The Uglies Series

I have read all four books in this series, previously a trilogy, and will simply write one blog for all four since it has been a while since I read the first two. My favorite of the books was definitely the last book, "Extras." I had a hard time identifying with Tally, the main character of this first three books. I found myself continuously frustrated with her various choices. She was a very human and believable character, I just wish she had been a little more honest. I'm getting ahead of myself.

Uglies is a fantastic book about a world where being beautiful is the only thing anyone cares about, where anyone who has not had the surgery that will turn them into a beautiful "Pretty" is encouraged to feel a sub-par being. The surgery is performed at the age of sixteen, but it is not a choice, and there are some characters who begin to question their way of life in a big way, as well as those who resent the questioning, and Tally gets caught in the middle.

In the second book, Pretties, we join the vain, selfish world of the people who have undergone surgery to fit a standardized look which will be altered at they age to Middle Pretty, and then Crubmlie as an older person. Tally's old friends are trying to save her from her life as a Pretty, and things become complex very quickly.

Specials, the third book, centers around the master minds behind the whole system, and reveals a third version of humans who are basically weapons through surgery, Speicals. It also opens up the world to other cities with a heart-wrenching and fascinating conclusion.

Extras takes placed after the "Prettytime," when the surgery no longer required, and people have control over their bodies and minds. This book is practially a stand alone book, following a a girl named Aya who lives in a Japanese city where the economy is based on either public service, or fame. I thought this was a brilliant idea, especially since it is partly true in our soceity that fame in and of itself often brings fortune.

I honestly love the hard questions these books make me ask about how I feel about myself and where those ideas come from. I think the message of accepting yourself for who you are, and valuing the world around you based on its merit is a fantastic one, and I think it a great idea to expose yourself too. Also, the books are funny, entertaining, and suspenseful. I would definitely recommend them.