Uglies, Pretties, Specials series by Scott Westerfield

So way back in middle school, when I was still a brace-faced, Hot Topic frequenting, wannabe punkstar, I bought this book called Uglies.  I devoured it in a few days, (typical--I came out of the womb carrying a copy of Goodnight, Moon in my teeny baby fist, no lie,) and it stuck with me as a book I'd like to reread someday.  Well, I finally got around to doing that, and it's two sequels as well.

Publisher's Description of Uglies:  Fifteen-year-old Tally's eerily harmonious, post apocalyptic society gives extreme makeovers to teens on their sixteenth birthdays, supposedly conferring equivalent evolutionary advantages to all. When a top-secret agency threatens to leave Tally ugly forever unless she spies on runaway teens, she agrees to infiltrate the Smoke, a shadowy colony of refugees from the "tyranny of physical perfection." At first baffled and revolted by the rebels' choices, Tally eventually bonds with one of their leaders and begins to question the validity of institutionalized mutilation -- especially as it becomes clear that the government's surgeons may be doing more than cosmetic nipping and tucking. Although the narrative's brisk pace is more successful in scenes of hover-boarding action than in convincingly developing Tally's key relationships, teens will sink their teeth into the provocative questions about invasive technology, image-obsessed society, and the ethical quandaries of a mole-turned-ally. These elements, along with the obvious connections to reality programs such as "Miami Slice," will surely cause this ingenious series debut to cement Westerfeld's reputation for high-concept YA fiction that has wide appeal.

There were really no good descriptions I could find about this series so you'll have to settle for that hella verbose tidbit.  Granted, it's only about the first book in the series, but hopefully it's enough to give you a taste.

Basically...Tally lives about 500 years in the future in a society ruled by a government that makes everyone equal and super attractive so that there are no conflicts.  They also make ya stoopid, but nobody knows that.

Aside from the fact that I find the concept of the books thoroughly intriguing, they're also pretty well written.  They are considered young adult fiction, so the prose is fairly simple and reads quickly, but at no point in any of the books did I think, "This is so juvenile, blah, I'm bored."  Really!  The storyline and the questions it raises are complex enough to entertain readers of all ages, not just midgy tweenyboppers.

Over the course of the three installments, the reader witnesses Tally go through numerous physical, emotional, and ideological transformations. This enables the reader to gain a deep understanding of this imagined world by viewing it from all levels--from the brainwashed mind of an ugly, the clear mind of a runaway, the tainted mind of a pretty, and the ferocious mind of a special...although what exactly a special is, I'll never tell.  You'll just have to find that one out for yourself!

While this dystopia is far from perfect, it does point out several of the faults present in our own current reality. Our reliance on oil, our shallow tendency to judge, and our disregard for the environment all are addressed and rectified in this fictional world, but the price of human liberty may be too steep to justify it. By the end of the series, there are no answers provided and the reader is left with one glaring question: can humanity thrive in an unaltered state while peacefully coexisting with both other people and the natural world?
 
I sure do hope so.
 
Overall I really liked this series.  Specials was probably the weakest of the three, but once it gets going it's a good read.  My advice?  Start with Uglies and see what you think.  Chances are, you'll agree with me and simply HAVE to pick up the sequels.  7.5/10
 
Happy reading!