Uglies by Scott Westfield

Photo Credit: Goodreads

Westfield, S. (2005). Uglies. New York: Simon & Schuster. 

Tally is about to turn sixteen, she can't wait because once she does she will be able to finally get the operation to become pretty and move to the city. Her best friend has already turned sixteen and has had the operation and is having the time of her life in the city. However she makes a new friend who isn't sure that she wants to become pretty and is thinking that maybe it would be better to spend life on the run, on the outside. After her new friend runs away Tally is put on the spot by Dr Cable to find her new friend (Shay) or she will not be able to get the operation and join her best friend in the city. She agrees to this and sets off to find the town of uglies and turn Shay in. However in her travels she meets a boy who was born in the wilderness and thinks that Tally is beautiful the way that she is. While living in the Smoke she finds out things about the operation, the brain surgery that makes the people more "manageable" and decides that maybe she doesn't want the operation and decides to not call Dr. Cable. However the Special Circumstances storms into Smoke and arrests everyone. David and Tally escape somehow and watch everyone being carted off to the city. They decide to try to rescue everyone who was captured, they rescue his mom but are too late for his dad and Shay (she has been turned pretty). The ending leaves the reader wondering what is going to happen next as Tally volunteers to get the operation so Davids mother can try out the cure for the brain surgery part of the operation. 

This book would appeal to both the Jr High (grade 7-9) and High School grades. It has a high interest level I think. The fact that it is dealing with what other people perceive as beautiful and what society tells you that you have to do in order to be beautiful. It is good that the main character realizes that she doesn't need the operation to be pretty. However it is still someone else telling her that she is pretty ( the boy she meets tells her that he thinks she is beautiful the way she is). It would be better if she realized this on her own, as it is right now the girl is still relying on an outside opinion. 

Rating: 2.5/5