Uglies is one of those books you don’t want to put down.
Tally Youngblood is an Ugly – a person who is no longer a Littlie, loved for being cute and silly, and not yet a Pretty, those over 16 years of age who have undergone extremely drastic plastic surgery to enhance every aspect of their appearance. The rationale for this radical surgery is that having big eyes, full lips, flawless skin and a perfectly symmetrical appearance makes people like you. It’s simply human nature. Therefore, a society of people who all like each other at first glance will be peaceful, happy, and most of all, beautiful. Which is why the pre-teen Uglies are literally quarantined in their own school, with Pretty Town just across the river, beautiful and mocking.
In my estimation, the Junior High Years were awkward enough without society constantly reminding you that you are ‘Ugly’ and therefore worthless the way you are.
Needless to say, Tally is pretty excited about turning 16, becoming Pretty, and starting her ‘real life’. She sees herself as flawed and terrible and worthless until that exciting surgery. When a new friend of hers disappears instead of undergoing the operation, Tally is implicated as a witness. Sure enough, Shay gave her cryptic instructions to follow her to The Smoke – a place where people can live how they want, and oddest of all, stay ugly forever.
When Tally decides to betray Shay by infiltrating the Smoke for the Specials (read: scary bad guys responsible for keeping this seemingly perfect society in line), it doesn’t feel like she had a choice at all.
How could she stay Ugly?
And then, out in the wild, she starts to discover her own mettle and worth. She learns to rely on herself and others. She begins to see Real Humans as… well, normal. People. Pretty or not. She discovers the real reason that everyone undergoes an invasive surgery, and decides she’s never going back.
Until the Specials show up.
I loved the salute to 1984′s Newspeak, which gets even better in the sequel.
