CITATION: Westerfield, S. (2005). Uglies. New York: Simon PulseIDENTIFYING #: ISBN 13: 9780689865381
CLASSIFICATION: FICTION
GENRE: SCIENCE FICTION
CALL # FIC WESTERFIELD
RECOMMENDED AGE/INTEREST LEVEL: YOUNG ADULT
RATING: 4
Annotation: 16 year-old Tally's dreams of being transformed from an "ugly" to a "pretty" will come true, but only if she agrees to betray a friend.
Summary: Tally has a new best friend, Shay, and they're both about to have the operation that will change them into "pretties". Tally's waited for this day a long time; more than anything, Tally wants to be pretty. She excitedly shares her plans with Shay, showing images of all the looks she's been considering. When Shay dismisses them as generic, and points out other qualities may be more important, Tally is confused, and wonders if maybe Shay has prettier "pretty" pictures than she does. She demands to see Shay's images, but Shay seems to like individual differences, and has never made one. When Shay runs away, preferring life "on the outside" to a world of sameness, Tally begins to realize that being "pretty" might not be a choice. What would you do if the only thing that stood in the way of you having everything you ever wanted was a friend who wanted to be different. Would you betray your friend or give up your dream? That's the choice Tally has to make.
Notes: Gee, mandatory plastic surgery... Be pretty or else! This is a great novel that speaks about different notions of beauty, and how much of ourselves we're willing to give up to conform to society's standards. Even if you're not a science fiction fan, you'll probably enjoy this book, and it will make you think a lot about ways our society is similar to the one Scott Westerfeld creates.
