A review by trin
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

4.0

This book has one of the least-promising first lines I have ever encountered: “The early summer sky was the color of cat vomit.” It sounds like a Bulwer-Lytton entry; even more so when you add the second sentence, which attempts to elaborate on the first. (“Of course, Tally thought, you'd have to feed your cat only salmon-flavored cat food for a while, to get the pinks right.”) BUT, this series had been recommended to me, so I pressed on. I’m so glad I did. This is a fantastic bit of post-apocalyptic, dystopian, teen sci-fi. Tally lives in a world where scientists have figured out a way to eliminate ugliness: everyone is made pretty on their 16th birthday. Of course, prettiness comes with a price, and while yes, it is exactly what you’d think if you’ve seen a single episode of The Twilight Zone or have half a brain, that doesn’t matter. There are plenty of other surprises, and Tally is a really interesting, flawed character. There are also great questy bits, which is something that I love—the epic journey—and a surprisingly convincing romance. (Bonus: Teh Boy is named David, and really the only description of him given is that he has a crooked smile. You can guess who I pictured. *eg*) But then you get hit with a cliffhanger! D’oh!