Uglies by Scott Westerfeld- Tali Moore

Moore, Tali

November 20, 2008

P.6, Mrs. Huff

What if being Ugly isn't so bad?

For my book review blog, I pondered and finally came up with a mystery novel I enjoyed reading in my 7th grade year, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. After scanning my bookshelf at home a little I ran across this book and thought it was a perfect choice for my blog. The novel tells the story of another world of perfection that leads to corruption. It teaches a moral many do not process in life, that perfection is not what makes a world perfect or a person satisfied, it is the effort and the journey that creates an experience. Mystery novels are what keep me reading on. They create a setting of suspense, which ends up putting me on the edge of my seat with interest.

The Uglies is a suspenseful, dramatic, romantic, and brain-boggling novel by Scott Westerfeld. It tells an intricate story of a 15-year-old girl named Tally Youngblood, who is on the verge of her 16th birthday. Now, in her world of Uglyville, when they turn 16 they transform from casual, "ugly", basic human beings into intriguing, beautiful, goddess-like figures. When Tally's best friend Shay discovers a different path she would like to take, Tally is left with options from the investigators after her escape. She will either turn her best friend in, or risk a thrilling life of fun and stability. When Tally chooses her path she discovers something so hidden yet so obvious. Love & Trust. Running away to the Wild Smoke makes her realize things she has never even glanced at like happiness without beauty or knowledge without surgery. What will she do next?

The last statement in the thrilling novel, I believed was the most significant due to the fact that it basically summed up the book in one phrase that made sense of it all, "I'm Tally Youngblood, Make me pretty." This briefly showed how the future was set for all their citizens. The concept of being pretty was driving everyone to the last levels of insane. The "peer" or may I say government pressure, was slowly forcing everyone into their black hole of power. They believed that if jealousy was controlled by them, they would have no hassles but they didn't understand that problems, mistakes, misunderstandings are all what make up the overseeing concept of LIFE.

For my rating system I decided to use the tree that represents overall nature. The setting in this novel is mostly in the wild, known as the Smoke. Tally gradually realizes that happiness can be found everywhere, including the "jungle of cavemen". I decided to give this 5 out of 5 trees, due to the fact it was an ingenious way to start out such a unique trilogy of our days.

Uglies, Pretties, Specials, Extras! Though the rest of the trilogy was unlike the brilliance in the first, I still was entertained. Like they say there is nothing like the original. This novel aims to any audience from 4th or 5th grade and above, due to some of the vocabulary, but don't let age stop you! Read! So, let me give three straight out reasons you should sit your butt down and drown in this book's suspense. First of all, everyone enjoys a nice mystery novel to cuddle in bed with and fall asleep with. Second, this is an out of the ordinary book that really gets you thinking what our near future will bring us. Lastly, if I can write this much about one novel that shows that there is lot to learn, realize, and fascinate about.

I am sending you a warning in advance saying that once you pick up this book you end up reading the rest! Beware of the Uglies!!