Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Hey everyone! This week I went back to one of the first Teen Books I read. It has been so long since I had originally read this series that I had nearly forgotten everything that happened! It really is a great book series, and I hear word they are thinking of making it into a movie. Exciting right?! So before I get into why I did or did not like this book and my rating, let me give you a little back ground on the book itself.

In the far off land of the future (one would assume) things are very different. When you are born, you are considered an 'ugly'. You are still an ugly until the day you turn 18, where the government takes you across the river to make you into a 'pretty', which involves a complicated procedure where they strip your skin, grind down your bones, and make you a completely new person who is perfect inside and out. From that day forward you are 'pretty' and can live your life in 'new pretty town' partying every day for years without any worry in the world.
Tally Youngblood is about to turn 18, and for years she has waited for the moment she will leave her ugly life behind her and become beautiful like her friends. But before her birthday she meets Shay, who has the same birthday as her. Only there is one difference between the two friends: Shay doesn't want to be Pretty. She wants to run away and join a group of ugly rebels who live outside of humanity in the woods where they make their own decisions. But being Pretty is not a choice, it is mandatory.
So on the night before their 18th birthday, Shay runs away. Tally couldn't care less at first, even though her best friend is gone. She is going to be Pretty soon, and nothing else will matter but partying with her new friends and living the life.
But of course, things are never so easy. Some people come and take her away right before her surgery and give her a choice: Get Shay back and the both of them become Pretty together, or never be Pretty and live her life as a rejected ugly.
Seeing no other choice, Tally goes on an adventure to find Shay and the rebels with the intention of turning them over to the government to become Pretty as they should be.
Will Tally find the rebels and Shay? And if she does, will they be able to teach her the inner beauty before she turns them over to become Pretties? Read to find out!

So this book, at the time, was a pretty good read. Given the fact I read it after constantly reading the Twilight series over and over again, it did pretty well in my books. I liked the character development, and the people were realistic. There were a lot of surprises and twists that I didn't see coming, and a few things that everyone knew was going to happen. All in all, a great book, and worth a read if you get the chance. It has good values and represents more of our government than most would be willing to admit.
Back in the day, I would have given the book a 4 out of 5 star rating, but thinking back on it, I would most likely rate it at a 3.
Have a nice week everyone, and enjoy!
- K
P.S: Final book in the Partials, AND Blood Red Road Trilogy out! SO EXCITED!!!