BOOK PICKS.Byline: The Register-Guard "Uglies" By Scott Westerfeld Scott Westerfeld (born May 5 1963) is a New York Times bestselling author of science fiction and young adult literature. He was born in the U.S. state of Texas and now lives in Sydney, Australia and New York City. Simon Pulse, 2005 Ages 12 and up Have you ever thought that you would like to have an extreme makeover and a life devoted to pleasure-seeking? What could be wrong with that? Doesn't everyone want to be beautiful and to party all the time? In Tally Youngblood's world, at age 16 everyone does become beautiful. That's when young `Uglies' get a mandatory operation to make them drop-dead gorgeous. The new "Pretties' are then free to party and play, all the time. Like the other Uglies, Tally is looking forward to her own transformation. Shortly before her 16th birthday, she meets Shay shay n. Informal A chaise. [Back-formation from chaise (taken as pl. )] Noun 1. , another Ugly, who shares her love of pranks and risky adventure. But Shay doesn't want to be changed. Shortly before her scheduled surgery, Shay runs away to join a group of rebels, leaving Tally a cryptic cryp·tic n. 1. Hidden or concealed. 2. Tending to conceal or camouflage, as the coloring of an animal. set of directions to find their secret settlement, called the Smoke. After Shay escapes, the authorities give Tally a choice: either she must infiltrate infiltrate /in·fil·trate/ (in-fil´trat) 1. to penetrate the interstices of a tissue or substance. 2. the material or solution so deposited. in·fil·trate v. 1. the rebel community and betray them, or be denied the chance to ever become a Pretty. Tally, who does not want to be ugly Be Ugly (a.k.a. "Be Ugly in 2007" or "Be Ugly '07") is the name of a campaign that is based around the the American television series Ugly Betty, which was announced by ABC. forever, feels she has no alternative. Fitted with an eye-activated locator pendant, she finds the Smoke and becomes a spy. At first, Tally is repelled by the community of escaped Uglies, and is appalled that people would allow themselves to be less than beautiful and to show their age. But she gradually comes to realize what life can be like when people work hard and think for themselves. She also becomes attracted to David, a rebel leader, who is convinced there is a sinister force behind the mindless, programmed conformity of the Pretty world. Tally knows she is living a lie, and although she undergoes a change of heart, it may be too late to save the community from her treachery Treachery See also Treason. Aaron plots downfall of Titus. [Br. Lit.: Titus Andronicus] Achitophel traitorous Earl of Shaftesbury. [Br. Lit. . This story of a future dystopia Dystopia Eagerness (See ZEAL.) Brave New World poses some good questions about invasive technology, image-ridden societies, the dangers of conformity and the lack of free will. Readers will also see how our society could be headed toward a future not unlike that depicted. This book is nearly impossible to put down. Fortunately, the sequel, "Pretties," is available, and the third in the trilogy, "Specials," will be out soon. - Barbara Thompson Barbara Thompson is the name of
children's librarian, Springfield Public Library |
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