Pretties

I truly love this series! The world is a dystopian society based on the ideals of beauty. It is a society that redefined beauty as a conforming concept, a society in which everyone's entire worth is based on their beauty. The fact that beauty is a manufactured ideal, rather than natural, is of no importance. In fact, the reality that is manufactured forms the foundation of it all, that only created beauty is truly beautiful.

This is a book/series written for the young adult demographic and I am definately not that (!), but it is full of themes that are applicable to us all... at any age. With a society that is based on a conforming, created beauty, there is the inevitable theme of superficiality. Self worth is based on beauty, happiness show more found in the nonstop parties and pursuit of that beauty. There is also the theme of conformity, or fitting in. While there is no set way to look in the world of the Pretties, there is a fundamental set ideal. There is only so much "wiggle room" within that ideal for individuality, just enough to add to the array of physical beauty without supporting true unique identities. The theme of ignorance is bliss is also touched upon in this book. There is the rather sarcastic implication that living in blissful ignorance is preferable to facing the darker aspects of life. I think this is particularly poignant, considering the state of the world today. There is often the impulse to turn your back on the problems of the world and forget they exist. But ignoring them doesn't change them, doesn't solve them.

In this book, Tally has become a Pretty. She is living her life as all Pretties do, beautiful and in pursuit of fun. The problems in the world have disappeared for her in her new life and new mindset. But a message from her past reaches her and she suddenly remembers all of those problems. The fun ends for her, and that choice to face the problems of the world and turn her back on her new easy life is what makes her a hero. Not everyone will make that choice, although even those who choose to embrace the Pretty life are pretty relatable. I think all of us, at one time or another, would like to be able to turn our back and just relish in the good things.

Interestingly, there is a bit of an environmental theme, a subtler theme, but an important one. The environment of the Pretties is sustainable, but overly technological and extreme. The environment of the past Rusties (our own present world) was wasteful and damaging to the planet. It isn't so much that the author is presenting the environment of the Pretties as the ideal, but perhaps something between the two.

This is a book/series that makes you think and consider your own world and your own beliefs. There are both utopian and dystopian elements to the story and it is an interesting alternative perspective on our own world.

My Recommendation: The implications of the world of the Pretties are a little discomfitting in their potential and that inherent discomfort is exactly what makes this book such an engaging read. show less

If Uglies cracked the mirror… Pretties steps through it and asks: what happens when you actually like what you see on the other side?

Tally is finally pretty. Beautiful. Popular. Effortless. Living in a world where the only thing expected of you… is to have fun. No stress, no pain, no hard thoughts. Just sparkle and parties and a life wrapped in velvet softness.

But here’s the catch… something feels off. And the scariest part? It’s really easy to not care.

This sequel leans deeper into the glossy illusion and slowly peels it back like a too-perfect filter glitching at the edges . It explores identity in a way that feels uncomfortably familiar. Not just “who am I?” but “who am I when it’s easier not to ask?”

You can feel show more the weight of conformity pressing in from every direction. Be pretty, be easy, be the same. And if you’re not? You’re the problem. Sound familiar?

This one hits harder in some ways because it reflects a version of our world that already exists. Judgment dressed up as preference. Control disguised as comfort. A society that rewards sameness while quietly punishing individuality.

Tally’s journey here is less about rebellion and more about waking up. And that slow unraveling? It’s both fascinating and frustrating in the best way.

The writing stays accessible and quick, but there’s a sharp undercurrent of commentary running beneath it. Even if some of the slang still feels a little… clunky , the ideas carry enough weight to pull you through.

Rating: 3/5
A thoughtful, slightly eerie continuation that trades action for introspection and leaves you questioning how much of yourself you’d be willing to give up for an easier life. 🧐

Genres:
Young Adult, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Social Commentary

Tropes:
• Society of Perfection
• Identity vs. Conformity
• The Illusion of Happiness
• Internal Awakening
• Memory Manipulation / Altered Reality

Final thoughts:
Soft lights, loud parties, empty smiles… and one tiny voice in your head whispering “this isn’t real.” show less

I really dislike Shay. Yep, really. She has reason to be angry with Tally--though I wish she'd consider the way Tally was blackmailed and threatened--and she has only the memories and feelings the operation allows her, but she's angry over David. Be angry over losing the life you wanted, Shay! Don't be angry over a boy!

Tally's feelings as a New-Pretty scared me. As I said talking about [b:Uglies|24770|Uglies (Uglies, #1)|Scott Westerfeld|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255574770s/24770.jpg|2895388], I understand the temptation. Who wouldn't want a life free of all the drama we go through? But there was a core of unhappiness in her, not just her feelings from before, but a basic unhappiness with the drinking and the parties.

The ending show more of the book killed me. It enforced my dislike of Shay, but more than that it upset me for Tally. She wanted to be a Pretty, but she never wanted to be a Special, and they gave her no choice. show less

SPOILER WARNING for Uglies
Now a Pretty, Tally Youngblood joins a clique called the Crims, who spend their time with daredevilry and pranks. With quite a reputation from her time on the run (which she doesn’t really remember), Tally rises fast. She’s reconnected with her childhood friends Peris and Shay, and has a boyfriend named Zane. They live a mostly unexamined life, but do try to stay “Bubbly”, the Pretty term for thinking hard and paying attention. One night after a party Tally sees a message that only she could understand, which puts her back into contact with the Ugly outlaws. They show her the consent video she made before she was captured, and give her the cure. She doesn’t want to be cured alone, so she takes one of show more the pills herself and gives the other to Zane, who believes everything she tells him about the Pretty operation. They use the Crims to come up with an elaborate plan to get them out of New Pretty Town and back to the wilderness.

A huge flop, even by middle-book-of-a-trilogy standards. The plot is essentially the same as the first book - Tally does some daring feats, has a revelation, escapes, survives on her own for a while, someone betrays the group without meaning to, the Specials show up. And in the end she finds out Shay has had surgery to become a Special and then Tally does too. The new revelation in this book is Tally didn’t take the actual cure so she’s only “cured” through will-power, which contradicts everything we learned in the first book. Could they at least check her brain to see if she still has lesions?? If the Pretty operation doesn’t need to be medically reversed then what are we even doing here?? Tally and Shay were the best relationship in the first book and they barely see each other in this one. Zane is just as uninteresting as Michael and their love triangle has legs made of spaghetti.
There are now 8 books in this series so I assume Westerfeld has a lot more to say and I’ll keep reading, but this one could have been skipped entirely. show less

The Writing and Worldbuilding

It builds on the world Uglies established, expanding and giving insight into the behind the scenes of the society. I was annoyed with the whole ~love cures all~ thing, as well as aspects of the love triangle, as, at this point, they're very old tropes, but since this came out over ten years ago, before The Hunger Games even, I'll give it some free passes. The slight glorification of Zane's undernourishment and gaunt appearance wasn't okay, though. I understand why he was gaunt, but I don't understand why Tally thought it was attractive.

The Characters

Tally: My sister warned me that she is very annoying as a Pretty, but honestly, she wasn't really, and if she was, it wasn't for very long. She was just as show more proactive as she had been in book 1, and I still really liked her.

Zane: I'm not a fan of love triangles, but he was a super nice and I loved him. He was distinct from David and lovable in his own way.

Shay: I'm so sad my hyper, lovable Shay is gone forever :(

Fausto: I loved him! He wasn't super important, but he was funny and even in his few appearances, I got a good feel for his character.

Andrew Simpson Smith: My lovable caveman! ❤❤❤ I don't care that he's stereotypical and a sexist, I love him.

Conclusion

I read this in almost one sitting and in less than 24 hours, so I think they gives a general idea of how engrossed I was in this, and how much I generally really liked it, but I didn't totally love it or anything. To put it in pretty speech: It wasn't totally love-making (which sounds dirty, but I swear it isn't) show less

This sequel to "Uglies" follows the adventures of Tally Youngblood after her "surge" to become "pretty." Our heroine alternates between likeable and smackable, but Westerfeld has created a fascinating future world that makes this series worth reading.

The Writing and Worldbuilding

It builds on the world Uglies established, expanding and giving insight into the behind the scenes of the society. I was annoyed with the whole ~love cures all~ thing, as well as aspects of the love triangle, as, at this point, they're very old tropes, but since this came out over ten years ago, before The Hunger Games even, I'll give it some free passes. The slight glorification of Zane's undernourishment and gaunt appearance wasn't okay, though. I understand why he was gaunt, but I don't understand why Tally thought it was attractive.

The Characters

Tally: My sister warned me that she is very annoying as a Pretty, but honestly, she wasn't really, and if she was, it wasn't for very long. She was just as show more proactive as she had been in book 1, and I still really liked her.

Zane: I'm not a fan of love triangles, but he was a super nice and I loved him. He was distinct from David and lovable in his own way.

Shay: I'm so sad my hyper, lovable Shay is gone forever :(

Fausto: I loved him! He wasn't super important, but he was funny and even in his few appearances, I got a good feel for his character.

Andrew Simpson Smith: My lovable caveman! ❤❤❤ I don't care that he's stereotypical and a sexist, I love him.

Conclusion

I read this in almost one sitting and in less than 24 hours, so I think they gives a general idea of how engrossed I was in this, and how much I generally really liked it, but I didn't totally love it or anything. To put it in pretty speech: It wasn't totally love-making (which sounds dirty, but I swear it isn't) show less