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My review is really a 3.5.
First a disclaimer that I absolutely adore the original Uglies trilogy with my whole being. It was one of my favorite series growing up, and after rereading the series this past year, I can confidently say that it holds up. For YA books I think that they are challenging in all of the best ways.
Tally is not an immediate hero, but a flawed person slowly coming to terms with who she is as a person and the systems of oppression around her. More importantly she is dynamic, continually changing her worldview from book to book. But even while she struggles to understand who she is as a person, you as a reader know who she is as a character; its reflected in her friendships, her betrayals, and her slow burn relationships. And all of the characters in the original trilogy are like this. They have complex interpersonal relationships with one another and strong world views.
But the books are also challenging because of Westerfeld's writing, both the content and form. The original trilogy asks readers to deconstruct the systems that surround Tally (with the hope that they will then turn this critical eye to their own world). The young reader is trusted with being able to handle the nuance of these issues. And Westerfeld trusts the reader with the form of the book as well. The plot of the books are written in long passages, with an emphasis on detail; they're not quick and easy reads.
I bring all of this is up because these are the things that I loved most about the original trilogy and they are absent from Impostors.
I had no sense of who Frey was as a character until close to the end of the book. And, yes, part of the point of the book is her figuring out who she really is after all of these years. But, again, Tally struggled with her identity, yet I always had a clear sense of who she was as a character. It would maybe be forgivable if it was just Frey who was an underdeveloped character, but it was also Rafia, Col, and Frey's father--you know, all the main characters.
Also, in terms of the form of the book, Westerfeld caved to the current conventions of the genre. The chapters are short, the paragraphs are shorter, and there's some sort of cliff hanger at the end of each chapter. I get why he did it, but I know he can write better and more complicated, and I'm frustrated that Westerfeld took the easy route, which in turn makes it easy for his readers.
I know that I've really judged this book in comparison to its earlier counterparts, but I feel like it's fair since they all exist in the same universe. However, on its own, Impostors is a good enough read, even though its a little generic. There's romance and action and a tyrant to overthrow.
The real reason that this was a 3.5 for me and not just a 3 is the ending. Things get complicated in a unique way, and there are a couple storylines set up for the next installment that are promising. Also more of that badass enby Yandre, please.
First a disclaimer that I absolutely adore the original Uglies trilogy with my whole being. It was one of my favorite series growing up, and after rereading the series this past year, I can confidently say that it holds up. For YA books I think that they are challenging in all of the best ways.
Tally is not an immediate hero, but a flawed person slowly coming to terms with who she is as a person and the systems of oppression around her. More importantly she is dynamic, continually changing her worldview from book to book. But even while she struggles to understand who she is as a person, you as a reader know who she is as a character; its reflected in her friendships, her betrayals, and her slow burn relationships. And all of the characters in the original trilogy are like this. They have complex interpersonal relationships with one another and strong world views.
But the books are also challenging because of Westerfeld's writing, both the content and form. The original trilogy asks readers to deconstruct the systems that surround Tally (with the hope that they will then turn this critical eye to their own world). The young reader is trusted with being able to handle the nuance of these issues. And Westerfeld trusts the reader with the form of the book as well. The plot of the books are written in long passages, with an emphasis on detail; they're not quick and easy reads.
I bring all of this is up because these are the things that I loved most about the original trilogy and they are absent from Impostors.
I had no sense of who Frey was as a character until close to the end of the book. And, yes, part of the point of the book is her figuring out who she really is after all of these years. But, again, Tally struggled with her identity, yet I always had a clear sense of who she was as a character. It would maybe be forgivable if it was just Frey who was an underdeveloped character, but it was also Rafia, Col, and Frey's father--you know, all the main characters.
Also, in terms of the form of the book, Westerfeld caved to the current conventions of the genre. The chapters are short, the paragraphs are shorter, and there's some sort of cliff hanger at the end of each chapter. I get why he did it, but I know he can write better and more complicated, and I'm frustrated that Westerfeld took the easy route, which in turn makes it easy for his readers.
I know that I've really judged this book in comparison to its earlier counterparts, but I feel like it's fair since they all exist in the same universe. However, on its own, Impostors is a good enough read, even though its a little generic. There's romance and action and a tyrant to overthrow.
The real reason that this was a 3.5 for me and not just a 3 is the ending. Things get complicated in a unique way, and there are a couple storylines set up for the next installment that are promising.