Uglies

Bibliographic Info

Title:  Uglies

Author:  Scott Westerfeld

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publication Date:  2005

ISBN:  9780689865381

Plot Summary

Tally stares out of her window in Uglyville to the party towers, tethered hot air balloons, and fireworks in New Pretty Town.  With only three months left until her 16^th birthday, all she can do is wait until that day when she’ll be surgically stretched and shrunk in all the right places, her face transformed into whatever gloriously beautiful design the Pretty Committee chooses.  Only then will she join her best friend Peris and the party in New Pretty Town.  It’s what she’s been waiting for for forever.

When Tally meets fellow ugly, Shay, life is bearable again.  Shay teaches Tally to hoverboard, and the two come up with clever pranks to pass the time.  At least Tally’s passing the time.  More than once Shay talks about not wanting the operation to turn pretty.  Somehow she’s content with the way she and Tally look as uglies.  She also talks about a mysterious guy who she can supposedly summon in the Rusty Ruins, a ruined city from the days when people carelessly destroyed nature, each other, and finally themselves.  Just before the two are set to turn sixteen and pretty, Shay springs something major on Tally – there’s a group of people living out in the wilderness who never turn pretty and Shay’s running away to join them.  She wants Tally to come too.

Tally stays behind with only a cryptic note telling her where her friend has gone.  Then, on the day when it’s all set to end – the confusion over letting Shay disappear into the wild by herself, the longing for her best friend Peris, the waiting to turn pretty – the authorities inform Tally that she’ll either follow Shay’s note to uncover a troublesome group of renegades, or Tally will stay ugly forever.  Her decision leads her on a journey that changes everything, inside and out.

Critical Evaluation

Uglies stars out as a journey into a fantastical futuristic world of floating cars, hovering bridges, and goods that appear out of a hole in the wall and recycle themselves into dust just as quickly.  It’s a world of flawless beauty and absolutely carefree lifestyles.

As the story progresses, the dark side of this carefree life starts to show.  The story leaves readers questioning how much freedom people are willing to hand over in favor of comfort and ease.  It also shows the power of manipulation that makes people give up everything – their appearance, their interests, their certainties, in order to be normal.

Reader’s Annotation

What would you give up to join a world of ultimate perfection?

Author Info

Scott Westerfeld is an author of adult and young adult fiction.  He was born in 1963 in Dallas, Texas.  He has held jobs as a textbook editor, substitute teacher, computer programmer, and factory worker.

Scott Westerfeld and his wife Justin e Larbalestier (also a writer) live in New York City and Sydney Australia.  He enjoys Mexican and Thai food and never wears jeans.  Never!

Westerfeld, S. (2011, March 11). Westerblog. Retrieved April 14, 2010, from http://scottwesterfeld.com/blog/

Genre

Science Fiction

Curriculum Ties

Environmental Science

Philosophy

Book Talking Ideas

Discuss:  How much do you think the media influences your idea of pretty?

Reading Level

12 and up.

Challenge Issues

Drinking, alludes to casual sexual encounters.

Challenge Responses

Active listening

Refer to library’s collection policy

Provide complaint form

Refer to book reviews

Selection

Noted as an ALA Best Book for Young Adults in 2006.