Uglies

(Read this and other reviews at Fictionally Inclined.)

I have been hearing about the Uglies series for what seems like half of forever. I always thought they sounded appealing, and I even picked the first one up from the library once but returned it unread. However, a couple days ago, I found the first two books at a local thrift store for 99 cents apiece. When I spotted them, I practically tripped over myself making a mad grab for them before anyone else could spot the marvelous deal sitting in front of their very eyes. I'm not entirely sure what prompted this, as there was no one particularly near besides my sister and one woman with whom I had carried on a perfectly pleasant conversation about the Stephanie Plum series moments earlier. Regardless of the motivation, I made a slight fool of myself, but in the end, I got the books. That's what matters, I suppose.

I started the book the morning of December 31st, and I was hooked right away. I became completely engrossed in this fascinatingly original dystopian world. I was intrigued by the premise, and the execution by Westerfeld was fantastic. I never wanted to put this book down. The unusual world, the unique-without-being-absurd names, the terminology that was different from our own yet easily understood, interesting characters, and a compelling plot all existed in this book. These are all things that reflect positively on Westerfeld and his ability to craft a superb dystopian novel. I loved reading about Tally and how she changed throughout the book and how her opinions changed with her. Another thing I enjoyed was the fact that with this world, the characters can refer to all the wasteful and stupid things people did in our time. It references wastefulness and racism and things like that, and because of the setting, it does everything without sounding preachy. It is necessary for the story, and it also makes you stop and think from time to time. Even moreso, it does the same thing for beauty, which is absolutely wonderful. Beauty is all in the beholder; you don't have to be flawless to be beautiful.

I also liked the end of the book. It left you longing to know more and ready to break out the next book, but it didn't make you want to throw it across the room in frustration/anger/impatience (like, say, Possession). I do respect the cliff-hanger as a literary device, but I think it is overused and, often, unnecessary. This book, while it did leave off at a strategic plot point, let you know what was about to happen. And if you were intrigued enough by the whole story, you would definitely want to read the second one. At least, that is how it struck me. I appreciated it and liked it a lot.

I felt that the romance was a little quick to develop, but it didn't take away from the story. In fact, is was really necessary to keep the pacing of the book. I just tend to notice these things, as I'm one of those people who can't get enough of the build-up and development of relationships. It's my favorite part; nine times out of ten, I infinitely prefer it to the actual “relationshippy” part of a relationship. But I digress. I am waiting to see what happens to these two and have yet to commit to them as the ship I actually support for the series.

The originality of the storyline and the stance it takes on real beauty are probably my favorite things about this book. I am enjoying it a lot so far, and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series! I got the third and fourth from the library, so I am all set. I can only hope that the rest of them are as good. I guess I'll see...

I devoured this book. It has a message that appeals to all ages (not just teens) and addresses an issue that is at the forefront of our society. Tally is strong and relatable and I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

I'll just cover the whole series in one go: they're great. Adventure, adventure, adventure; a little futuristic face-changing, bubbliness, hoverboards, spag-bol, and rusties. Wonderful series.

Slow starting, but by the end, I was fully invested in the characters and story. I look forward to the rest of the series.

If my mom and sisters hadn't praised this series and likened it to the Hunger Games, I would never have picked it up. The premise is interesting enough, but this book has one of the worst first paragraphs I've ever read. Thankfully, the writing seems to improve as the story progresses, and I'm intrigued enough to want to know how the story plays out. I would have liked to give it 2 1/2 stars, though. The plot seems to drag out a lot longer than it really needs to, and there's a general formulaic predictability to the story so far.

Jeg likte denne boka veldig godt! Dystopian er en interessant sjanger, og denne er vel satt sånn ca. 200-300 år etter vår tid, tror jeg. Det var kult å lese om all teknologien og hvordan verden var, og hvordan menneskene tenkte om vår generasjon (The Rusties) og hvordan vi behandlet naturen. På begynnelsen møter vi Tally når bestevennen Peris nettopp har blitt Pretty, og han betyr tilsynelatende veldig mye for Tally, men utover i boka virker det som om hun glemmer at han eksisterer, og det var litt trist. Håper han er med i Pretties (neste bok). Slutten var spennende og sikkert uventet for dem som har klart å ikke spoile seg selv (ehehehem...). David – the love affair – var søt, men jeg følte ikke at jeg helt følte kjemien mellom ham og Tally. Men så var ikke kjærlighet hovedtemaet i boka heller, da.

Tally var en helt grei hovedkarakter. Hun ble stilt et ultimatum, og jeg tror jeg ville ha valgt det samme som henne. Hun bryr seg mye om dem rundt seg. Shay var grei i begynnelsen, men så irriterte hun meg bare mer og mer.

Picked this up knowing nothing about it, enjoyed it immensely!

Dystopian books are intriguing.

Would love deeper character development, am hoping it comes through in the next two books, which I have on hand waiting TBR!

This was more than a little preachy. I don't need to be reminded that clear cutting and oil dependence are despicable while reading YA lit.

That being said, it was a neat premise for a book and I liked what a little turd the protagonist was. She was truly unlikeable for half the book, and that must have taken some nerve to write!

A society where people are forced to be pretty via plastic surgery? Potent metaphor, and Westerfeld really makes the most of it, presenting some even-handed reasons why such a society would come about. You know they're wrong, but at the same time you can see their point. At least, before you learn about the secrets that the surgery are meant to hide...

Of course, setting can only take you so far - you have to have a compelling character at the centre of your story, and Tally Youngblood certainly is that - she's faced with some tough choices throughout the book, and despite a couple of missteps she does make the right decisions, no matter how tough it is for her to make them.

The only thing holding this book back from a higher rating? The ending. I really don't like it when books end in massive cliffhangers, especially when it's the first book in a series.

I downloaded a DRM-free version of this book a few months ago. It has sat on my computer tempting me to read it for a while, and I've just not found the will power to sit at my computer and read a 200+ page book.

It started because I was bored before work. Then I ran to the library and got a hard copy. I was addicted.

The story is an amazing blend of adventure and life lessons. The story keeps you hooked in. It moves at a fast pace and doesn't seem to dwindle down like many books do.

Overall, between the realizations the book pushes you to and the great story behind it... this book is just amazing. :)

Meh. Perhaps I'll read the second, perhaps not.

Relecture 2020 : 4/5, un poil trop enfantin. Ça reste toujours très cool de découvrir un monde et son fonctionnement.

I sometimes think people decide to label their writing “for young adults” or “for children” when it is not up to adult standards. Honestly, the writing in this book is weak, with the feel of a Nancy Drew book written by a staff writer. But that's okay for me; I liked the plot just enough to forgive the weak writing. The story takes place in a world where the key event of one's life occurs at age sixteen with an operation to make one stunningly beautiful. Until that time, people are known as Uglies; after the operation, they become Pretties. The main character of the novel, Tally, meets a new friend, Shay, who decides to run away, to avoid the operation. A good story for adolescents who are always confronted with society's demands for great beauty.

So good! I love the take on physical acceptance and the technology!?!?! So good!!