Book of the Week #17: Uglies

Last week’s book (I know, I’m slipping a little on my scheduling, but I did read it last week!) was Uglies by Scott Westerfield. This book had been recommended to me by a friend, so I thought I would give it a try.

Uglies takes place in this post-apocalyptic world, in a similar way to the Hunger Games. In this world, when you turn 16, you get radical cosmetic surgery to make you look perfect. Your face will be symmetrical, with big eyes and full lips, in a hideously impossible way. But you’ll be like everyone else. The rationale for this is that there is less discrimination among people based on how you look. It gives a few examples of how this was allowed to happen in the past, but not anymore. Tally Youngblood is just about to turn 16, and get her surgery, but then she meets a new friend who makes her rethink the whole idea of the surgery. It turns out that there are a few people who don’t approve of the surgery, and the rebellion begins.

This book is part of a trilogy, and it ends on a bit of a cliff-hanger that makes you want to read the next one, but I’m not sure if I will. I liked this book, but I didn’t love it. The characters didn’t grab me and make me hang on. That being said, it’s not bad. It struggles with the themes of identity, discrimination, and finding your own way, as well as the influence your society can have on you. If you like the Hunger Games, I would check it out, it might be right up your alley. 6.5/10