Uglies by Scott Westerfeld is a science fiction novel set in a large city two hundred years in the future. It tells of a fifteen year old girl named Tally Youngblood. In Tally’s time period, you get an operation that turns you from a repellent Ugly into a gorgeous Pretty. Tally is forced to find her run away friend or risk not becoming Pretty.
This novel has many well written characters. One of these characters is Tally’s best friend Shay. Shay and Tally do everything together from pulling pranks to telling their best stories. When Shay runs away, Tally is forced to find her by Dr. Cable. Cable is a very scary Pretty called a Special. Equipped with shark-like teeth and nearly impenetrable skin, her job is to find run away Uglies and keep the city safe. David is another important character. He was born in a small village of runaways called the Smoke. He teaches Tally everything about the wild and how to live there.
The plot of Uglies is well written and descriptive. Tally’s struggle to find and help the Specials destroy the Smoke will keep you turning the pages and wanting more. Tally’s decision and the cliff hanger ending will make Scott Westerfeld a favorite author of both teens and adults.
Building solid friendships and doing hard work with friends is more fun than being lazy and alone is an important message in Uglies. It plays a vital role in the story and helps people become more active and have lifelong friends.
People who enjoy science fiction and plot twists will enjoy this book. It is well written and it will make you fall in love with the characters and all of their problems. I loved this book and would recommend it to people of all ages and genders.