In a futuristic dystopian society, Tally is a typical awkward girl, one of the Uglies, awaiting her sixteenth birthday so she can have the operation everyone gets: the operation that will make her Pretty. When her friend Shay claims she doesn’t want the operation, Tally’s world begins to be turned around. Is there really any life beyond those perfect pretty faces in New Pretty Town?

Just like teenagers have to do, Tally faces situations where she must decide: betrayal versus loyalty, friend versus foe, bravery versus the easy way out, what she wants versus what is right. What will Tally choose in the end? ( )

If you wish to read my review, please check out my blog

http://web.me.com/quirion/Bookaddict/...

I really enjoyed Uglies, much more than I thought I would. The book was so very different from any other futuristic science fiction novel I have ever read. The storyline was so plausible, it was scary. The entire book was crazy exciting from beginning to end. I cannot wait to read the next book in the trilogy. ( )

From Follett Titlewave:

Hunter, Susan W. "Uglies (Book Review)." School Library Journal (2005) 20 Nov 2009

"Uglies (Book Review)." Booklist. Vol. 101, No. 14 (2005) 20 Nov 2009

"Uglies (Book Review)." Kirkus Review (2005) 20 Nov 2009

"Uglies (Book Review)." Publishers Weekly (2005) 20 Nov 2009

(http://www.flr.follett.com/search?SID...) ( )

A solid YA novel, following most of the standard conventions - curious, defiant protagonist, messily dystopic, futuristic society; with an interesting twist at the end - the protagonist's defiance of the social order does not fully succeed. Instead, she gets swept up into it for a (you guessed it) sequel. And another, and another. If nothing else, a good page-turner. ( )

Tally is anxious for her 16th birthday when she can finally have the operation and become Pretty. She crashes a party in New Pretty Town to visit her best friend Peris. During her frantic escape she meets Shay, a friend who has decided to run to a place called The Smoke and not have the operation. Tally is forced by the evil Special Circumstances to follow Shay and reveal the location of The Smoke. An interesting look into the future and the complexities of brains vs. beauty and the ability of people to control their own decisions and lives. The first in a series. ( )

So good I read the whole series. I have a soft spot for post-apocalyptic tales. There's a not-so-subtle message in these books that should give readers a chance to take a good look in the mirror. ( )

I thought this actoion packed science fiction book was an awsome book! It always kept me interested. It is about a young girl named Tally, she is about to have an operation that will turn her pretty. But everything she knows changes when she meets a girl named Shay. Shay runs away and Tally is faced with a decisson that will change her whole life: Turn in her best friend or stay ugly... forever.This book is the first of the series I would also get the other 3 books!

I was given this book as a gift by one of my friends. My instant thought was "Oh no, I'm going to have to pretend to like this!"

I didn't like it in the end...I loved it! It's a teen book that could easily be read by an adult and enjoyed. On a basic level there's a wonderful sci fi story, but dig little deeper and the book contains a very superficial future and a lot of negative views about the "rusties" - us!

I'm not a huge sci fi and don't enjoy complicated explanations of unusual technologies, this book managed to indulge my love of sci fi without me getting confused. ( )

There is a fair amount of information in the book, from hover boards to hole in the wall recycling closets, Uglies is full of imagination and great enthusiasm from the wannabe pretty Tally Youngblood.

Westerfeld delivers a solid dystopian society where everyone is meant to be beautiful in their own way but at the same time, programmed to be the same. Reading this kind of reminded me of a filtered down version of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. Though completely different novels, they both play on human desire.

There was very tense sections where a lot of action occurred and with Westerfeld's detailed explanation, you feel as though you're living in the action next to Tally. The book moved quickly getting to the point just a little past half way which is always better than the climax reaching near the last few chapters.

The cliffhanger ending was very dramatic, very appealing, and totally pretty ( )

Tally Youngblood is anxiously awaiting her sixteenth birthday. Why? Well once she turns sixteen she will be reunited with her BFF Peris, but more importantly than that, she will finally be pretty. That’s right, at the moment, Tally is living amongst the Uglies.

“Uglies” is set in a post-apocalyptic world where a mysterious global catastrophe has pretty much wiped out most of the planet as well as its inhabitants. Several hundred years later, the survivors (or at this point generations later) fearful of war and violence - now cities are known as independent states. These cities have agreed to certain standards for the greater good. For instance at the age of sixteen you undergo major plastic surgery and are moved to new living quarters in a town known as, you guessed it, “Prettytown” - where you live it up with other pretties just like you - partying and just having a grand ol’ time.

A couple of months prior to their sixteenth birthday, Tally meets Shay. They become fast friends and tend to hang out and play tricks together. But after several weeks Tally realizes that there’s something different about Shay. For one, she doesn’t want to be pretty, she actually thinks she’s not ugly. Which to Tally is quite surprising since everyone knows you are ugly before the operation. Secondly, she keeps talking about a secretive place called the Smoke and a mysterious friend named David. Shay eventually runs away to the Smoke the day before her sixteenth birthday leaving Tally behind with a set of cryptic directions in case she decides to forgo her dream of being pretty. But Tally has no intention of running away - her dream has always been to be pretty. That is until Special Circumstances (an organization like the FBI) gets involved and gives her the ultimatum of being pretty or staying ugly forever but in the process she’ll have to betray her friend and all the inhabitants of the Smoke. That is, of course, if she can decipher Shay's directions and makes it there alive.

Although I did find it a bit difficult at first to understand what was going on, once I actually started understanding about pretties, uglies, etc., I really enjoyed this dystopian future. I love anything post-apocalyptic - and reading about a world where technology surpasses ours, where there's a magnetic grid running beneath the surface that allows the residents to travel via hoverboards and/or hovercrafts, is a treat. I liked the fact that it had an underlying thread about recycling and taking care of our planet. And like most teens today - Tally and Shay were facing some of the same issues - low self-esteem, peer pressure, etc. I loved when they would mention the Rusty's (the people who were living before the big catastrophe... or us). It was a mystery that little by little unraveled itself on what and why the world was the way it is in their time. I will forewarn that it ends rather abrubtly, but do not fret as there is a sequel.

With that said, although a bit confusing at first, stick through the first couple of chapters and you will find yourself completely immersed in a unique world full adventure, suspense and even a little romance thrown in there for good measure. ( )

Tally is an ugly about to turn 16. She lives in Uglyville with the rest of the uglies until her 16th birthday when she'll undergo the surgery to turn her into a pretty so she can go live in New Pretty Town with the rest of the pretties. Except her new friend Shay is disillusioned with the false values and conformity of the pretties and runs away to the Smoke, a town of rebels living outside the bounds of society. The authorities give Tally an awful choice, either hunt down and turn in her best friend, or never be turned into a pretty. Throughout the book Tally deals with what it means to be pretty or ugly, friendships and promises. Westerfeld takes a unique approach in tackling questions of image issues, identity, friendships and self-confidence that swirl through female development from middle school through high school. It's a great story, with good pacing of dialog mixed with action, set in a truly unique world that is eerily doesn't seem too far off from our own. This is a trilogy and the ending of this book will have you reaching for the next. ( )

Before age 16 one is an Ugly. At age 16 one becomes a Pretty. At one month from her 16th birthday the main character meets a girl who does not want to become a Pretty. They escape via hoverboard to a new land. The main character is captured and set up to be a spy. This is a great book for readers who question society or want to be free thinkers. It would be a good spark for discussion or debate. The reading level may be difficult for some middle schoolers, but better and more mature readers will love it. ( )

Really good book if your looking for something different... it mixes acition with romance and keeps u reading.

http://tyranist.blogspot.com/2009/10/... ( )

(I hate to write a bad review, but I believe this one warrants it. Don't hate me!)

The concept is intriguing and exciting, and the idea itself has so much potential, but the uninspired, juvenile writing and underdeveloped characters made it, for me, unpleasant reading. I had expected to love this book -- I am an avid fan of the young adult and science fiction genres, especially those featuring dystopian societies -- but I was very disappointed.

The writing style could definitely be billed for children rather than young adults, and I thank the reviewer that mentioned the cringe-worthy terms and town names -- "Crumblyville", "Littlies", "Pretty Town". My feelings exactly. It seems unecessary to me to "dumb down" the details quite this far, even if the characters are meant to be unimaginative.

If you are looking for a really stellar piece of YA futuristic fiction, this is not it.

A "why not?", quick-read for a stormy day or an airplane ride? Maybe. ( )

Sometimes, a book is called young adult because the main characters are teenagers even though the themes and writing style would satisfy adults. That's not the case with Uglies, but it's still an enjoyable read.

Like most teens living in a dystopian future, Tally Youngblood grows up thinking her world is a paradise. She spends her days in unchallenging classes and her evenings playing practical jokes. When she turns 16, like everyone else in her city, she'll receive special plastic surgery to make her classically beautiful; until then, she can sneak out of her dorm room to spy on New Pretty Town, where young, gorgeous people party all night and all day.

Tally's life changes when she meets Shay, who is determined not to get the surgery. On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, Shay runs away to the Smoke, a small colony of rebels who live close to nature and think for themselves. The authorities give Tally a choice: she can find Shay and bring her back to the city for surgery, or she can stay ugly forever.

Predictably, moral conflict and emotional angst ensue, but to its credit, the book keeps teen melodrama to a minimum. If Tally's inner journey is a bit predictable, the author at least keeps the book entertaining with his thoroughly detailed and imaginative settings. My only complaint is that the book has very little interest in developing its themes in a thoughtful or mature way. A book like this could examine some very complex ideas, but when I was reading, my thoughts never probed deeper than "what will happen next?" That's why this book gets three and a half stars instead of four, but I'll probably still read the sequel. ( )

This book took a while to grow on me. At first I wasn't sure what to think. I didn't think it was going to be a futuristic dystopian fiction. So it took me a while to picture the setting while reading the story. Eventually though, I started to like the book. It had a lot of interesting moments and I was curious as to what happened to the world to make it the way it is in the novel. It was a little vague. However you do get an explanation as to what happened near the end of the book.

I wasn't too attached to Tally. She just seemed so shallow and *silly* and pratically obsessed with being Pretty. I understand it sounds so much better than living the hum drum life of being an Ugly but she just wouldn't be stop obsessing over it, it got old quickly. I liked Shay for her thinking and individuality. I thought she did a great job in taking Tally out of her own little shell. However aside from Tally, most of the characters in this novel weren't really rounded out, or even developed. They were just flat. Although the story focused more on Tally it would have been nice to see other characters develop with her as well. Shay does, albeit drastically but it was nice to see Tally mature throughout the book. What bugged me was Tally's anguish over her secret. I was practically yelling at the book wanting her to tell the truth. But then, I figured the book would have probably turned out a lot differently - not sure if for the better.

I liked the plot throughout the novel, although I found it sort of dragged here and there (when Tally is with the Smokies for instance). I was willing to let that go however, because the story did get my attention once I got adjusted to it. It does make a pretty good dystopian fiction novel and the ending does make me want to continue where it left off. There was some science in this book but pretty basic and not enough to be discouraged with scientific jargon. If you're looking for something with action, this book does have it. Tally's journey to find her friend Shay was interesting, as Shay left her directions in some sort of code that Tally would only be able to understand. I particularly liked that because it was like a puzzle she was trying to solve and you went along the journey with her.

Overall, it wasn't the best novel I've read, but it was good enough for me to read through from beginning to end. Would I recommend this? yes why not! I liked the overall theme of beauty and striving to being content with just the way you are, and to be apart from the rest. This is a perfect novel to see what would happen if the obsession of beauty is carried just a few more steps too far. ( )

This wonderfully-written story takes place in a world merged from ugly people(normal people) to extremely georgeous people(which is made by plastic surgery at the age of 16). Tally Youngblood is the last of her friends to turn "pretty" until one day she meets a girl with the same birthday. This girl named Shay decides she doesn't want to have the life that everyone else wants. Now Tally has been chosen by a futuristic team of cops(Special Circumstances) to find Shay, or she will have to live the rest of her life as and Ugly. This is a GREAT book taken place a couple thousand years from today. The people there call us the "Rusty" folk. There are multiple citys left behind from us called the Rusty Ruins. READ THIS BOOK!!!! READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( )

Flash three hundred years into the future where mankind has been propelled into a chilling dystopian vision. In one act of terrorism, an engineered petroleum bacterium has brought the world to a standstill. Free thought, free will, industry, culture, diversity and imagination have now become things of the past.

In its place resting on the ashes of the 21st century and all it encompassed, is a world shaped by scalpel. This is the world that Tally Youngblood unknowingly lives in. As a fifteen year old "Ugly", Tally looks forward to her 16th birthday. That is when she will be whisked off to complete her transformation from an "Ugly" to a "Pretty"-where beauty's specifications are cunningly determined by the Pretty Committee.

But what she doesn't know it's that that not only her body will be changed, but her mind. Just mere weeks before her operation date, she meets Shay, another Ugly in the dorm. Shay seems to know of a world that operates outside of Uglyville and New Pretty Town-a mysterious backwoods utopia known as The Smoke-where the government can't get at you. But getting there might end up costing too much. And what Tally and Shay don't know is that the government will do anything to crush The Smoke and its rebellion. Including using her and Shay to their own ends.

Westerfeld knows the intricacies of humanity's foibles and he exploits them in his terrifying vision of the future, where everyone looks alike, acts alike, thinks alike, and only a select few are chosen to think freely. The human race is depicted as operating with such diminished capacity that readers will cringe, and Westerfeld manages to encapsulate the conflict and pressures of superficiality that plagues society today. What could be scarier: A future where the government controls your actions or where they actually tamper with your mind? The Uglies Trilogy is an inventive and captivating YA series, reminiscent of Stephens' The Big Empty, and Orwell's 1984 with a little bit of Logan's Run thrown in.Copyright(c)Nicola Mattos ( )

it's not bad. really. it's just not that great, either. the hunger games blows this out of the water. ( )

I was fascinated with the world that Westerfeld created for this novel. It took me a little while to truly connect with it, but once I did I was really sucked in! The world of “uglies” and “pretties” is enough of an extension of our world today that it’s not that hard to believe. Combined with a bit of adventure, humor, and a heroine who likes to play pranks and take risks, what more could a reader ask for? There is a more serious side to this novel, however, that deals with themes of beauty, betrayal, and ethical dilemmas, all of which resonate strongly in today’s society. Then there is the whole government control plotline which puts one in mind of themes from Orwell’s 1984 or Bradbury’s Farenheit 451: fascinating yet scary. I thoroughly enjoyed Uglies and look forward to reading more in this series. ( )

Pretty good YA book - a future society where everyone gets surgery to become pretty when they turn 16. No differences, everyone is equal, and of course everyone is a little vapid. ( )

http://talesofarampaginglibrarian.blo... ( )

This book is a great example of a science fiction novel. It is science fiction because it takes place in the future in a community where when you are 16 years old you get plastic surgery to become "pretty" like everyone else over the age of 16.
Age Appropriateness: Late Intermediate, Middle
Media: none ( )