Uglies - Staff Favorite

TITLE: Uglies
AUTHOR: Scott Westerfeld
CALL NO.: TEEN FIC WES PB

Uglies is an outstanding teen fiction book based on an old idea presented in a new way. Ultimately I believe it is a “big brother” watching you story but presented in a new and creative way. It is the first in a trilogy so now I am eager to read the next two books, Pretties and Specials.

We are the Rusties and have destroyed ourselves and our world. When humans recreated the world they also recreated themselves. Are your eyes too wide set or too close together? Is your nose too big, what about your parent’s noses? What if you did not look like your parents but rather what society considers beautiful? Does beauty count if it is only on the inside? Could we create a world free of war, disagreements, and racism by making everyone beautiful? What would the world be like if you are only allowed to be an individual if you are ugly and nobody is allowed to be ugly? Would it cure the world of its ailments? These are the questions Westerfeld addresses in Uglies. Would you rather be an ugly outlaw or a beautiful conformist who lives in a world of luxury? What would you choose? What if you were not given a choice?


Reviewed by: Sara Castle
Note: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld is the upcoming title for the August 'Tween Book Discussion Group. The group, open to readers ages 9-17, will meet in the Pinckney Library on Tuesday, August 15, 2006 @ 6:30-7:30pm. For more information, call the library at 734-878-3888 or contact the Pinckney Youth Librarian, Sara Castle.