Uglies: Uglies; Pretties; Specials; Extras

When I first started reading Uglies, I was amused but not really hooked. However, as I read on, suddenly something changed and I found myself getting more and more into the story. On it's surface, this book series seems to be about the tired "it's not the outside, but what's inside that counts." But to define this book by that familiar trope is to sell it very, very short. Mr. Westerfeld weaves a compelling coming-of-age story while at the same time crafting a dystopic future that can trace its roots back to our own existence. The end result is an adventure/life lesson that goes far deeper than the beautiful skin that many of the characters possess.

Parents - give this one a read and then recommend it to your teenagers. You won't be sorry!

I am always searching for a good read. Dystopian and Amish Fiction are my favorites. Yeah I know, kind of the exact opposite, but I think they balance each other and me! This book was super and definitely in my keep pile. Thanks........

I am always searching for a good read. Dystopian and Amish Fiction are my favorites. Yeah I know, kind of the exact opposite, but I think they balance each other and me! This book was super and definitely in my keep pile. Thanks........

To be honest this book series sounded so great! I started reading it and I loved it but after about the 3rd book it just started dragging on and I stopped reading it. I'm normally not the type of person who doesn't finish a book series but I got bored? I might finish it eventually but not right now

The books Specials and Extras were the worst books of fantasy fiction that was ever attempted to be jig saw puzzled together! As I WS reading them it was like diving into the Rabbit hole with Cracked Up Alice in Wonderland!! OMG, I have over 3,000 books in my library-have read them all and have never given a bad review to any novel. What is wrong with this author??? Do not buy this series!! Even high on grass, crack, crack or LSD can not get you through the pain of these last 2 books in this series!

pooled ink Reviews:

This series is seriously one of my top favorites! Some people just didn’t get into these books or felt as if it didn’t live up to the hype, that’s fine. I’m just glad that I read these pre-Goodreads because I had no expectations.

The characters are awesome, well-written, and well-developed. The world-building makes me envious as it is full of possibility, dreams, and of course hoverboards! A place so easy to envision that it will stick in your mind for daydreams to come.
This series has romance in it but it’s not the focus, rather it’s simply a part of life, a complication, a motivation, a ray of hope, and a choice to be made. David and Zane are really great characters though.

Westerfeld truly did a good job with not only crafting a place that seems to real and so possible but all of his characters are undeniably three-dimensional and intriguing as they are catapulted into a plot with no breaks.

A chilling, exhilarating, psychological futuristic series this book will seize you by the brain and latch on until you’ve devoured each and every page as they fill you with amazement, disgust, and addicting intrigue. UGLIES sets the stage, PRETTIES flips it upside down, SPECIALS grounds it into the earth, and EXTRAS issues a hopeful epilogue.

Read my FULL review here: [...]

I've wanted to read the Uglies quartet for years, ever since they showed up on my little sister's shelves. The series takes place in a post-apocalyptic society where all of humanity is gathered into a few independent cities. In every city, when citizens reach their 16th birthday they undergo a surgery to change them from "uglies" into super-model gorgeous "pretties". There is, of course, a catch. Both the catch and most of the other plot points were quite predictable, although the motivations of those in charge surprised me; I just don't feel like they got enough out of it. But the idea was novel and I appreciated that. The world was also very well developed and the details of the procedure by which people became pretty were fleshed out enough to make it very believable.

The characters were wonderful. I don't think there were any cookie-cutter characters and most of the characters were very well-developed. There was also some very believable character development for our protagonist. One of my favorite things about the narrative was how in character the viewpoint was. The main character, Tally, is threatened with remaining ugly forever if she doesn't help the people in charge find a friend who fled the city. Her reaction was very believable, not too eager to help but not too eager to remain ugly forever either. Her wonder at the things she encountered during her adventures, things we might take for granted today, also added to the feel that we were really getting this story from her perspective.

My least favorite thing about the narrative was the lack of visual descriptions. I think the world envisioned by the author would be a visually stunning world, something which would make a great movie, and I was disappointed the author didn't do more to make me "see" that. The writing overall was acceptable, but not anything special (which I will say is still superior to some YA series). I don't have any other specific problems with it, but I did find that it wasn't hard to put the books down at any point. The series was very thought provoking, raising issues about conformity, beauty, and satisfaction with your own appearance. Definitely a novel I would recommend for a YA book club for instance, but perhaps not awesome enough that I would recommend it to an adult audience as enthusiastically as I'd recommend some other YA series.

Originally published over a decade ago, these books were ahead of their times. Had they been written just s bit later they would have been as popular as the Divergent series and Hunger Games. Scott Westerfield was just a bit too soon. These are great books and fit in the love for dystopian society in this generation of readers. Fantastic book series!

I read the series because I like dystopian societies and the one here gives me a whole new perspective about this theme. The reading is quick and well writen. I love the details in major plot scenes and overall is a pleasing text for young adults, even adults.