Uglies (plot and connections)

This book has significantly developed in the past week I've been reading it. Tally runs into trouble when she must decide whether to betray her friend in order to become Pretty or give up her future and keep her promise to Shay. She uses Shay's coded directions to embark on a journey to the Smoke, a secret civilization far away from the city and one with a very different lifestyle and set of values. But Shay doesn't know Tally's true intentions for fleeing the city. As Tally meets new people in the Smoke, like David and his family, she notices how different they are compared to most Pretties she'd ever known. Along the way, Tally makes some poor choices regarding her friendships and the safety of everyone she just met. With many secrets kept, feelings hurt and promises broken, Tally realizes she may have made some mistakes. The following quote shows her attitude towards the Smoke and how her hopes for her future have changed,

"Still, she wouldn't have traded anything for this moment, standing there and looking down at the plains spread out below. Tally had spent the last four years staring at the skyline of New Pretty Town, thinking it was the most beautiful sight in the world, but she didn't think so anymore" (Westerfeld 209).

One prominent text-to-text connection I've made is the similarity of this book to Matched by Ally Condie. Both books are set in futuristic dystopian societies where authoritative control and scientific advancement are major elements. The protagonists in each book explore the outside world after realizing the home they've known for so long isn't as perfect as they thought. In Uglies, the authorities use the operation to alter the way people view each other, physically and mentally. In Matched, the government uses tablets to manipulate the minds of its citizens and their views on society as well.

I only have about 140 more pages in this book but I cannot wait to find out what happens next. I still have many unanswered questions. Will Tally fight for Shay and stick with her in the Smoke? Or will she break her newly developed trust and countless more promises? Will Shay forgive Tally for what happened with David? Will "Special Circumstances" find out about the Smoke? Will Tally ever see Peris, an old friend who turned Pretty a few months prior to Tally's departure, again? Even though I haven't finished this book yet, I can already say that I would definitely recommend it!

The following picture and links relate to my connection between Uglies and Matched.



Uglies GoodReads Link:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24770.Uglies?from_search=true

Matched GoodReads Link:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7735333-matched?from_search=true