Anna's Reading Blog: Uglies (summary and book review)

Friday, October 24, 2014

Uglies (summary and book review)

I just finished the book Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. I loved this book and would definitely recommend it! I still have some questions but I'm sure they will be answered in the rest of the books in this series. Through more mistakes and adventures, Tally ends up accidentally betraying the Smoke. She is forced to travel across rough terrain in order to rescue her friends. She learns about the history of the fallen civilization, the "Rusties", and what caused their destruction. Tally, David, Maddy (David's Mom) and Croy work together to make a new home in the rubble of the Smoke. Special Circumstances ensures that Shay falls victim to the operation and its mind-altering effects. Maddy, a former doctor for the city and passionate about her work, works to find a cure. The ending of the book is very suspenseful and very abrupt. Tally demonstrates massive amount of courage in order to protect her friends.

I noticed a significant character change in Tally throughout the book, making her a dynamic character. She went from a lonely Ugly, counting down the days until she could call herself a care-free Pretty, to a rebel, plotting against the morals of the operation and leading a new generation of Uglies to the Smoke. Staying true to my prediction, Tally's beliefs and values shifted by the end of the book. Tally's character change is similar to the change Cassia undergoes in Matched. Both characters go from feeling pride towards their society to feeling rebellious and experiencing the need to escape.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about futuristic dystopian societies and suspenseful books. As a warning, the poor decisions made by some characters, specifically Tally, will annoy you throughout the book. There are so many points where I wished she would've acted or spoken differently. But without mistakes and conflict, the book wouldn't contain the same incredible amount of suspense within the plot. I cannot wait to read Pretties, the sequel to Uglies and the second book in this series. I have many predictions and questions that I hope will be answered!