Review: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Title: Uglies (Uglies #1)

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Pages: 310

ISBN: 9781442419810

Genre: Young Adult/Dystopia

First Published: February 2005

Buy it: Bookdepository

Tally Youngblood is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait for the operation that turns everyone from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to party. But new friend Shay would rather hoverboard to "the Smoke" and be free. Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world and it isn't very pretty. The "Special Circumstances" authority Dr Cable offers Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. The choice Tally makes changes her world forever.

I just finished the book, like, 5 minutes ago and my thoughts are still all over the place. I have so many things to say about this book, so I hope I will get them all out in the right way.

First of all, the story started kind of slow. It was only after I was about halfway through the book that it started getting more interesting and I really wanted to keep reading. Part of that was because of all the shallowness in the beginning of the book. I get that Tally was raised thinking she was ugly, but at some point it just became annoying. Basically, everyone is ugly before they have an operation when they turn sixteen, that makes them pretty and makes them want to party and have fun all the time. The perfect life for a teen right? But the thing is, all the people who are ugly, look like you and me. Normal people. But three hundred years in the future, the way we look now is considered ugly. Oh, and they think of us as Rusties. Also, their towns have these awesome names like: Uglyville, New Pretty Town, and Crumblyville (because when you're old you're crumbly, get it?). I mean seriously? Was Westerfeld out of inspiration or something? Maybe some people like it but to me it just sounds silly.

Also, I was a bit annoyed that some things aren't really explained to you at first. Like, what happens when you turn from a littlie (when you're a kid) to an ugly. You turn twelve and then all of a sudden you're not cute anymore? And where the hell are your parents when you're an ugly? I mean, where do they live? I didn't get the new pretty, middle pretty thing at first either, but some of my questions were answered eventually.

Anyway, it get's better once you get used to all that. To my surprise, the story got pretty good in the end and made me curious about the next book: Pretties. I hope it's not as slow as this one. I already have it on my kindle so I will probably read it soon. As for Uglies, because it got better eventually, I'm gonna give it 3 stars.