The Paw Print

Uglies - Book Review


by Miranda

Uglies by Scott Westerfeild is an amazing book. It’s well written, hard to put down and keeps you hanging through the entire book. There is a dynamic story within the story that will fascinate you. I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys science fiction mixed with a futuristic plot and a love story added to the mix.

Uglies takes place in the future where you are born “ugly”. When you turn 16 you get a wonder surgery that makes you beautiful beyond words. All uglies, as they’re called before the surgery, await their 16th birthday and watch as friends who turn 16 leave to have the surgery. In Uglies Tally Youngblood is like any other ugly, waiting to become attractive, falling asleep to the lights and fireworks of New Pretty Town. Only a few months younger than her best friend, Peris, she feels an ache of loneliness once Peris turns 16 and leaves for her surgery. A new girl moves to town. Her name is Shay. She and Tally quickly become good friends. Shay helps fill the void.

Tally realizes that Shay isn’t that optimistic about turning pretty. When she asks her why, Shay talks about a village in the woods called the Smoke. The Smoke is where uglies who want to escape the surgery go to avoid the bubble-headedness of being pretty. Tally believes Shay is insane, that there’s no Smoke and the stories Shay tells about running there are just make believe.The question is—is she actually joking or serious about running to the mysterious Smoke?

Uglies is by far one of the best books I have ever read. The other books in the series, Pretties and Extras, are just as good, if not better. There’s also a background book that includes information about the surgery and topics related to this series. The book is called Bogus to Bubbly. I highly recommend this series—the story elements include irony, love and mystery that make it a must read.