Review: Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

Pretties by Scott Westefeld
Uglies, book 2

Published: 2005
Genre: Futuristic YA
Pages: 384

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. (good reads)

The second book is not as good as the first, but that would be a hard thing to do anyway. This is still a great book, and it leaves me with a cliffhanger that leaves me wanting more at once.

Tally has become pretty, she is perfect in every way and she is loving the parties, drinking and all the pretty things. The gang she is in is the coolest and she is drawn to the leader, Zane. But she cannot stay in her bubble forever and she is contacted by an ugly person, some bells ring in her head that they have met before. That is the beginning to trying to figure out what really happened before she became pretty, when she was "kidnapped" by uglies and taken to their camp, Smoke. But all is not what it seems to be. And the constant rush for a moment of clarity is dangerous.

It's great seeing Tally again, and this time she has fallen for Zane, who is troubled and who had started to figure out that when you become pretty, they do something to your personality too. I can see them as a couple even if I miss "ugly" David.

This book is about the struggle she has in pretty town where she is trying to figure things out. Not much happens in a way but it leaves more time to think. First I was horrified at what was being done to people, but now I see it has to be done. By doing this there are no wars, not even fights, people are happy and loving, and yes terribly shallow. They take care of nature and they live in their cities while nature takes care of itself outside. By doing this they are saving the world. The people that escape and go to Smoke, those burn the trees and cut them down. If there were more they would soon be too many and the planet would be harmed. Mankind stood on the brink of extinction and was only saved by this. Yes the way it's being handled is wrong, but there is a good thought behind it. It leaves me wondering, what is right and what is wrong? And what will Tally choose in the end?

He has managed to create an interesting world, and I like the concept behind these books. I really need to know what Tally will do and that cliffhanger, oh yes you should be ready with book 3 because it's a big one.

If you want to have a look at book one, here is a free download