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applesaucecreachur's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Ugh. UGH. Ugh. This book. I love how angry it made me and hate to admit that some of the juicier parts made me physically giddy. (Literally everything that came out of Tally's mouth to David in that breakup scene toward the end? Delicious. I wasn't even invested in either of her little relationships before that point but oh boy. Did that rope me in. ). While I appreciated the story's setting in New Pretty Town as I've been curious to know more about it since book one , I became bored quickly. <Spoiler> Like her relationship with David in the first book, Tally's romance with Zane felt forced for much of the book. Now, I'll be honest: I was kind of rooting for them at the end. Teamwork is one of my favorite ways to show intimacy in any form, and sprinkling in a little bit of sacrifice is just chef's kiss.
That said, I can't go without mentioning this book's problems. I'll start with a more neutral one: The "primative" villagers, at least at this point, feel like an unnecessary addition that gum up the plot's gears. The role that they serve, at least in the timeline of this book, is to reveal to Tally both the drastic measures that the scientists and Specials will take to learn about "human nature", and that this nature is inherently violent. Groundbreaking (/s). But couldn't we have learned this by, I don't know, having Tally stumble upon confidential files or an old newspaper article or something? Did we need an entire new civilization and cast of characters thrown into the last few chapters of a book already crowded with new terms for classes of people? The more harmful ones have to do with the endorsement of disordered eating and the demonization of self-harm. Though Tally and Zane do not seek weight loss for cosmetic reason, restriction and starvation are presented as just another measure of their grit. Which, considering that this is a series geared toward young people, an likely fem-identifying ones... This is problematic. Plus making Shay's new, creepy clique a group of people who cut themselves to heal their brain lesions , and even calling them the cutters, and making them the bad guys of sorts , is ugly. And I don't mean in the bubbly/bogus way. Then there's also the fact that skin color factors into how attractive someone is? Some uglies in the book are described as pale, and some descriptors of pretties include "tan". So if "too light" exists, so too must "too dark". Maybe this was unintentional on Westerfeld's part. Even so, we are not at all into that shit.
Would I read it again? Absolutely not. But boy howdy, did I enjoy every minute. All I have to say about this ridiculous and perfect book is: Get it, Tally Youngblood. Eat your pretty little face and your big ugly heart out.
That said, I can't go without mentioning this book's problems. I'll start with a more neutral one:
Would I read it again? Absolutely not. But boy howdy, did I enjoy every minute. All I have to say about this ridiculous and perfect book is: Get it, Tally Youngblood. Eat your pretty little face and your big ugly heart out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Eating disorder
Moderate: Body horror, Classism, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
Minor: Body shaming and Racism
madmantha's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Again, re-reading this series in 2022 is fascinating.
For being released in 2005, it feels so relevant to the uneasy feelings people are feeling years into a pandemic with the climate crisis already at our door.
The pretty slang was much harder to bare than I remembered; but it was only truly cringey in the very beginning in my opinion.
I will say, the two times that the r-slur was dropped dated this book tremendously more than anything else that was put to page.
Those two instances were the only time that made me think, “wow, this really WAS written a while ago. I hope THOSE bits don’t make it to screen…”; but besides those two large asterix, I was constantly floored at how relevant the story feels to modern day.
Maybe it’s just because it’s Pride Month… but I will also loop back and insist the screen adaption’s quality will sky rocket if they take these love triangle dynamics and make them queer.
A queer undertone would also make Shay’s behavior and jealously make much more sense narratively. Her internalized homophobia could result in her outburst with Tally and could also explain why Shay so often resorts to slut shaming Tally.
Overall, I still love this book. It’s very interesting getting an inside view of the culture of New Pretty Town.
The cliques also feels very natural; enough fraternal/sorority energy to grasp the want for a sense of community, without falling into too much of the more toxic hazing or initiation sort of rituals. <(At least in the beginning… *cough cough* Shay).>
You really empathize with Tally and her journey. She’s quite literally just a child, trying to live her life the way she wants, but keeps getting tangled in nets of coercion and gaslighting.
For being released in 2005, it feels so relevant to the uneasy feelings people are feeling years into a pandemic with the climate crisis already at our door.
The pretty slang was much harder to bare than I remembered; but it was only truly cringey in the very beginning in my opinion.
I will say, the two times that the r-slur was dropped dated this book tremendously more than anything else that was put to page.
Those two instances were the only time that made me think, “wow, this really WAS written a while ago. I hope THOSE bits don’t make it to screen…”; but besides those two large asterix, I was constantly floored at how relevant the story feels to modern day.
Maybe it’s just because it’s Pride Month… but I will also loop back and insist the screen adaption’s quality will sky rocket if they take these love triangle dynamics and make them queer.
A queer undertone would also make Shay’s behavior and jealously make much more sense narratively. Her internalized homophobia could result in her outburst with Tally and could also explain why Shay so often resorts to slut shaming Tally.
Overall, I still love this book. It’s very interesting getting an inside view of the culture of New Pretty Town.
The cliques also feels very natural; enough fraternal/sorority energy to grasp the want for a sense of community, without falling into too much of the more toxic hazing or initiation sort of rituals. <(At least in the beginning… *cough cough* Shay).>
You really empathize with Tally and her journey. She’s quite literally just a child, trying to live her life the way she wants, but keeps getting tangled in nets of coercion and gaslighting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Self harm, Dysphoria, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Self harm, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Acephobia/Arophobia, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Confinement, Dementia, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, and Medical content
Minor: Medical content, Mental illness, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, War, Xenophobia, Cancer, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Excrement, Gore, Grief, Infidelity, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Trafficking, Violence, and Vomit
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