Specials (Uglies, #3) in Crazy Challenge Connection

Jan 23, 2016 Chelsey rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: 1-star-books

More like 2 stars , but I couldn't quite allow myself to give more than one star to a book that glorifies cutting.

I will start with the positive points of this book. I think this is the best paced novel in the series. I read this one in a twenty four hour span and I was eager to get back to it every time I had to take a break. Despite the plethora of problems I have with this series, the books have never failed to keep me reading. Even if I am only reading because I like the concept and literal More like 2 stars , but I couldn't quite allow myself to give more than one star to a book that glorifies cutting.

I will start with the positive points of this book. I think this is the best paced novel in the series. I read this one in a twenty four hour span and I was eager to get back to it every time I had to take a break. Despite the plethora of problems I have with this series, the books have never failed to keep me reading. Even if I am only reading because I like the concept and literally nothing else. The unique backdrop for this series is the only positive I can really give.

The characters are just as undeveloped and flat as ever. Once again, none of the supporting cast is memorable and Tally is as annoying, misguided, and stupid as ever. None of the characters made me feel anything and considering the events that transpired, I should have felt something . I feel like the entire point of this book and the others was to show how a person can think for themselves and change their beliefs and behaviors despite what society tells them. Unfortunately, Tally never demonstrated that change, despite how hard Westerfeld tried to convince me. In the end, I did not care what happened to any of the characters.

The plot was identical to the other two books. It seems the author has a formula to his writing. Each books was the same sequence of events: City Life, then time in the wild, then back to the city. Honestly, I hated the plot of this book for two major reasons. The first being the glorification and excessive emphasis on cutting. I'll get to that. The other reason I hated the plot is the simple fact that is was disappointing and unbelievable. I've said it before, but I need to say it again. This author has no idea how medicine or technology work. I can't suspend my belief for this book and that really took away from the book. Especially because the entire novel is based around a medical concept, the pretty operations. In general, the plot was just disappointing. I just wanted more, but the author never delivered.

Now, the cutting. I will try not to rant too much, but it was just hard to read that. I think it was stupid to use self mutilation as a main plot point in a YOUNG ADULT/ TEEN novel when cutting is an epidemic among teens, both now and when this novel was published. It does nothing but encourage the behavior, romanticize it, and make it seem like a normal thing. I was a 14 year old goth girl once. I cut myself, too. And this is exactly the kind of thing 14 year old me would have clung to in order to justify my cutting and to put my feelings into words. Perhaps I am just too personally biased on the matter, but this entire cutting plot was so off putting.

And the ending was just ridiculous.

So, 1 star for this book and 2 stars to the trilogy. I have the Extras book to read as well, but I won't include it's rating in here. I would not recommend this series to anyone. ...more

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Mar 08, 2022 Chris Torretta rated it really liked it

After the way the first ended I figured book three was going to start in a weird way and although I was correct, I was not prepared for how this started.

Once again Scott Westerfeld had me on the edge of my seat. I was so curious how in the world Tally was going to get herself out of this particular predicament that I could not stop reading. I didn't want to, but I wouldn't have even if I had to. The narration was just as good as the first two, and the storyline was fabulous.

Although I was able ...more

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May 31, 2016 ❤ Aly ❤ rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2016

Great third book to the series! It left me wanting more though.

(view spoiler) ...more

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Nov 14, 2015 Cecily Black rated it it was ok

Oh boy...

Well the main reason I am reading this book is because I am OCD and hate when I start a series and don't finish it. "DNF" is probably one of the hardest things for me to do. That being said I really don't like much about this book I hate the speech in this book. I actually feel like I am getting dumber the longer I read this series. I get that they are "pretties" and that is why they are stupid but I had hope there wouldn't be as much of that in this installment of the series but there ...more

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May 01, 2025 Jamii rated it liked it

Shelves: borrowed, series, audiobooks, empty-shelf-2025

It was nice revisiting these characters but this book seemed a bit all over the place. I also found it a bit tired that Tally’s reduced to the boys she likes almost completely throughout the book. This book also felt like it used the “cutesy” terms for every group a lot more than the previous two, but maybe I’m misremembering. Every other sentence it felt like was about “littlelies” “bubble heads” “crumblies”, etc and it really interrupted the flow of the story.

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