & publisher, August 2009.
Photo courtesy Simon Pulse.


The Scoop: Part one of the New York Times bestselling "Uglies" series (a total of four novels now). Young adult science fiction novel by Scott Westerfeld (US). Published by Simon Pulse in 2005. Film rights bought by 20th Century Fox and Eragon producer John Davis in 2006, movie scheduled for 2011.

The Ingredients: Tally Youngblood is turning 16, which, in this dystopian society, means she must undergo a mandatory comprehensive plastic surgery to make her "Pretty". The "Pretties" seem to have perfect lives, but Tally meets some others her age who show her what exactly it means to be "pretty".

Serves: Young adult, preferably.

[Chapter 1] New Pretty Town: The early summer sky was the color of cat vomit. [2/5 While I appreciate the attempt at being descriptive with the use of 'color of cat vomit', this sentence doesn't draw you into the story much. It sounds like something any middle-schooler could write.]

Result: I saw the free download offer and had nothing else to do so I decided to give this a go. I read it in a few hours, as it's on a 'young adult' level, and it's actually very interesting. The premise is unique; the main characters and (future) technologies are well-described and developed; and there are enough twists and suspense to keep one intrigued. And if you take the time to think about it, the story delves into many modern-day issues that adolescents especially deal with - body image, conformity, emotional and physical change, individuality, peer pressure, authority, surveillance, and environmental issues. The end left me hanging and I was eager to check out the next in the series. [3/5 While I admit I couldn't really draw myself away from it, in the context of all literature, I can't rate it very high. I also don't think I would read it again. However, in the context of YA fiction (and had I read it in middle school or some years ago), it's definitely one of the better choices available with its sci-fi setting and rather adult (mostly positive) messages. So in that narrower scope, it would have a higher rating.]