Rachel Falb

Rachel Falb
Uglies
Scott Westerfeld
Dystopian
Just right
145

1. Currently in the book, Tally has just found out some very shocking and unexpected news. Tally has been waiting her whole life to turn pretty on her 16th birthday and join the rest of her friends in high-tech paradise where her only job is to have fun. Her older friend Peris has just turned 16, so she is now alone for three months until her own operation. She sneaks out one night to see him in his new world and when she is coming back she meets a Shay, a girl who is also sneaking out. The two become friends fast because they both have nobody and Shay teaches Tally how to trick her hoverboard. They sneak out some nights with their tricked hoverboards and go to a place outside of the city called the Ruins. There is a lot of open space at the Ruins, and not much else. Shay knows somebody who lives out near the Ruins and his name is David. Shay often tries to find David by shining a light but he never comes. As cool as Tally thinks it is to live on the edge and visit the Ruins, she just wants to become pretty and live the high class life style like all of her friends. Shay however wants the opposite.  One night Shay tells Tally that she is going to run away to a place near the Ruins called Smoke.  She wants to live with David in Smoke.  Tally decides not to go but lets Shay go. Finally Tally's big day arrives.   A hover car picks up Tally, however, Tally finds out there is a problem. The officials know that Shay is gone and they also tell her that all of Shay's older friends ran away as well. The officials want to put a stop to people running away and they want to find out who David is, so they make an agreement with Tally. In order for Tally to be able to become pretty, she must bring the officials to Smoke and betray Shay. This is where I am currently in the book.

2. I am really enjoying this book so far because of how unique it is. This year I have really started to enjoy reading books about dystopian worlds so this was another book of my interest. One thing that I really enjoy so far is the interesting plot. Its interesting to me the way that Westerfeld has set up this book because most dystopian stories are about people who are considered perfect and the same, but they want to be different. It is the opposite in this book.  In Uglies, everyone starts out in the world looking ugly and imperfect. Their life seems to have no purpose until they turn sixteen, become pretty, and all look the same. That is one main reason why I enjoyed this book. Westerfeld has also pulled me in because it is very suspenseful and exciting. In the beginning of the book I thought that Tally would become pretty and once she was pretty a conflict would happen. I did not suspect that she would have to choose between friendship and and becoming pretty. These are reasons why I enjoy this book so far.

3. A theme that I have noticed so far is rebellion. I mainly see this in the characters, especially the two main characters of the book Shay and Tally. In the beginning of the book Tally and Shay are both rebelling and that is  how they meet for the first time. When Tally is trying to sneak back into Uglyville, she runs into Shay who is trying to sneak back in as well. The two girls are always rebelling against their community and always breaking the rules. They sneak out a lot with their tricked hoverboards and visit the Ruins to try to meet up with David. They are of course not allowed to do this and that is why Tally can now not become pretty until she helps the officials. I also see the theme appear when Shay leaves for Smoke. The officials think they know what is best for us, like our parents. They have their lives planned out for them, knowing what is best for them. Shay doesn't want what they have planned for her so she rebels against them, just like how kids rebel against their parents and they don't do what they ask or don't listen to them. These are the places that I have mostly seen the theme of rebellion appear.

4. My favorite character in this book is Shay. Shay is my favorite character because she is not afraid to be different from everybody else. Almost every ugly wants to be a pretty and live the glamorous life that they get to live and leave behind their old life. Shay doesn't want this. She wants to do the opposite and stay ugly forever and she is not afraid to tell Tally that she wants to do something different than most people. I also like Shay because she is loyal to her friends. She has known her friends for all of her life and they made a plan that right before they turn 16, they leave everybody and join David in Smoke. All of Shays friends have left and now it is her turn to leave, but she has just made a new best friend. Although Shay is really close to Tally, she has only known her for around three months and she is loyal to her friends who all sacrificed other friendships to go Smoke. Shay will give up living a glamorous life to go and live with David and her older friends. Another reason why Shay is my favorite character is because she is confident. Tally often talks about how she can't wait to be pretty because she hates being ugly, but Shay knows that she is fine the way she is and is happy with the way she looks. These are some reasons why Shay is my favorite character.

5. My least favorite character is Tally. This is because she is much different then Shay, and is very un loyal. Shay and Tally have spent most of their time together since Peris left Tally. Shay has really been the only person there for Shay but Tally is more concentrated on becoming pretty than her friendship with her one friend left. Shay trusted her with everything, even giving her instructions for how to find her if she changed her mind and decided to come live in Smoke. She told the officials everything that Shay had trusted her with and anything else they needed to know about Shay's disappearance. A true friend would never do this. Tally should have lied and said she had no idea so Shay could be safe. This is why Tally is one of my least favorite characters.

6.  I am not exactly sure how this book will end, but I have a few ideas on how it might end. I predict that Tally will make it to Smoke and she will find Shay along with her friends. I bet that Shay will be very surprised to see her come because she knew how important it is for Tally to become pretty and rejoin all of her old friends in her new glorious life style. She didn't think that Tally would throw away her chance of being pretty. I think that Tally will follow through and bring the officials to Smoke like she promised she would do once she got there. Once she turns Shay and her friends in, I suspect that the officials will follow through with their compromise and she will finally turn pretty. I can predict this because the name of the second book in the series is Pretties. I predict that she will become pretty, but not until the end of the book because the next book will be all about her new and improved life.