In Scott Westerfield’s Uglies, life isn’t able to truly begin until one’s 16th birthday. On their birthday, all the ‘uglies’ undergo a massive cosmetic surgery, coming out pretty. Only then are they able to join New Pretty Town, and join all their older friends. For Tally Youngblood, this deadline couldn’t come faster—especially in the last three months leading up to her birthday. Despite swearing to be together forever, her childhood best friend Peris and her can’t fight the city’s system and they’re forced to separate until Tally’s 16th birthday.
When Tally meets Shay, she’s relieved to hear that she shares a birthday with her new friend. With Shay, she’s able to forget about her loneliness and the fact that Peris has only reached out to her once post-surgery. Tally learns to hoverboard and with Shay, she breaks rules and rebels, much like she used to do with Peris, but Shay is different. She talks about not thinking that they’re ugly, protesting the surgery, and—six days before their birthday—running away.
When she does, Tally is approached by authorities as the only one who could help retrieve her. If she refuses, she has to live as she is, which after visits from her parents and Peris, she decides she couldn’t ever do. However, when Tally arrives at ‘the Smoke,’ it’s nothing like she expected. It’s new and different, there are no pretties, and Tally’s mind begins to change as her lies snowball.
Although they aren’t always the most loveable, the characters are flawed with motivations and emotions, which give them a sense of reality. As the plot unfolds and secrets are revealed, the surgeries become something indicative of a shallow society to something much more dangerous. Then a love triangle is thrown into the mix which further complicates things, making it harder and harder for Tally to keep up her lies. Throughout the novel, some scenes can be dragged out, but overall there’s a good balance between all of its themes and plotlines.
Uglies grapples with ideas of beauty and societal conformity in an imaginative, dystopian setting while managing to stay true enough to the perspective of a 15–16 year old protagonist so that it attracts a wider audience. The tension can lessen a little as the story progresses, but the story and its worldbuilding can be just as visionary and appealing as the Smoke is written to be.
