Uglies

I just finished "Uglies" by Scott Westerfield. My sister has been trying to get me to read this for awhile and I had too many other things to read. My bookclub has selected this for August and so I had to hunker down and read it. I liked it but I really struggled getting into it. It didn't just grab me and take off like "The Host" did, but I really liked the story. I wanted to read more and find out what happens next so I went to the library today and got the second book "Pretties". it's kind of Sci-Fy in that it's set in the future and they have alot of "advanced technology" stuff. The idea behind the story is that when you turn 16 you go from being an "ugly" to a "pretty" and you undergo major plastic surgery. They make you just the right height, weight, eye color, hair color, nose shape, eye shape, eye spacing, etc., etc.. Basically, everybody is the same and noone is prettier than another. Well, there are two girls. One can't wait to be a pretty and the other one wants to escape and be herself. It's a great story that gets you thinking about what the world would be like if people weren't judged on how they looked because in the end you'd all look the same. Becoming pretty was basically like growing-up. You never got old and wrinkly and you could do whatever you wanted when you crossed the line over to the pretties.
To be honest, I kept putting the Mormon philosophy on things and I kept thinking "this is exactly what Satan wanted. Everybody is the same. Everybody gets what they want and everyone is happy." A point that they make in the book is that everybody is basically "programmed" into believing that the way they look before the operation is UGLY. Your eyes are too close together or your too skinny or too tall or whatever the circumstance may be-you are just ugly. Then you have the surgery and you are pretty and happy with yourself and life is just one big party after that. There is a love story of course and I loved that the author brought out the points that you are beautiful in your own way. That your personality and character flaws and traits really make you the person that you truly are and that you are beautiful-even if your eyes are too close together or you are too skinny. David tells Tally that he thinks she is beautiful and she is shocked...and it makes her think that maybe she really is pretty without all the surgery.
It's a really good book, but just be prepared for a very slow beginning. The book takes some intersting twists and turns and I can't wait to find out what happens next!