Tally is one of the Pretties.
This is the sequel to Uglies, which was really great. If you haven’t read Uglies yet, don’t read this review because it contains many spoilers!
After accidentally betraying The Smoke, resulting in Shay becoming a brainless Pretty, Tally decides to sacrifice herself for her friend. She gives herself up to the Specials to become Pretty herself, in order that she can test the Cure to Pretty-Headedness, making sure it’s safe enough for Shay to take, too.
I found it really hard to relate to Tally in this book. I get that she is now brain-damaged, and therefore a totally different person, but… she’s now a totally different person! I mean, I liked Tally! I liked her a lot! And now there’s this new Tally who is all… pretty-minded.
That was one of the best things about the book: the use of Pretty Newspeak, with tip of hat to 1984. Things aren’t fun, or interesting, or relaxing. They’re ‘bubbly-making’. Things aren’t bad, or annoying, or vexing. They’re ‘bogus’ or ‘bogus-making’. When you’re drunk or hungover (most of the time) or generally going with the flow, you’re ‘pretty-minded’. Very, very cool reference to the classic of dystopian literature.
The events of this book take Tally’s situation from bad to worse. It’s like reading about Frodo as he tromps through Mordor. Only, with Frodo, you know him and you love him. This Tally, as I mentioned, is someone new, and keeps changing throughout the book. It all makes sense within the story, but it’s still really hard to keep reading about bad things happening to someone who feels like a stranger. It was really frustrating. Would you have read through a bazillion pages of Frodo-in-Mordor if you couldn’t relate to him? Maybe not.
I love the not-so-subtle message of this book, especially because it is intended for younger readers. Being pretty isn’t all it’s cracked up to be! Think for yourself! Etcetera!
(mild spoiler alert for the next paragraph)
However, at one point in Pretties, Tally discovers a clan of people living outside of her city as a secret experiment in human nature. These people are living a tribal lifestyle reminiscent of indigenous cultures everywhere, only they are portrayed as, well, nasty brutish and short, literally. They’re malnourished, they kill each other, they’re simpleminded and easily coerced. I really didn’t like that part, because it complicated the message in an unrealistic way that didn’t really have a point. These people were portrayed as obviously backwards, unsophisticated, almost barbaric in their lack of culture. It fit in with the whole “humanity is a disease and also progress is great” theme that wove its way through the story, but frankly, that theme doesn’t make much sense. Our culture might be a disease, but the indigenous lifestyle vilified in this passage is certainly not. ‘Progress’ is the problem, not humans.
Ok spoilers finished.
I am torn about whether to buy Specials, to next in the series. On the one hand, the plot has become complex and intriguing, with lots of mysteries still to solve. On the other, I no longer feel ANY connection with Tally. Shay, who was a confusing character to begin with, is now a straight up bad guy. The interesting rebels from The Smoke seem to be out of the picture, and I wasn’t a big fan of this book’s new love interest, Zane.
