Author: Scott Westerfeld
Publisher: Simon Pulse, November 1, 2005
Pages: Paperback, 370
Series: #2, Uglies
Book Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Gorgeous. Popular. Perfect.
Perfectly wrong.
Tally has finally become pretty. Now her looks are beyond perfect, her clothes are awesome, her boyfriend is totally hot, and she’s completely popular. It’s everything she’s ever wanted.
But beneath all the fun — the nonstop parties, the high-tech luxury, the total freedom — is a nagging sense that something’s wrong. Something important. Then a message from Tally’s ugly past arrives. Reading it, Tally remembers what’s wrong with pretty life, and the fun stops cold.
Now she has to choose between fighting to forget what she knows and fighting for her life — because the authorities don’t intend to let anyone with this information survive.
Book Review
This was a great follow-up to Uglies and I really enjoyed reading it. Now in New Prettytown, Tally finally has what she’s always wanted but does she even know it?
The fun in this book is the continuation of the world that Scott Westerfeld created. In Uglies I could only gather so much about what it must be like to live as a Pretty, but now we’re filled in and it’s very satisfying. I love the futuristic details, like the hole in the wall that spits out whatever kind of clothing you want and the bedroom that does whatever you want, like get you breakfast. I’m completely envious and not-so-secretly hoping that is a perk in the future.
Another thing I really liked is the language that Scott created, which kind of reminds me of Newspeak from 1984, but in a really funny and addicting way (for a while after I read this, I tried to use words like “pretty-making” and “dizzy-making” in my everyday vocabulary!). The fun add-ons to their names (Tally-wa, Shay-la) are super fun, too.
It’s clear the question behind Pretties is this: Is ignorance really bliss? Most of the Pretties simply spend their time partying, drinking and living it up – but they’re more like bimbos than rock stars. There really isn’t a meaning to life anymore; rather, being a Pretty is just a way to mindlessly spend time and stay forever content.
This novel is a complete guilty pleasure to read, while at the same time left me pondering the message behind it creating a great mesh of fun and provocation. Pick it up it — it’s totally happy-making!