TBH this is not the first (or even the third) time I’ve read this book. I keep coming back to this series. Westerfeld is the author that got me interested in dystopian books in the first place. He does such a great job creating a believable world. Everything down to the bio-engineered flowers and hoverboards feels entirely plausible. It's what makes this book so intoxicating and also a little terrifying.
What I like:
I like the character development. I like that Tally originally wanted to be pretty more than anything, but her mind gradually changes because of what she sees and learns. She grows to like being in The Smoke even before she learns about the brain lesions.
I like David. I just do. I mean, so many people trust him enough to go to The Smoke!
I like a lot of the way things are phrased. The lovely thoughts and the silly ones. A lot of effort went into crafting them.
“The early summer sky was the color of cat vomit.”
“I spilled more times than a glass of milk on a roller coaster.”
“Perhaps the logical conclusion of everyone looking the same is everyone thinking the same.”
“It's not the traveling that takes courage Tally. I've done much longer trips on my own. It's leaving home.”
What I don’t like:
While I love the relationship between Tally and David, it doesn’t fit as well as I’d like it to. They fall in love too quickly for me to believe that Tally has really gotten over the whole ugly thing. She’s too conditioned.
Sometimes it feels like Westerfeld is beating you over the head with the point that he’s trying to make, but the point is so important in a world so obsessed with beauty. My issue might just be that I’ve read this book one too many times.
What I like:
I like the character development. I like that Tally originally wanted to be pretty more than anything, but her mind gradually changes because of what she sees and learns. She grows to like being in The Smoke even before she learns about the brain lesions.
I like David. I just do. I mean, so many people trust him enough to go to The Smoke!
I like a lot of the way things are phrased. The lovely thoughts and the silly ones. A lot of effort went into crafting them.
“The early summer sky was the color of cat vomit.”
“I spilled more times than a glass of milk on a roller coaster.”
“Perhaps the logical conclusion of everyone looking the same is
everyone thinking the same.”
“It's not the traveling that takes courage Tally. I've done much longer
trips on my own. It's leaving home.”
What I don’t like:
While I love the relationship between Tally and David, it doesn’t fit as well as I’d like it to. They fall in love too quickly for me to believe that Tally has really gotten over the whole ugly thing. She’s too conditioned.
Sometimes it feels like Westerfeld is beating you over the head with the point that he’s trying to make, but the point is so important in a world so obsessed with beauty. My issue might just be that I’ve read this book one too many times.