Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld

Cover:

Bibliographic Information:

Title: Uglies

Author: Scott Westerfeld

ISBN:  978-1416936381

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Copyright: 2005

Reader’s Annotation:

How far would you be willing to go in order to be pretty?

Plot Summary:

Tally is still 3 months away from her 16^th birthday, when she will undergo the operation to make her pretty, just like everyone else does when they turn 16.  Her best friend already turned 16, so he is already a pretty, and lives in New Pretty Town.  Tally sneaks into a party in New Pretty Town to see him, and nearly gets caught.  During her adventure, she meets a new friend, named Shay, who teaches her ways to trick the minders, escape the city, and how to hoverboard.  Tally and Shay will turn 16 on the same day, meaning they will turn pretty together; however, Shay confides in Tally that she is going to run away to an outlaw community called The Smoke, where people remain ugly, and live free.  Shay leaves, and when Tally goes for her surgery, she is instead met by special police that force her to lead them to Shay before Tally will be made pretty.  Tally journeys to The Smoke, where she learns that nothing, not even being pretty, is what it seems to be.

Critical Evaluation:

The setting in this book is extremely important to the story; this new world is one where everyone is made equally beautiful at age 16, to avoid injustice, inequality, and altercation.  New technologies, such as hoverboards, and bungee jackets, exist to insure people’s safety, and to provide infrastructure to the world.  Westerfeld does an incredible job describing the setting of the story in a way that shows the reader the world, as opposed to just telling about it.  For example, in the scene where Tally and Shay escape the city at night, the descriptions of what it was like to hoverboard over the white water portions of the river were so detailed and vivid, it allowed the reader to become immersed in the setting.  This becomes even more important when Tally arrived in The Smoke.

The plot is also well constructed in the story; when the book opens we learn quickly about this new reality, of everyone turning pretty at age 16, so we are well prepared for when the action increases as Tally is forced to travel to The Smoke.  The section of the book that describes Tally’s actually journey felt a bit drawn out, however.  Although she faces several perils, the action feels like it plateaus until she is picked up by the helicopter.  Once Tally is in The Smoke, the action begins to pick up again. 

Westerfeld does a good job developing Tally and Shay as the main characters, then introducing other characters as the story develops.  The action focuses on Tally, and the reader begins to really identify with Tally’s struggle between conforming to society by betraying her friend, or rejecting everything she has known in life to seek the truth with the outlaws in The Smoke.  Some ambiguity remains in the characters, presumable to be resolved in the later books in the series.

In general, Westerfeld’s writing is quite strong, creating a detailed storyworld, and engaging characters.  Overall, the plot of the story is engaging, with only a slight lag in the section where Tally is traveling to The Smoke.

Author Biography:

(from author’s Amazon page)

Scott Westerfeld's teen novels include the Uglies series, the Leviathan and Midnighters trilogies, and the so-called "NYC Trilogy": So Yesterday, Peeps, and The Last Days. Scott was born in Texas, and alternates summers between Sydney, Australia, and New York City. His next book, Afterworlds, comes out September 23, 2014.

Genre(s): 
Fantasy, Dystopian

Curriculum Ties:

Pennsylvania State Standard CC.1.3.9-10.K

Read and comprehend literary fiction on grade level, reading independently and proficiently.

Booktalk Ideas:

A discussion on how body image impacts teen identity, including the way body image is viewed in society

A discussion of beauty standards and how they differ across cultures, for example, what is considered “beautiful” in other countries.

          

Reading Level:

Lexile 770

Interest Age: 

12 and up

Challenge Issues: Could be challenged based on scenes of teens drinking, focus on physical appearance, discussions of rejecting authority, some scenes of violence

  If this book were challenged I would:

·         Listen to the concerns of the person raising the challenge

·         Consult the library’s collection development policy

·         Explain how this work meets a library need based on the collection development policy 

·         Consult YALSA’s Dealing with Challenges to Young Adult Materials

·         Consult reviews on VOYA, Amazon, Common Sense Media, and Kirkus

·         Discuss any awards or notable commendations the book received

·         Explain the library’s commitment to intellectual freedom as discussed in the ALA Library Bill of Rights

·         Give the patron the procedure for a formal challenge should they seek to pursue it

Why was this book selected:

Dystopian fiction continues to be very popular with teens, and this book certainly has some dystopian aspects to it.  I also chose this book because body image and appearance plays a major role in the story; this is an issue so many teens struggle with, regardless of gender.  I think this book is a great way to address body image and its impact on society, while providing the reader with an engaging, action packed story.  This book is the first in a series, so there will be additional series titles for readers who really enjoy the storyline.