Specials (theme and connections)

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