The first two books in Scott Westerfeld’s distopian look at a future where people are all surgically enhanced to reach the ‘biological’ ideal of beauty, in order to reduce the tensions that come with a society where not everyone reaches these ideals. They’re young adult novels and have a really interesting approach to a lot of the issues of image and fitting in and, well, ecology and society and a bit of everything really. I liked the first a great deal more than the second, mostly because the process of becoming pretty makes for slightly irritating characters – and I’m looking forward to getting the third, Specials, from the library this week.

I guess the story/concept was interesting enough, but the writing style seemed really elementary and forced. I don’t know. Just didn’t do it for me. I really WANTED to like this book, but now I don’t think I’ll bother to finish the next two.

It drags a bit and I can’t really get into the character or wrap my mind around the world structure, the basic plot is interesting enough, but somthing about the authors style doesnt sit well with me. . .

Once I FINALLY Finish this book, I dont think I will bother to read the other 2 in the series.

The whole Uglies series was the best I’ve ever read, especially in the category of ‘young adult’ fiction, a genre that often degrades, quite rapidly, into cliches and stereotypes based off pop culture from decades ago (many stereotypes, I might add, were not even relevent then). That, in fact, is one of the best aspects of the series, that it isn’t solely based in any one genre, but is instead a book written for anybody and everybody. It is a wonderful story about a girl who doesn’t know who she is or who she should be, but she never stops trying to become that person and do what’s right, even if it involves breaking the rules. The best parts of these books are the times when you forget you’re reading a book, and feel like you’re right there, immensed in the action with the characters. Sure there are parts that drag a little bit, as there are in any novel, I’m not going to lie, but they are few and far between and, looking back on the series, barely noticible, barly memorable. I’d reccomend this book to absolutely anyone looking for a thought provoking book.