I finally finished Specials and the Uglies series! I very much liked the ending and it was surprisingly fitting. It perfectly tied all the books together and the futures written for each character were great reflections of his or her traits and choices. Tally's adoration of the wild and her yearning to be free of restrictions and authority were demonstrated superbly in the resolution of Specials. Unlike The Giver and Matched, two books that I've compared this series to, the ending was very satisfactory. There were some unexpected twists and turns in terms of difficulties Tally faced and the actions of characters like Dr. Cable, leader of Special Circumstances and Tally's old city. Surprising acts of bravery and kindness on Dr. Cable's part illustrated her as a dynamic character, becoming more compassionate by the end of the series, even if some of her choices were lined with selfish ulterior motives. I would definitely say that by the end of the book, the action and suspense picked back up compared to my reading last week.
A few themes and corresponding quote I have uncovered from this series include:
-Getting to know a person will reveal his or her true beauty; outward appearances can be deceitful.
"He peered into her eyes for a longer moment, then sighed and shook his head. 'You just look like Tally to me.' ... 'You just took on five million years of evolution again' (Westerfeld 366-367).
-It can be a mistake to underestimate a person's ability to change who they are.
"Tally blinked, unable to believe her eyes. It was Dr. Cable...'So that's why you're here, Dr. Cable? To blame me for everything?' 'No. I'm here to let you go'" (Westerfeld 354 & 357).
-Letting rules and false standards define you can prove to be a discouraging, uphill battle.
"She was finally free of her cell, of the operating tank, of Dr. Cable. No one would change her against her will, not ever again. There would be no more Special Circumstances" (Westerfeld 359).
I created this collage to represent some important quotes from the trilogy.
I would give the book Specials, and the entire trilogy, a 4 out of 5 stars. The first book, in my opinion, was the best. In Uglies, the setting, plot and characters were new to the reader and were all very well developed. It was fascinating to read about such an abstract society with new technology and corrupted philosophy. But as the books continued, the set-up gradually lost its captivating appeal. Familiarity with the characters gave way to predictability of the events. Sure, there were some unexpected scenes. But overall, the setting and outcome were anticipated. The last book followed the traditional layout of this series but I will give Scott Westerfeld credit for great closure and some brilliant additions to this book. For example, the setting of the New Smoke was revealed, admittedly a surprise. I would recommend this book and this trilogy to anyone who enjoys fiction, particularly science fiction, or reading about dystopian societies. This isn't a series you can quit reading halfway through, simply because there are so many facets to one particular conflict that must be solved, so many questions at any given point.
The next book I plan to read is The Diary of A Young Girl by Anne Frank. In this book, Anne Frank depicts the circumstances of her life as a young Jewish girl during the Holocaust. She writes about frightening experiences and her thoughts, hopes and fears. Although this book fits into the category of a genre I wouldn't typically read, it seems very moving, interesting and inspirational. I can't wait to move on to this book as well as others on my "to-read" list soon!
This is a link to the GoodReads page for my next book:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48855.The_Diary_of_a_Young_Girl
As I continued reading Specials this week, I have already witnessed many of my predictions come true. I continue to see Tally Youngblood, the protagonist in this series, characterized much in the same way as she was in the first book. Although she has undergone major changes in attitude and perspective, some qualities that Tally possesses are consistent, regardless of her circumstances. For example, she continues to demonstrate defiance towards authority, showcasing her strong sense of individuality and will to reach a state of justice. Along with this unwavering strength, she holds a steady weakness. Tally can never seem to maintain a relationship without carrying out an act of betrayal. Not even when she recognizes how much damage she has done, does she make an effort to change her approach towards confrontation. The stable portrayal of Tally Youngblood emphasizes the theme that even in the most extreme circumstances, a person's true character usually remains.
In many ways, I've been able to connect Specials to The Giver, a book written by Lois Lowry. In The Giver, the societal foundation of "sameness" strips people of color eyesight, memory and emotion. This is similar to the standard surgical operation performed in the Uglies series to make everyone Pretty, or equal in beauty. Both books are set in dystopian societies harboring twisted, even unethical, perspectives. Additionally, in both books, the protagonist becomes a nonconformist and an exception, unique compared to the rest of the "bland" members of the city/community. In a closer evaluation and comparison of these two publications, I'm sure many more similarities would be discovered.
Although I'm nearly finished with this book and I've definitely enjoyed this series, there are a few flaws worth mentioning. By the end of this series, I just wanted to know the final outcome. I didn't really need to read more about how Tally, once again, has a disagreement with Shay, about how she manages to break so many promises and relationships, or about how the same characters embark on another escape from the city. I thought the characters were developed extremely well but that there wasn't enough internal change throughout the books. The setting, however, offered some variety as it shifted from Uglyville and New Pretty Town to the Smoke and the wild and the Special Circumstances Headquarters. By the third book, the suspense wasn't nearly as high as it was in the first two books, partly because it became much easier to predict future events and how the characters would react. Science fiction isn't a genre I typically read, but these books interested me enough to read the whole series. But overall, the third book hasn't been up to par next to its predecessors.
The above photo represents how Tally is constantly depicted as being different, and special, compared to the other members of society and even compared to her friends. These traits are also true for Jonas, from The Giver. This picture heavily relates to The Giver, not only with the theme of divergence, but also with minor details from the book such as the red apple and the black and white effect.
This is the link for The Giver movie trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJNNugNe0Wo
