Reviews

Specials by Scott Westerfeld

yousrabushehri's review against another edition

adventurous tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

karrama's review against another edition

5.0

So Icy, eh? the trillogy comes to an end. Tally vs. the world she inhabits.

phoenix2's review against another edition

3.0

So, Tally was ugly, became bubbly and now she's icy. We found her as special this time around, working with the Cutters, a special unit of the SC, with Shay as the leader. Okay, the plot wasn't that good. I mean, the main idea was to make Zane special, and so he had to prove that he worth being special. But for me, and I don't know if it was something that the book tried to pass through as well, it was more about Tally finding Tally again. And, to be honest, I like David more than Zane, but that's just me. I did like, though, the first part of the book, and Tally's jounrey through the wild. But the ending ruined the rest of the book. It was too rushed, and then the final chapter... Where did that come from? When did Tally started carring for those matters? I can't get into it, though, because there are too many spoilers. Bottom line is, that although the writing was brilliant, and Tally's character well structured and balanced, for all the changes she had to go though, the idea didn't help the book reach it's full potentials.

blove0312's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Mostly satisfying conclusion. I will not be reading the fourth and have removed it from my shelves. I highly doubt I ever think back on this series at all. I’m annoyed with how the “love triangle” was resolved though at least it wasn’t the primary focus of the book. 

I’m not even sure what the message was in the end; aside from over throwing your government when it steps too far out of line of course. You can’t have free rein without all sorts of destruction - thousands of years of human history have proved as much. Anyway. Not wasting any more of my time on the series by writing some unnecessary review. 

schofield24's review against another edition

3.0

This one didn't keep me quite as captivated but I still was invested in the main character.

angryginger's review against another edition

adventurous funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

kmhst25's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

3.75

noabeth's review against another edition

adventurous funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

cosymilko's review against another edition

4.0

I love the transformation that Tally underwent in this series. Her Ugly naitivity was replaced by the bubbleheadedness of being a Pretty. She rewired herself to be bubbly and pre-pretty and then was changed and made into an angry and evil Special.

I loved the premise of this book. It was a bit sugary for my liking and things weren't as nitty gritty as they could have been (for me) since it is a teen book. I did like the evolution of the city as a result of Tally and the Crims. It was bittersweet to see them get their revolution at the potential loss of the Wild. The last few chapters had me on the edge and flipping the pages as fast as I could. Would Tally be despecialed? Would the war continue? I had to know!

It bothered me how easy she cast away David again and again after they'd had their whirlwind romance in the Smoke. Zane... Oh Zane. I loved him. He was my favourite character and I understood him needing to go but, gah! ZANE!

mehsi's review against another edition

3.0

Last book in the series (I don't see the Extras book as belonging to this series, since it features another character). I must say, I went for liking Tally in the first book, to thinking she was kinda annoying in the second, to what-the-hell-is-wrong-with-you in this book. And the whole here-we-go-again brain reset thing, got pretty lame. In the second book it was so they could test the cure, and now.. Oh well.

I mean cutting yourself, being a special, all the things she was so afraid of and here in this book she is all of that. And even more. She is much more dangerous than the others.

I am also sad that we didn't see much more of David or the others. Everything was about Tally, Tally and Tally.

And I don't know what is wrong with the world. Sex, drinking, doing dangerous stuff while you are just 16 and much more. But all they care about is the enviroment and the war and the rusties. I got a bit tired about it in the second book and in this one even more. Why make people stupid and pretty. Can't they just be pretty and smart?

Also what bothered me in the first book was that apparently when you reach a certain age you are put in a dorm. Now I am not sure if that goes for the whole population of kids or just a select few. But I mean why remove the kids from their parents? Can't they just stay with them?

I was happy though that we finally have another city/scenery for this book. Though the books told stories about the other cities, I never thought we would see another city.

I sort of liked the ending, though I am kinda of sad that after 3 books with Tally this is the ending and we will never know what happens to her.