Uglies (Uglies, #1)

Jul 26, 2009 Sparrow rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, utopia-dystopia, punching-tour, reviewed

I need to never run into Scott Westerfeld down a dark alley, or during a Civil War reenactment, or at Charlton Heston's house, or wherever. My deep desire not to be arrested for murder would have an epic battle with my need to reach for a weapon when I see his stupid face. In all fairness, as you see, I coughed up three stars for this book, so I will clarify that my empty threatening is really directed toward Pretties and Specials (books two and three in this series). I'm posting this review on...more

310 likes · like · see review

Feb 26, 2008 Emma rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I’ve only seen one episode of The Twilight Zone. In this episode, a woman undergoes a battery of surgeries to look normal. At the end of the episode, viewers learn that this latest surgery has failed: the woman is still hideous. Except that to the audience she is beautiful. Online research led me to another episode where teenagers are surgically altered to live longer and conform to a unified standard of beauty (based on a limited number of acceptable “models”). “Uglies,” Scott Westerfeld’s dyst...more I’ve only seen one episode of The Twilight Zone. In this episode, a woman undergoes a battery of surgeries to look normal. At the end of the episode, viewers learn that this latest surgery has failed: the woman is still hideous. Except that to the audience she is beautiful. Online research led me to another episode where teenagers are surgically altered to live longer and conform to a unified standard of beauty (based on a limited number of acceptable “models”). “Uglies,” Scott Westerfeld’s dystopic novel, plays similar games of perception.

The novel starts with Tally Youngblood a fifteen-year-old girl desperately waiting for her sixteenth birthday when she will be reunited with her best friend and, more importantly, when she will finally be pretty.

“Uglies” is set in the distant future after a mysterious global catastrophe precipitated changes to the foundations of what readers would call modern society. Fearful of war and violence cities now operate as independent states (think Renaissance Italy as opposed to contemporary Italy). Isolated and self-sufficient, the cities have agreed to certain standards for the greater good.

New technology ensures that citizens never want for food or luxury items, weapons of any kind are largely illegal, and at the age of sixteen everyone undergoes a series of extreme surgeries to better conform to societal standards of beauty. The logic being that, since humans are preconditioned to respond to certain visual cues in each other already (big eyes are non-threatening, a clear complexion and good teeth indicate that a person is healthy), applying these beauty standards will reduce conflict and create a more harmonious society.

But in a world where everyone is movie-star-gorgeous (oldies like Rudolph Valentino and Greta Garbo are considered “natural pretties”), normal people are so not pretty. In short, they’re ugly.

Things change for Tally when she meets Shay, another Ugly girl, who wants to run away before the operation to a place called The Smoke where people can live like “Rusties” (that would be us basically) in the wilderness without any surgery. As the novel progresses, and Special Circumstances (a government agency) coerces Tally into finding The Smoke for them, Tally is forced to choose what means more: friendship or beauty?

As the plot might suggest, this is a science fiction novel. Just to be clear, the real difference between sci-fi and fantasy is that the technology in science fiction novels could conceivably work if someone ever built it (dragons, most likely, are never going to be genetically engineered so they’re a good indicator of a fantasy novel). At times this leads to more explanation of, say, hoverboard mechanics in the novel than is strictly necessary to the plot but the rest of the book makes up for this small shortcoming.

What makes "Uglies" great, besides how it looks at cultural values, is Westerfeld’s use of language. The novel is not pretentious or brash. Instead, Westerfeld creates a narrative voice that is really unique—especially for a sweeping sci-fi saga like the Uglies trilogy. The novel opens with Tally observing that “The early summer sky was the color of cat vomit.” That is not, it is fair to say, a typical opening for any novel. Yet Westerfeld moves from that observation seamlessly into the story.

This book is the first in the Uglies trilogy (followed by “Pretties” and “Specials”) which focuses on Tally and her city. The scope of each book can largely stand alone, but to get the full story it’s best to read the entire trilogy. Additionally, Westerfeld released a companion book to the trilogy last year called “Extras” which is set a few years after the trilogy with different main characters.

“Uglies” is simultaneously funny and frightening, showing how overvalued beauty can be while illustrating how Tally’s world has been conditioned to believe there’s no other way to live. The sections where Westerfeld describes the Rusty Ruins and the end of that era are particularly haunting (and eerily reminiscent of the History Channel’s recent documentary “Life After People”).

Sci-fi book discussions often bring up a writer’s “world building” in reference to how well a writer creates their alternate universe. Westerfeld’s world is built really well. The cities have their own culture, the characters their own slang, but Westerfeld manages to bring in enough references to our own contemporary culture that it’s easy for readers to believe Tally’s world is built on the ruins of our own.
(less)

170 likes · like · see review

May 24, 2011 Stephen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, audiobook, 2000-2005, world-in-the-shitter, ya

So my wife and I occasionally swap books which may seem a little kooky. However, you have to keep things spicy when you’ve been married as long as we have and since nipple showers with hot candle wax make me break out into shouts of “FUCKARELLA THAT HURTS” we needed some alternative sizzle. So she hooks me up with this little philly of a novel while I matched her with The Lies of Locke Lamora.

Well…my wife loved the book I set her up with….as I knew she would because it is all over awesome. Of c...more

154 likes · like · see review

Sep 02, 2010 Ryan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I go a little crazy if I read more than one Margaret Atwood novel a year. I hope I'm not alone in this. I get the feeling that Atwood's sharp, but her writing is filed to a finer edge. I realized a while ago that one book per year was enough.

I have a similar reaction to Stephen King, though I'm not sure why. I really loved The Stand, but when it was over I knew that I wasn't going to read another of his works for a while.

At first, I thought this meant that I didn't like Stephen King and Margaret...more

24 likes · like · see review

Dec 28, 2007 Shannon (Giraffe Days) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, apocalyptic-or-post-apocalyptic, urban-fantasy, sci-fi, 2007, dystopian

Three hundred years after an apocalyptic-sized disaster that reshaped the world, Tally is about to turn 16 and pretty. In her contained, isolated, self-sufficient city - just like all the other contained, isolated, self-sufficient cities - the operation to make her pretty will be intensive, extreme and, as far as she and everyone else alive is concerned, absolutely worth it. Once she's pretty, she'll go to live across the river in New Pretty Town and party the nights away, loved by all.

It's a sh...more Three hundred years after an apocalyptic-sized disaster that reshaped the world, Tally is about to turn 16 and pretty. In her contained, isolated, self-sufficient city - just like all the other contained, isolated, self-sufficient cities - the operation to make her pretty will be intensive, extreme and, as far as she and everyone else alive is concerned, absolutely worth it. Once she's pretty, she'll go to live across the river in New Pretty Town and party the nights away, loved by all.

It's a shock to her, then, to find that her friend Shay doesn't want to be pretty, and doesn't think she's ugly now. Of course she's ugly - everyone's ugly before the operation. But Shay runs away to the mysterious, secretive Smoke where her friend David awaits, leaving Tally a set of cryptic directions in case she changes her mind and decides to go too. But Tally has no intention of running away: turning pretty is all she wants, so she can be with her friend Peris again across the river, and be noticed and listened to because beautiful people cannot be ignored.

But on the day of her own operation, she is taken instead to Special Circumstances, where cruel pretties with lethal reflexes bring her to Dr. Cable. They want to know about Shay and the Smoke and where it is located, but Tally keeps her promise not to tell. Even when Dr. Cable tells her she won't get the operation and be turned pretty until she does what they ask, she does not yield. Not until Peris unexpectedly visits her in Uglyville, and reminds her of the promise she made him, that she would be with him again, a promise that predates the one she made Shay. Latching onto this ray of hope - for she doesn't want to stay ugly the rest of her life - Tally is sent to spy for Special Circumstances and give them the location of the Smoke by sending a transmission via a heart pendant given her by Dr. Cable.

When she arrives, though, it's not that simple. Yes, the people are all ugly, and that takes a while to get used to. But there's something else about them, something sharp and clear at odds with the vacuousness of all the pretties she's ever known, including her own parents. And then there's David, who was born in the Smoke and is definitely not pretty ... but who teaches her that she's beautiful because of who she is, not what she looks like.

I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me a lot of Isobelle Carmody's books, her heroines especially, and also Ellie from John Marsden's Tomorrow series, and a host of others. She's a quick thinker, afraid yet brave, resourceful and caring, faced with a choice no one at sixteen would want to have to make. The writing style is clear and descriptive without wasting a word, the characters deftly portrayed. While the themes and messages of the book may not be subtle - nor are they meant to be, since we're talking about the structure of their world here - there are depths to the concept, and nothing's black-and-white. There are also little digs about our own lifestyle (we are the "Rusties" in the book - because what's left of our cities are just rusty ruins), about how we clear-fell forests and waste resources and genetically modify plants. The entire concept could have fallen flat on its face for being too contrived and as superficial as the operation itself, but Westerfeld holds it all together with a great heroine in Tally, a dark sci-fi underworld beneath the glitter and party fun, and an examination into what price we really want to pay for the things we hold most dear.(less)

44 likes · like · see review

May 11, 2009 Thomas rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Thomas by: Read it in 2008; read it again in school

Shelves: five-stars

"Uglies" is about Tally Youngblood, who is about to turn sixteen, much to her liking. This is a futuristic novel, and when you turn sixteen you get an operation to make you "pretty". What being pretty means is that you have all your bones taken and ground, your skin re-sized and your whole entire body is basically re-done. Like a huge surgery. The thing is, during her wait to turn sixteen (Tally was the youngest in her group of friends) she meets a girl named Shay, who doesn't want to get the op...more

20 likes · like · see review

Oct 08, 2008 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2008, science-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. At an unspecificied time in the future everyone turning sixteen is given surgery to become "pretty." Tally Youngblood is young woman, counting down the days to the procdure which despite being extremely intensive is considered worth it for a life of luxury and decadence among her peers. She's waiting to be reunited with her best friend and enjoy the life of being pretty together.

That is until she meets Shay. The two bond over having lost all their friends to the surgery and waiting to join them....more At an unspecificied time in the future everyone turning sixteen is given surgery to become "pretty." Tally Youngblood is young woman, counting down the days to the procdure which despite being extremely intensive is considered worth it for a life of luxury and decadence among her peers. She's waiting to be reunited with her best friend and enjoy the life of being pretty together.

That is until she meets Shay. The two bond over having lost all their friends to the surgery and waiting to join them. They sneak out of the city to the wasteland and Tally discovers that not only does Shay not consider herself "ugly" but she has no intention of having the surgerys. Instead she wants to run off with a mysterious boy named David to a secret group of insurgents who refuse to have the surgery. She invites Tally to come with her, but Tally refuses.

Shay runs away, leaving details on how Tally can find the group if she desires. On the day of her surgery, Tally is taken aside by Special Circumstances and told unless she finds Shay and betrays her to them, she (Tally) will be ugly for life. Tally agrees and sets out on her quest to find the rebels.

If that were all the story was, it might just be merely interesting. And though the story does follow a fairly predictable character arc for Tally (she finds the group, fits in better than Shay and decides to stay), the secret behind the surgery that Scott Westerfield reveals mid-way through the novel is far more fascinating. And it also goes a long way to explaining some of the behavoir by post-surgery characters in the novel.

Tally finds out that the surgery creates a specific kind of brain damage among all receipients. This twist explains why certain characters are so vapid and hedonistic in the story. Not only are the people being made to all be the same externally, they're being made to think the same way, to no longer question anything and to live only for the pleasure of the moment. The process is reversible (theoretically) and all of these various storylines lead to one massive cliffhanger that had me curious to see where things go next. (less)

32 likes · like · see review

Jul 09, 2008 Reed rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I remember my initial disappointment when Scott Westerfeld switched from adult sf to YA fiction. How could he do this to me? I liked his books, but I don't wanna read a dopey YA novel!

I'd read in an interview that it was mostly a financial decision--the YA market has exploded, and that's where the money is right now. How can you fault a guy for trying to make a living?

As a junior high Language Arts teacher, it's impossible not to notice that Westerfeld's first YA series has done extremely well....more I remember my initial disappointment when Scott Westerfeld switched from adult sf to YA fiction. How could he do this to me? I liked his books, but I don't wanna read a dopey YA novel!

I'd read in an interview that it was mostly a financial decision--the YA market has exploded, and that's where the money is right now. How can you fault a guy for trying to make a living?

As a junior high Language Arts teacher, it's impossible not to notice that Westerfeld's first YA series has done extremely well. I guess it's time I checked it out for myself.

Well, after the first section of the novel, I can understand why Uglies has been a hit with the YA crowd--it's a fun, easy read. While Westerfeld hasn't completely dumbed down his writing, it is certainly much more accessible than his adult novels. Tally is a likeable teenager that the readers will identify with, and her plights are standard ones, considering the world she inhabits.

Yes, it takes some suspension of disbelief to accept the premise that all people are given massive plastic surgery and made "pretty" at the age of 16. But if you are willing to accept the premise, the rest of the world makes sense.

Tally wants to be pretty, as do all teens in this world. But she's a mischievous girl and loves to play pranks and pull tricks. When she meets up with Shay, a fellow prankster, her world is turned upside down. Shay introduces her to a world where people don't consider being pretty the ultimate goal, and when Shay runs away, choosing NOT to be made pretty, Tally is led down a road that will completely alter how she sees herself and the world around her.

Westerfeld has created a good old-fashioned coming of age tale in a sf world. Sure it's a YA novel, but that's ok. We need to create another generation of sf readers. It might be a bit of an easy read for a more sophisticated (ie. old) reader like myself, but it was still enjoyable. The book is in fact the first of a trilogy, but it is possible to read the first novel by itself. Sure, the story continues, but Westerfeld does give the first book a sense of closure.

I think the YA market is lucky to have Westerfeld. I hope he continues to have great success. And maybe someday, he'll write adult novels for his growing legion of YA fans.

(less)

41 likes · like · see review

Mar 10, 2008 Chloe rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: popular, ya-j, trash

Book one in this series, Uglies, was an enjoyable enough beach read. It wasn’t great literature (the author seems determined to never use a word that would send even the shakiest reader to the dictionary), but there is a place for “junk-food” books in this world. Uglies is the sort of book that one reads to relax after Crime and Punishment or The Grapes of Wrath. It’s like pulp fiction: it offers comfortable, escapist, insubstantial fun. And it was fun. I enjoyed it, even to the point where I i...more Book one in this series, Uglies, was an enjoyable enough beach read. It wasn’t great literature (the author seems determined to never use a word that would send even the shakiest reader to the dictionary), but there is a place for “junk-food” books in this world. Uglies is the sort of book that one reads to relax after Crime and Punishment or The Grapes of Wrath. It’s like pulp fiction: it offers comfortable, escapist, insubstantial fun. And it was fun. I enjoyed it, even to the point where I ignored the glaring plot holes and the general improbability of the tale. I ignored the fact that Tally watches old movies and yet doesn’t know what a train is, and thinks the name David is strange, for example. Why? First of all, the action was taught. You never have to wait for something to happen. It’s like a rollercoaster ride: a cheep thrill, but a thrill no less. Secondly, it was a fresh idea. Sure, the idea of a world based off of the cares of typical teens is silly, but there were messages in the book that I agreed with. And a world obsessed with beauty was interesting. It wasn’t interesting in the way a piece of art is interesting, but it had a carnival-like attraction to it. Lastly, the author was not preachy. All futuristic stories have a potential for peachiness. The author will naturally ride his/her hobby horse. If it is a utopian book, the author will say his/her political/religious views brought about the time of peace and harmony. If it is dystopian, the author will blame all of the views he/she disagrees with. However, Scott Westerfeld delicately allowed his readers to come to their own conclusions about the various subjects he presented. At least, he does this for most of the book. (There are some random environmentalist moments that verge on the tedious, and I’m an environmentalist). So, I must say that, for a beach book, it was fun. I was willing to forgive Westerfeld all of his faults for the cheep thrills he offered. Hey, they were *fun* cheep thrills. In fact, I put book 2 on hold right away. …Unfortunately, book two was the worst book I have ever read, and so I lower my opinion of this book from three stars to two. (less)

41 likes · like · see review

Jan 25, 2010 Phoebe added it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantastic-kiddy-lit, sciffy, phreminism

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The day I finished reading Scott Westerfeld's Uglies, a coworker picked it up off my desk.

"Uglies?" She asked, with a slight sneer. That sneer only deepened when she read the novel's tagline (in an appropriately arch tone): "In a world of extreme beauty, anyone normal is Ugly."

I wish I could have responded that the book was a criticism of societies where "extreme beauty" is prized, but after finishing Westerfeld’s novel, I'm not entirely sure that’s the case.

On the surface it certainly seems t...more

7 likes · like · see review

Feb 24, 2009 Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Amanda by: From Coventry's "take my books" party

Shelves: fer-teenagers-kids-and-younguns, 2009, fantasy-and-some-sci-fi

I'd heard of this book before, but I didn't realize it was futuristic. The story line is one you've all heard before--in the future, everyone is forced into some nutso plastic surgery which makes you gorgeous, and of course, the post ops spend all day living it up and having a grand ol' time because they're brainwashed and beautiful. It sounds kinda like an ok life, but there are some folks who are like, "Hellz no, you ain't cuttin' me, beyotch!" So these folks have to become renegades, and that...more

24 likes · like · see review

Oct 26, 2008 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own

Tally and Peris have been best friends since before Tally can remember. Now that Peris is sixteen, Tally won’t see him again for another couple of months. In Tally’s world when you turn sixteen you get to be made pretty.

Tally lives in Uglyville and everyone that lives there is ugly. It isn’t until your sixteen birthday that you undergo the operation that will turn you into a Pretty. Tally can’t wait to be turned pretty for her thin lips to be lusciously full and her eyes to be beautifully spaced...more

10 likes · like · see review

Oct 16, 2010 Sean Wills rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

Uglies is not a YA book. I realize a statement like that is likely to spark all sorts of angsting over genre/publishing category conventions, so let me be upfront and say that I define YA as ‘involving teenage protagonists in a way that deals heavily with their interiority’. So Harry Potter would be MG/Fantasy, depending on which book you’re talking about, something like Twilight is definitely YA because it deals heavily with Bella’s inner life (for better or for worse), and I’d classify the His...more Uglies is not a YA book. I realize a statement like that is likely to spark all sorts of angsting over genre/publishing category conventions, so let me be upfront and say that I define YA as ‘involving teenage protagonists in a way that deals heavily with their interiority’. So Harry Potter would be MG/Fantasy, depending on which book you’re talking about, something like Twilight is definitely YA because it deals heavily with Bella’s inner life (for better or for worse), and I’d classify the His Dark Materials books as straight-up fantasy, particularly by the time you hit The Amber Spyglass.

Uglies fits rather neatly into what I’d call ‘adventure MG’, or plot-driven MG. Yes, main character Tally Youngblood is stated to be 15 going on 16, but she could just as easily have been 13. Apart from a brief part at the beginning of the book, the reader is rarely afforded any great insight into her thoughts and her development as a character is only superficially dealt with as the plot moves forward. YA, for me, is less about what happens and more about who it happens to, which is why my automatic impulse is to classify Uglies as MG.

Of course, that doesn’t make the book bad; the terrible writing, flat characterization, shoddy world-building and boring plot all conspire to do that. You’re probably already familiar with the premise: in a vaguely drawn post-apocalyptic America (I think), everybody is an ‘Ugly’ until their sixteenth birthday. At that point they become a ‘Pretty’, and go off to live in ‘New Prettytown’, where they seem to do nothing but attend parties 24/7. Nobody seems to have parents, a point that isn’t addressed properly for a maddeningly long time, and ‘Littlies’ are raised according to strict guidelines that will make them conform to society’s norms.

If you read the above and thought ‘Wow, none of that makes sense, and also that slang sounds teeth-grindingly annoying’, congratulations! You may have what it takes to join the super-exclusive (and, sadly, small) ‘People who dislike Uglies‘ club. Things don’t get any better where the book’s technology is involved; hardly anything is explained, everything that is explained is explained poorly, and Westerfield reveals himself to be a third-rate SF writer by sticking the word ‘hover’ in front of everything so we don’t forget we’re in The Future. This last point also results in Tally’s rebellious friend Shay uttering the line ‘All that glitters is not hovery’ as part of a half-baked explanation for how hoverboards work, something I hope Westerfield never manages to live down.

You can probably guess the plot yourself: there is a rebellion, which objects to people being beautiful and blissfully happy for…some reason*, they live out in the wilderness (or the ‘Rusty Ruins’, a phrase that gets increasingly irritatingly with every usage), Tally joins them, but wait she’s a spy for the authorities, she has to decide between the world she knows and her bland love interest among the rebels, and it’s all painfully, painfully predictable.

(*All right, all right, we discover that the operation which turns people into Pretties also makes them stupid and obedient, but I would have thought the rebels would be against just that part and not the rest of the fairly Utopian society.)

Uglies is the kind of book people have in mind when they look at you funny and ask why you don’t read ‘real books’. Its science fiction would never pass muster in the world of adult literature, its characters are just barely two dimensional, and its world-building is condescendingly sloppy. I don’t like to cast aspersions on other writers, but I honestly can’t help but think that Westerfield hammered this out as quickly as he could in the belief that its target audience would be too young or unsophisticated or both to notice its crippling flaws.

The sad part is that he was apparently right.(less)

11 likes · like · see review

Jun 21, 2008 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2008-books-read, dystopia, fantasy, post-apocalyptic, young-adult, favorites

After finishing 425 pages that I couldn't put down, I'm finding myself needing to buy the next in the series as soon as possible. No wonder editors are getting copy-cat novels similar to this from aspiring writers.

Uglies tells the story of a post-apocalyptic dystopia where everyone gets a surgery at age 16 to make them "pretty" with a perfect body, perfect face, and diminished personality. This surgery is supposed to prevent people from having an unfair advantage in the workplace because of the...more

20 likes · like · see review

Jun 30, 2011 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, books-i-adored

In Tally's world, your sixteenth birthday brings an operation that turns you from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks, Tally will be there.

But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to be pretty. She'd rather risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world -- and it isn't very pretty. The authorities off...more In Tally's world, your sixteenth birthday brings an operation that turns you from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks, Tally will be there.

But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to be pretty. She'd rather risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world -- and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all.

Uglies was written in 2005 but it may as well have been written this year. Uglies, in essence, is all about beauty, and how society revolves around it. I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but sounds familiar? These days, the media and society tells young girls, and boys, how they should look and they’re not beautiful enough. The standards of beauty are set high and anyone falling below it is ugly.

This is what Uglies is about. In their world, pre-sixteens are known as Uglies and it doesn’t stop there. They acknowledged that they are ugly and call each other disparaging names like zitface, skinny, etc, you get the drift. Only after the operation are they pronounced beautiful.

It’s refreshing to meet a character like Tally. In the beginning, it’s like every other brainwashed teenager but once she learns about the truth of her world, she becomes stronger out of it. She has to deal with betrayal, romance and all sorts of adventure and it was nice to meet a likeable character like her.

It’s scary really, to see a world like this written in 2005 and see how society has progressed further and nearer to the world portrayed in Uglies. I really did enjoy Uglies. It’s different from the dystopias in today’s market, because one, it’s written by a guy so the plot isn’t really romantized. A lot of the dystopia-centric series are all about the romance but here, the world is the main character. The love story here is very minor and doesn’t take too much out of the story. Two, there’s action, quite a bit of it actually and I enjoyed it very much. The pacing is tight and the plot moves along at a good speed and I definitely recommend it.(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Sep 26, 2007 Res rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: locus_poll, sff

The one where everyone has extensive plastic surgery when they turn sixteen, changing them from study-and-prank-obsessed Uglies into party-obsessed Pretties.

Better than The Secret Hour -- the speculative elements are a lot less perfunctory here -- but it still feels like Science Fiction Lite to me.

You'll notice that when reviewers describe the book, what they describe is the premise -- the Uglies and the Pretties. That's because it's the most interesting thing in the book; you're certainly no...more

13 likes · like · see review

Mar 20, 2013 Sans rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Insomniacs without access to Lunesta. Or vodka.

Recommended to Sans by: book club

Shelves: young-adult, scifi-futuristic, 1st-in-series

A rip off of Twilight Zone episode 137, "Number 12 Looks Just Like You", with about 300 pages of filler. Raised the standard questions of how we view ourselves in context with the world around us, what impact appearance has on daily life, and the decay of the individual within society. While there was potential to take a new slant on this tired message, the two dimensional constructs left me cold. I’m annoyed that I wasted several hours of my life that I can never get back.

5 likes · like · see review

May 10, 2010 Uci rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: hibah-hadiah

Bayangkan sebuah dunia di mana semua penghuninya bersosok indah. Wajah dan tubuh dalam proporsi sempurna sesuai perhitungan matematis. Kuat dan halus tanpa luka. Tidak ada perang, tidak ada perselisihan karena semua orang sama. Tidak ada penebangan hutan, tidak ada perburuan binatang, tidak ada penambangan minyak untuk bahan bakar. Yang ada hanya daur ulang, tenaga matahari, dan daging dari kedelai. Singkatnya, dunia yang melepaskan diri dari alam bebas. Alam terlalu liar, terlalu sulit dikendal...more Bayangkan sebuah dunia di mana semua penghuninya bersosok indah. Wajah dan tubuh dalam proporsi sempurna sesuai perhitungan matematis. Kuat dan halus tanpa luka. Tidak ada perang, tidak ada perselisihan karena semua orang sama. Tidak ada penebangan hutan, tidak ada perburuan binatang, tidak ada penambangan minyak untuk bahan bakar. Yang ada hanya daur ulang, tenaga matahari, dan daging dari kedelai. Singkatnya, dunia yang melepaskan diri dari alam bebas. Alam terlalu liar, terlalu sulit dikendalikan, terlalu berpotensi menimbulkan perang dan perpecahan.

Dunia rekaan Scott Westerfeld ini langsung membetot perhatian saya sejak membuka halaman pertama. Idenya sungguh cemerlang, menyindir obsesi manusia untuk tampil sempurna. Di dunia ini, kelompok manusia terbagi menjadi dua, Kaum Rupawan dan Kaum Buruk Rupa. Tapi tidak perlu khawatir, kau hanya perlu menjadi buruk rupa hingga usiamu 16 tahun. Di hari ulang tahunmu yang keenam belas, kau akan dioperasi menjadi rupawan, pindah ke Kota Rupawan Baru, dan hidup bersenang-senang. Tak perlu bekerja keras karena semua kebutuhan sudah dipenuhi oleh penguasa.

Lalu di mana masalahnya? Masalahnya, sekelompok orang merasa bahwa selama ini mereka dicuci otak oleh penguasa yang ingin menyeragamkan seisi dunia menjadi manusia-manusia sempurna berpikiran dangkal. Tally Youngblood tanpa sengaja terlibat dengan kelompok pemberontak itu, saat sahabatnya Shay melarikan diri ke markas kelompok tersebut. Tally dipaksa mencari persembunyian mereka dan melapor kepada Kaum Spesial, jika ingin dioperasi menjadi Rupawan. Kalau menolak, Tally akan dibiarkan menjadi Buruk Rupa selamanya.

Tadinya saya agak kecewa kalau ternyata intinya hanya conspiracy theory (padahal hampir semua cerita seru pasti ujung-ujungnya conspiracy theory ya). Tapi seperti saya bilang tadi, yang paling menarik dari buku ini adalah dunia rekaan itu sendiri. Rasanya seperti melihat peradaban kita dari kacamata manusia masa depan yang lebih 'beradab'.

Ada bagian yang cukup menggelitik saat Tally membuka majalah tua. Kira-kira seperti majalah kita sekarang, yang isinya gambar-gambar manusia dengan wajah dan tubuh beraneka rupa. Tally menganggap orang-orang dalam majalah itu sinting karena tidak malu dengan penampilan buruk rupa mereka, malah berpose dengan gembira. Shay menjelaskan bahwa mereka itu orang-orang terkenal pada jaman dahulu kala. Begini katanya:

"Pria-pria berambut jabrik ini kurasa pemusik. Yang berwajah paling jelek biasanya politisi, dan ada yang bilang, kebanyakan buruk rupa bertubuh gemuk adalah komedian." Hahahahaha....

Dan jangan salah, meskipun para model di majalah itu dianggap paling menyerupai kaum Rupawan, namun menurut Tally mereka seperti orang kelaparan!

Westerfeld dengan gaya sarkastiknya berhasil menciptakan dunia ajaib yang menghanyutkan. Tapi jatidiri Uglies sebagai buku berseri benar-benar terasa. Membaca satu buku saja tidak akan cukup untuk memahami gambaran besar kisah ini. Setelah mengenal Kaum Buruk Rupa, buku kedua nanti menyelami Kaum Rupawan, lalu Spesial, lalu Extras. Yang Extras ini belum tercium gelagatnya di buku pertama.

Kalau saya sih, rela bangeeeet deh nunggu buku keduanya ^_^

(less)

15 likes · like · see review

Jul 11, 2010 Amelia, the pragmatic idealist rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, ya-kids-teen, dystopian, simon-schuster, own, mc-girl

All in all, I was VERY impressed with Uglies. Westerfeld is now one of my favorite writers, not only for his immense creativity but also for his ability to blend the JUST RIGHT amount of action, description, and dialogue. This may sound like a weird comparison, but Scott Westerfeld reminds me of a gourmet chef: he knows how to measure out and mix together the right concoction of ingredients in order to make a delicious product!
It made reading Uglies a fun and smooth experience. Let's face it, it...more All in all, I was VERY impressed with Uglies. Westerfeld is now one of my favorite writers, not only for his immense creativity but also for his ability to blend the JUST RIGHT amount of action, description, and dialogue. This may sound like a weird comparison, but Scott Westerfeld reminds me of a gourmet chef: he knows how to measure out and mix together the right concoction of ingredients in order to make a delicious product!
It made reading Uglies a fun and smooth experience. Let's face it, it's really hard for authors to come up with a story that is 100% interesting and confusion-free, and it's really hard for readers (sometimes, if we're honest) to stay focused and interested the whole time. In all fairness, the middle part of story (from when Tally arrives at the Smoke to when the Smoke is ambushed) dragged just a little, but thanks to the quality of Westerfeld's writing, it never descended into tediousness. Oh, and this is a BIGGIE: there is SYMBOLISM!! Yes, Scott Westerfeld employed the literary device with such skill and thoughtfulness, I can totally see English teachers chirping with delight. I'm going to give this copy to my English-teacher mom :)

Tally Youngblood is one of those characters who seems to divide readers - some of them think she's shallow and a little flat, and others really like her and can connect with her. I'm definitely in the latter category. When I read a dystopian novel, I have to keep in mind that I am reading about a society that is (probably) drastically different from my own, and it's full of people who have a different reality from me. Tally is no exception, and once I put myself in her world, it was really easy to see why she behaves the way she does and why she chooses to make certain decisions. But besides all that, Tally was just a fun character to read about. Once again, master chef Westerfeld had all the ingredients for a great character: she was assertive and witty without being bratty or snarky, she was a good friend (sometimes) who struggled with loyalty and doing the right thing, and she was self-aware without being self-absorbed. Perfecto! Oh, and I definitely need to mention Dr. Cable. Excellent, excellent villain! I *think* she's the main antagonist of the series, and wow, she was great. Yes, I have been known to really like certain villains, if they're interesting enough. I kept imagining a woman version of Agent Smith from The Matrix. My absolute favorite aspect of the story was Special Circumstances. That was *so* Matrix!
The world Westerfeld created was really interesting and I love dystopians but haven't read many, so this certainly didn't disappoint.
The only groan-worthy things have to do with the dystopian elements. I don't know if this is just what all dystopians have become now, but there's an element of sameness to them that I'm picking up on. It's all about how bad we are to the environment, how materialistic we are, how dependent on oil... a little too quasi-political at times. I'll be interested to see if Suzanne Collins takes this (rather convenient) road in Hunger Games. I *do*, however, like how Westerfeld touched on some of the inherent flaws in our social culture, but the Pretty society is pretty much hedonistic like our society, just more elevated. I would have liked to feel a little more of a contrast in cultures. New Pretty Town instantly reminded me of the thirty mile zone in LA :P

In a nutshell,though, Uglies was an amazing, enjoyable, and thought-provoking read that I would definitely encourage everyone to pick up. Teens will love the story, and adults will find this book immensely clever. RECOMMENDED! (less)

12 likes · like · see review

Oct 25, 2011 ◕ ◡ ◕ Arooj rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, books-i-fell-hard-for, kickass-protagonists

I'd heard of this series a long, loooong time ago. Yet, I never read it. Reasons being 1. I read another series by this author (Midnighters) and didn't quite love the books, and 2. It just sounded unexciting to me. I mean, out of all of the other dystopian novels, this sounded a little bland. After much thought, I reluctantly decided to try this series out.

And I've fallen completely in love with it.

This story about appearances and how much value they have in the real world was just so right on....more I'd heard of this series a long, loooong time ago. Yet, I never read it. Reasons being 1. I read another series by this author (Midnighters) and didn't quite love the books, and 2. It just sounded unexciting to me. I mean, out of all of the other dystopian novels, this sounded a little bland. After much thought, I reluctantly decided to try this series out.

And I've fallen completely in love with it.

This story about appearances and how much value they have in the real world was just so right on. It was un-freakin'-believable. The way their government spoiled these people just sickened me. And the operation? Where they cut you up and re-shaped your bones, scrubbed your old skin completely away, and let you do whatever you wanted JUST because you finally looked like what the government WANTED you to look like? Brainwashed you into thinking that being ugly is biological, part of evolution? Shocking. I could barely wrap my head around it.

This book took my breath away. I loved learning about this world and the hate people received just for being "ugly". It was such a cruel, cruel world. What I loved the most was the adventure. I was totally not expecting that! I love books where we get to follow the main character in an epic adventure, solving obstacles, learning new secrets. It was so much fun! A lot of the things were predictable to me though, but it was still pretty exciting. As for the world building, I think Scott Westerfeld was very creative. It wasn't much different than our world, other than the fact that they didn't use anything that came from nature or made anything by hand, they didn't have to work to earn money, and things were just given to them. I found it a little funny when they kept calling the Rustys (who are basically us right now) stupid. But they were right sometimes. I did find the names of the cities a little uncreative though - Uglyville, New Pretty Town. As for how believable the world was, I'd say I'm not completely sure whether our future would be like this. I mean, our world has overcome so much and to end up dividing humanity depending on who's ugly or pretty doesn't seem like something that would happen. But who knows? Maybe something will change and we'd have no choice.

Tally was so-oh my gosh-amazing. Really. I cannot properly express my feelings for this girl. Lets just say she deserves to be on my list of "Kick Ass Female Leads". She went through so much and still managed to keep herself together. I admire her a lot. Every time she said she was ugly I'd shout at the pages yelling "No you're not!!". Shay was another character I loved, how she was so bold and open minded. David really fascinated me because he was so different from Tally.

Ya know, this book brought out the emotional part of me. I, and almost everyone probably, have at least once looked in the mirror and disliked what I saw. You see, I have a big nose. When I was younger, I had to endure the mean comments and bullying from others because of this. I began trying to hide my face behind my hair to avoid getting noticed. But as time moved on, I thought to myself why I was even ashamed of my looks. All of the comments came from people who I either didn't know, nor were my friends. So why should I care what they thought of me? This was basically what the government in this book was telling their people-that they are ugly because they don't look a certain way. Now, I am proud of my looks and especially my nose. I don't hide. I still get comments but that makes me even more determined to stay myself. Because I know I am not ugly.

Phew-I barely get this emotional over a book! I know I've rambled on but I just wanted to emphasize how much I loved this book. I cannot wait to dig in the next one. I really regret not reading this book earlier.

To anyone reading this who has ever felt ugly because of someone, remember-the only person who decides if you are beautiful is yourself. No one else. Not even the freakin' government.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

May 19, 2009 Jenisse rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 9th-grade-advisory

Uglies

In a world of extreme beauty,
Anyone normal is ugly.

By Scott Westerfeld
426 pp. New York, NY
Simon Pulse. $6.99
ISBN 0-689-86538-4

Young Adult Book; A World With only Beautiful humans!

By JENISSE BOURET

Have you ever imagined living in a futuristic world where all humans are beautiful and ugly people await the day they become a “pretty” at 16? Probably not, unless you decide to read the marvelous Uglies, written by Scott Westerfeld. Tally, the
protagonist of the novel, soon to be 16 years old,...more

5 likes · like · see review

Jul 15, 2008 Alicia Bracken rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of sci-fi, action, romance and comedy

Shelves: own

in a world of extreme bueaty, anyone normal is ugly.

As an avid fan of YA and sci-fi novels, I can tell when one is good or bad. Uglies definantly falls into the ealier category. Not only does the book have sci-fi, it also has a good amount of action, comedy, romance and suspence. Even though Uglies is placed under the young adult catergory, any fan of a good book has to read this one.

Character(s): Before I read Uglies, I had been reading Westerfeld's Midnighters and Peeps series. Both had charac...more

4 likes · like · see review

Nov 18, 2007 Caryn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of 1984 and Brave New World

Shelves: youngreaderandteen, scifi

Uglies is the high school english teacher's answer to prayer when they try and assign 1984 to their tenth-graders and get all those complaints from parents about the "crap" their kids have to read in school.

It's 1984 or Brave New World without all the really offensive stuff.

Consequently, it's a little bit watered down, message-wise. But it's also fantastically detailed. Scott Westerfeld definitely thought this one out, what with the hoverboards (not quite like Back to the Future), space food, an...more

9 likes · like · see review

May 29, 2007 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia, intrigue, other-worlds, outsiders, social-commentary, strong-women, ya-fic, science-fiction

I love a good young adult novel about dystopian futures, and Uglies is undoubtedly my favorite so far. Set hundreds of years after Americans finally self-destruct at the hands of foreign oil dependency, Scott Westerfeld's future seems, at first glance, a neo-liberal paradise. All energy is clean and renewable, all materials instantly recyclable; all citizens are vegetarians, appalled that their ancestors ever wasted acres of South American farmland on raising cattle. There is no war, no hunger,...more

7 likes · like · see review

Jan 20, 2009 Terri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

In a society where every 16 year old is made "pretty" by an operation in order to avoid social strife, Tally meets Shay, a girl who will change her life.

A very quick and enjoyable read making me want to read the next one in the series

4 likes · like · see review

Apr 16, 2013 Bianca rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. In a dystopian world which is seemingly perfect at first sight, there are two kinds of people: Uglies and Pretties. Any human is an Ugly until his/her 16th birthday when a customary surgery to become a Pretty is performed. Most Uglies cannot wait until the moment they turn 16, as the much hyped-up surgery promises a "perfect" face, a "perfect" body, and a "perfect" personality. Everything sounds so rosy, right? Well, as any dystopian novel goes, this society is nothing like what it seems at firs...more In a dystopian world which is seemingly perfect at first sight, there are two kinds of people: Uglies and Pretties. Any human is an Ugly until his/her 16th birthday when a customary surgery to become a Pretty is performed. Most Uglies cannot wait until the moment they turn 16, as the much hyped-up surgery promises a "perfect" face, a "perfect" body, and a "perfect" personality. Everything sounds so rosy, right? Well, as any dystopian novel goes, this society is nothing like what it seems at first glance. Along with physical changes to the 16-year-old's body and face, there are alterations done to the way that person thinks, feels, creates, etc. Before you are 16, you are capable of thinking "outside the box". You can think of escaping the bubble you have been living in as a child. You can doubt the system. You have the courage to roam outside the boundaries of Uglyville. After the long-awaited surgery, though, all that goes away. The authorities now have full control over your mind and thought processes. You have now become just another identical member of the mass of Pretties.
This story follows Tally's life. She has been living in Uglyville her entire life, and she is super pumped for her upcoming surgery. But soon a friend comes along that just might change her opinion on the surgery. Tally is then forced to team up with the Specials in order to help them find her friend who escaped. After a long trek through various terrain, Tally finally reaches the Smoke. But will she adapt to the lifestyle there?
I liked this novel because the author started out with a brilliant idea for a novel. I am usually not a big fan of any fantasy/science fiction/dystopian novels, yet this book captured my attention a few years ago, and I finally got the chance to read it now. Upon starting the book, I was excited. But I found it hard to get through its beginning, middle, and, you guessed it, its ending. The fact that the words "Ugly", "Pretty", "Special" were repeated on every single page started to annoy me. It felt like I was reading a book for a much younger audience. Eventually, I felt like the author was treating the readers in a childish manner. The characters also annoyed me. For example, I thought that Tally would have a much stronger desire to not turn out like the rest of the Uglies. I thought that she would be a true warrior. Instead, she still had a shallow personality, and although David, her "boyfriend" in the Smoke, keeps on singing praises about her, I do not find anything too commendable about her (apart from the fact that she experienced treacherous terrain in order to help the bad guys AKA the Specials). I thought that by the ending of Uglies I would have liked it enough to want to read the next book in the series, Pretties. Now, I am not sure I want to go through another 400+ pages about Tally, Shay, David, and the rest of the characters. (less)

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 04, 2011 chucklesthescot rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian, fiction, youngadult, harsh-regime

At 16, every person in Uglyville gets an extreme makeover to make them a Pretty-perfect, beautiful, no responsibilities, partying all the time and looking down their nose at the Uglies, even Uglies that used to be their friends. Tally's birthday is getting closer and she is anxious to get the operation and join her Pretty friends. But her new friend Shay does not want to be Pretty and runs away to a secret community of free Uglies. Tally does not want to betray her friend, but she is told that u...more

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 06, 2013 Wickedshizuku rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Dystopian fans, Young Adults

Recommended to Wickedshizuku by: Fort Stewart Library

Shelves: 2010, reviewed

I can say that this series really disturbed me to the point of almost not wanting to finish it. It reminds me of an episode of the Twilight Zone. I will say that the series has an extremely good point to it though. Everyone in this society are required to go through plastic surgery at 16 years of age. This was explained away that if everyone was pretty there would be less fighting due to jealousy. This was a pet peeve for me that was trampled upon by Westerfeld,

photo my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-brony-she-got-swag_zps85020754.gif

but he said what needed to be sai...more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 25, 2011 Joyzi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Those who love dystopia

Recommended to Joyzi by: Youtube

Shelves: e-book, fiction, ya-books, sci-fi, reviewed, dystopia, political-intrigue

I love it, it reminds me of my other favorite dystopian futuristic novel which is the Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins. However if I’m going to compare the two I’d think the Hunger Games is far better than the Uglies.

In comparison to the Hunger Games they both have the element of political intrigue, we have the Specials in this book which is the equivalent of the Capitol in the Hunger Games. So the Specials kind of have this social manipulation in which when you've turned sixteen you must...more

5 likes · like · see review

Feb 07, 2013 PurplyCookie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, book-series, dystopia, 1st-in-a-series

"But it's a trick. You've only seen pretty faces your whole life. Your parents, your teachers, everyone over sixteen. But you weren't born expecting that kind of beauty in everyone, all the time. You just got programmed into thinking anyone else is ugly."

Playing on every teen’s passionate desire to look as good as everybody else, Westerfeld projects a future world in which a compulsory operation at 16 wipes out physical differences and makes everyone pretty by conforming to an ideal standard of...more "But it's a trick. You've only seen pretty faces your whole life. Your parents, your teachers, everyone over sixteen. But you weren't born expecting that kind of beauty in everyone, all the time. You just got programmed into thinking anyone else is ugly."

Playing on every teen’s passionate desire to look as good as everybody else, Westerfeld projects a future world in which a compulsory operation at 16 wipes out physical differences and makes everyone pretty by conforming to an ideal standard of beauty. The "New Pretties" are then free to play and party, while the younger "Uglies" look on enviously and spend the time before their own transformations in plotting mischievous tricks against their elders.

Tally Youngblood is one of the most daring of the Uglies, and her imaginative tricks have gotten her in trouble with the menacing department of Special Circumstances. She has yearned to be pretty, but since her new friend Shay ran away to the rumored rebel settlement of recalcitrant Uglies called The Smoke, Tally has been troubled. The authorities give her an impossible choice: either she follows Shay’s cryptic directions to The Smoke with the purpose of betraying the rebels, or she will never be allowed to become pretty.

I haven't read other novels by Westerfeld, but I will be after reading this one. I'm also not the biggest fan of sci-fi but this book may just make me reconsider my opinion regarding this entire book genre.

Don't let the titles of this book series fool you, it is not at all about superficiality. This was an incredibly well written book. The setting was well created and the characters were believable and well developed. There are no great leaps of faith that one has to make with some science fiction attempts. The story line makes sense. Just about when you get to the point were you have to have some type of explanation or you're going to get frustrated, the author gives it to you. It is all entirely believable without making the idea totally ludicrous.

Book Details:

Title Uglies (Uglies Trilogy, Book 1)
Author Scott Westerfeld
Reviewed By Purplycookie(less)

2 likes · like · see review

topics	posts	views	last activity
We ♥ YA Books! : UGLIES - Review & Giveaway	5	11	May 01, 2013 12:23pm
The YA Book Club: Review & GIVEAWAY - Uglies	2	26	Apr 30, 2013 06:19am
♥!The Young Adult...: Review & Giveaway - UGLIES	2	25	Apr 30, 2013 06:12am
Shut Up & Read: Review & Giveaway - UGLIES	2	14	Apr 30, 2013 06:05am

title link	preview: Uglies
avg rating	preview: Uglies Goodreads rating: 3.88 (191120 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6586540-uglies?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328050794l/6586540.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6586540-uglies?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Uglies by Scott Westerfeld[/url]

Uglies (Uglies #1)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (59)

Videos About This Book

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Scott Westerfeld

Books by Scott Westerfeld

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Uglies

Quotes from Uglies