UGLIES TRILOGY

UGLIES TRILOGY by Scott Westerfeld
Simon & Schuster Childrens Books. (Ages 11 and up)

Rating: 4.5 Stars



UGLIES
448 pp.
ISBN 9780857079138



PRETTIES
384 pp.
ISBN 9780857079145



SPECIALS
400 pp.
ISBN 9780857079152

  The Uglies book series, intended for young adults, was actually recommended to me by my grandma. Now, although this might make you think, “boring”, and that this series must then be some weird old classic, I assure you it isn’t. Firstly, my grandma tends to pick good and modern books, and secondly she actually found out about this series from one of her high school students.
  Something I like about all the books in this series is that the main character, Tally Youngblood, is very, very far from perfect. Most of the time I dislike or hate her, and if we had met we probably wouldn’t have become friends. For me, this means that when Tally does do something good, it feels much more real and impressive, because you understand how hard it is for her. This also means that you feel like you are there with her on her rocky journey between right and wrong all the way.
  This series tells about the experiences of Tally, who lives in a future society where everyone is split into two groups: the Uglies and the Pretties. The Uglies series includes three books which document the lives of Tally and her peers: Uglies, Pretties, and Specials. (You may note that Scott Westerfeld also added a fourth book to this “trilogy”, Extras, but I think it does not mesh well with the others and therefore do not review it here.) Until the age of sixteen everyone lives as an Ugly, waiting for the day when they can be transformed into a Pretty, and look however they want to. However, there is also a group of people who want to keep their own faces and think that changing people into Pretties on their sixteenth birthday is wrong. In this series, Tally experiences friendship, love, betrayal and having to figure out -- and choose between -- right and wrong.
  Although this series is set in a fictional, futuristic society, it seems to be a commentary on our own social values. I think that the writer is trying to make a point about the way we view beauty nowadays and almost warn us about what will happen if we don’t change. It makes me wonder if with us already having Botox and plastic surgery we’ll be living in a world like in the Uglies series a few centuries from now. With the value put on beauty already, and people already striving to look like what someone says is perfect, I wouldn’t be surprised if that did happen. I think that the books show that we need to get our priorities straight. At the moment women, at least, put beauty before everything else (jobs, doing well at school, and even their own happiness). This, of course, is wrong. I mean, where does Botox and plastic surgery and make-up really get us in life? It doesn’t make us rich or happy, and it doesn’t even give us love (well, not the real kind at least). Most of the people who get their appearances changed, probably don’t even want to, and only do so because society would look down on them otherwise. This links directly to the Uglies series where everyone is forced to completely change how they look and act, whether they want to or not, to please their leaders and peers. At the moment, we are trying to change all this so our world doesn’t end up like the way it is in Uglies. For example, new Barbies are coming out that are curvy, tall and short, with diverse hairstyles, which are supposed to better represent people in the world around us. However, they will all still have perfect features and are extremely beautiful, therefore making it still seem as though there’s something wrong with looking anything less than perfect. Although these new Barbies help address the problem of young girls getting concerned with their weight and height because of Barbies, it doesn’t help the case of too many people smothering their faces with Makeup and even reassembling their faces with Botox and plastic surgery. In my opinion, changing Barbie is only the very beginning of what we need to do to protect our world from becoming like it is in Uglies.
  My favorite book from this series was Pretties because I think that Tally has to make the hardest choice in this book. In Uglies she doesn’t really know what it’s like to be a pretty yet, and she has more reasons for holding back and escaping with the Smokies, like her best friend Shay. Also, in Specials she doesn’t even really have to make that choice, because instead she gets to become something even better and stronger. However, in Pretties she has her best friend with her, gets a new, pretty boyfriend, and overall she knows how easy and fun it is to be a mindless pretty. Anyway, I think that this makes the second book especially interesting, because you can’t tell what her choices will be, and, to be honest, I’m not so sure I would make the right choice if I were in her position.
  My favorite character has to be Tally’s best friend Shay. This is because I feel like she’s always trying to be good, and help her friend Tally, but ends up messing up instead. I also feel like she doesn’t get enough credit for everything she does, and is sometimes just viewed as a sidekick. I think if I wanted to make the series better I would focus a bit more on her.
  Tally Youngblood reminds me very much of the main characters in two other books I’ve read: Katniss Everdeen (from “The Hunger Games series) and Beatrice Prior (from the Divergent series). All three of these characters are living in a futuristic world, and start off either poor, ugly, boring, or somehow inferior to the rest of society. Then they go through a sort of build up time where they make both right and wrong choices, on their way from being frightened young girls to becoming strong leaders. Although all three characters intrigue me, I have to say that Katniss Everdeen is my favorite because I feel like even though she probably went through the hardest time of all three characters, she managed to stay strong all the way through.
  I think that you should be at least twelve to read this book or else you might not understand it and see it’s hidden metaphors, however if you are younger you will probably still enjoy it. I really enjoyed this series so I think that it definitely deserves four and a half out of five stars.

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SPECIALS

SPECIALS
The Uglies Series: Book 3
by Scott Westerfeld
400 pp. Simon & Schuster Childrens Books. £6.99. (Ages 11 and up)

ISBN
9780857079152

Rating: 4 Stars

   This is the third book of the Uglies series. Tally youngblood is a teen girl who before was a ugly. Her world was turned upside down. She has done what the Specials(the people who control the city)has told her to do. After her becoming a pretty she made a mistake and now she is forced to become a special. I really like imagining things in the book. That is the only reason i read books. When Tally changed i imagined how she would look like. She also has a Skintenna (A communication thing under the skin that can communicate with other specials)now which makes the book more cool. The author says that tally has been remade into a scary human.

   Tally has been remade to a special called a cutter. A cutter is a younger and cooler type of special. The cutter group was lead by her best friend. Shay. After Tally has been remade to a special, she goes on her fist mission. They try to look for a outsider. They found one but, they have made a unexpected turn. They go into an unforgettable mess with the specials and the Smokes.

   The fact that they still had the Smoke blows me away. I thought the specials had already killed that place. But turned out it made a new one. The New Smoke. This one is much more stronger, bigger, and more caring to those runaways.

   Zane is Tally's boyfriend, but Zane died. It is very sad. I don't wan't tally to think that its her fault. I it kind of Is her fault. She is the one who made him eat that pill. I knew this part was coming anyways. Zane was already sick scince the 2nd book, the pretties.

   Tally is new now. Zane died. Smoke still lives. I recommend this book to teens. It is not appropriate for children. I rate this book 4 out of 5.

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PRETTIES

PRETTIES
The Uglies Series: Book 2
by Scott Westerfeld
384 pp. Simon & Schuster Childrens Books. £6.99. (Ages 11 and up)

ISBN
9780857079145

Rating: 4 Stars
   This is the second book of the Uglies series. Tally youngblood is a teen girl who before was a ugly. Her world was turned upside down. She has done what the Specials(the people who control the city)has told her to do. Now she is a Pretty, her dream come true! Pretties is the best book i have ever read out of all the other series. It's the most interesting book i have ever read. It has the most important events. The story jumps to different events every page. So many events i cant stop reading it!
   The Cuffs is like a regular prisoner cuff, but only one side. It records everything you say and you do. I think the Cuffs might not be the best idea. Its not so futuristic. Maybe the specials can make a detector in their blood. This will make the story more interesting. They will have to control some doctor to cure them.
   The book changed from a science novel, to a love story. Now everything is about Zane and Tally. Its becoming very boring. I think the author should make it more interesting.
   Zane wants  to live with her forever. Zane is a kind, Pretty, Sharp guy.  But tally likes him not because he is Pretty, She likes him because he is a caring guy. He also helped her remember her past.
   I think David is not so fascinating anymore. Now he makes me angry. He thinks he knows everything. He thinks tally loves Zane because of his beauty. But no he is wrong.
   Overall I think the author should change the cuffs. The love story is too boring. Zane is the best character in the book. David is bad now. I should rate this book 4 stars!

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UGLIES

UGLIES
The Uglies Series: Book 1
by Scott Westerfeld
448 pp. Simon & Schuster Childrens Books. £6.99. (Ages 11 and up)

ISBN
9780857079138

Rating: ? Stars

   I am going to talk about the cool teen series, The Uglies. This book is a great science fiction novel about a girl name Tally Youngblood. Tally tries to have a normal teen life but because of her friend, she cant have one. Now she needs to fix everything to have her dream wish, to be a Pretty.

   Tally Youngblood is my favorite character in the book. I like her because she has her own thoughts. She is also like me, confused in every decision she makes. She is a 15-year old girl that has her world turned upside down in a few months. Her friend, Shay, dragged her in this revealing secret. She gives the readers unexpected turns in the story.

   The language in the book is very complicated. There is some words that i cant understand, Like bogus or Bubbly. I think the author should make a glossary in the back of the book. Some people might not understand those words.

   Smoke is the place where normal people lives(not controlled) its like the headquarters of the rebels of the city. I like The Smoke, the place is very similar to our cities, towns and countries. It has the art of living in the world in the 21st century. They bake and cook just like us.

   Tally youngblood is my favorite character. The language in the book needs changing. Smoke is very similar to our city. I recommend the book to be read by Teens and young adults. If it is read by children that is younger than 10, it might not be appropriate for their age.

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SHE IS NOT INVISIBLE

SHE IS NOT INVISIBLE
by Marcus Sedgwick
384 pp. Orion £9.99. (Ages 11 and up)

ISBN
9781780621098

Rating: ? Stars


    How do writers describe the world in the books that you read? Take a look at a book you are reading, or have read recently and find a description of a person, place or thing. I would bet in most cases that the writer notes how things would look if you could be there and see what the writer describes. How often do the books you read have descriptions of the smell, feel, and sound of things? If you can see and have normal vision then imagine if you did not or were even born blind. What would it be like? How would a writer describe the world from the perspective of a person with a visual impairment?
    Marcus Sedgwick, author of She is Not Invisible, performs several incredible feats of writing. For example, although he is a sighted person himself, he takes on the perspective of not being able to see and instead describes the world through the other senses. Most impressively, like a magician, he performs this and other deeds without drawing attention to them. I was particularly moved by a few passages that inspired the title. In those, the main character (described by my reviewing partner below) talks about how sighted people seem to be the ones who are visually impaired because they do not truly see what and who are around them. Are there people you do not see? Are you paying attention to the way the world smells, feels and sounds? That’s a dad’s perspective on the book; here is a daughter’s:
    This book was more interesting than other books because it was a bit like a puzzle. It was like a puzzle because Laureth (the main character) had a father with a favourite number that he sees everywhere. Is it coincidence, or is the universe trying to tell him something? This book was also interesting because as the main character was blind and, because the story was written in first person, the writer couldn't describe how anything looked, only how it felt, smelt, sounded and tasted.
    This book was about a blind girl called Laureth and her little brother Benjamin. The main plot of the story was that her father had mysteriously disappeared in New York, so, while her mother was away, she took her little brother to New York to look for him. While there she had to save her father’s safe from burglars and do lots of other adventurous things before finally finding him.
    My favourite character was definitely Laureth because she was very brave and strong minded. I like how she became so courageous because she was blind and she did not want anything or anyone to hold her back. I think she shows that it doesn't matter if you are blind, deaf or unable to speak, you can still do anything you want.
    I think all ages should either read, or have this book read to them. However it might be best for people 10-years-old or older to understand the complexities of coincidence and the thoughts of a teenager.
also on the Guardian Children's Books Site

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GODS AND WARRIORS

GODS AND WARRIORS
By Michelle Paver
304 pp. Puffin. £12.99. (Ages 11 and up)

ISBN
9780141343082

Rating: ? Stars

    Because I was going to be a young reporter at Michelle Paver's book talk, I thought it would be a good idea to read this book before going. This is a book written for older children, about nine all the way up to thirteen or fourteen years old. Even though this book was specifically written for children, adults can still read it because it has some quite grown up parts.
    This book is about a boy called Hylas whose sister and dog get attacked by black warriors. He and his sister escaped but his dog was killed. Even though his sister escaped he still did not know if she lived or not because he went the opposite direction to her. After the black warriors lost him, he immediately set off in search for his sister. While looking for her, he met a dying Keftian who told him that his answers were at the sea. When he arrived at the sea he found a raft and sailed across the sea. While on the sea he befriended a dolphin named Spirit. With the dolphin's help he found an island and on that island he befriended the high priestess's daughter Pirra. Together the three manage to kill the black warrior's leader turning the old leader's nephew (Hylas's best friend) into a leader.
    The book talk itself was brilliant, and explained the book and its Bronze Age characters well. I was fascinated to hear about Michelle Paver's research experiences which taught her that dolphins' stomachs feel like marble, and that Bronze Age Greeks used to make purple dye from millions of sea snails. I was very interested to find out that they either ate animal eyes or turned them into glue. And I found it inspiring that she wrote a story when she was five about a mouse goddess.

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THE TREASURE HOUSE

THE TREASURE HOUSE
By Linda Newbery
224 pp. Orion. £8.99. (Ages 11 and up)

ISBN
9781444003437

Rating: ? Stars


            This book had an eye-catching front cover, and an alluring story summary and title, which is appropriate because it was actually a really good book. This book has a really good mix of mystery, excitement, and adventure that makes you tell your parents "I have to finish this book today" and "just one more page" (although you end up reading ten more pages, then one hundred more, until it's finished).
            Meanwhile this book is actually about a girl called Nina whose mum goes off without telling anyone, only leaving a note behind. This causes her dad to go off in search of her so Nina is left alone and slowly she uncovers the mystery of where her mum is and why.
            Reader, I think that after you have read this book you will agree with me that ages eight to twelve will enjoy reading this book. The reason I think this is because most little kids like the story to happen more quickly, and most grown ups and teenagers like longer, more boring books where you fall asleep while reading them.
            This book has a lot of very good morals and I shall tell you about my favourite one in my next sentence. My favourite one is that you shouldn't go off in search of someone and leave your child at home with their aunts, because it is likely that your child will find out where that person is before you do.

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MY SISTER LIVES ON THE MANTELPIECE

MY SISTER LIVES ON THE MANTELPIECE
By Annabel Pitcher
240 pages. Orion. £9.99 (Ages 11+)

ISBN
9781444001839

Rating: 4 stars

      This book informs you that even on the rainiest days of sadness the sun can always come out at the end of it.
      Jamie and his family live in London. When his sister Rose is killed, the rest of the family move away. Unfortunately the parents start to fight so much that finally the mum goes to live with Nigel, a man who works with her. Due to this the two children only have a drunken dad to look after them. In Jamie's new school basically all the children are mean to him except for Sunya. However that bothers his dad because she's a Muslim and Muslims killed his sister. What happens when Sunya gets fed up with Jamie treating her so badly and stops being his friend? Will Jamie ever be able to fix their friendship again or will he not?
      My favourite character is Sunya because she always stands up for Jamie. My favourite part is when Sunya puts clay sausage rolls on Jesus's head in Daniel's clay stable to get Daniel in trouble because it is the funniest part. I think ages nine through twenty should read this brilliant book. I think this book deserves four out of five stars. This made me think that if one person in a religion did something bad that it doesn't mean everybody else in the religion is bad too.

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THE SEARCH FOR WONDLA

THE SEARCH FOR WONDLA
By Tony DiTerlizzi.
469 pp. Simon & Schuster Ltd. £10.99 (Ages 11 and up)

ISBN
1416983104

Rating: 5 Stars

I really liked this book. although it starts of a bit boring. it gets really atracting i could barely put it down.
It's about a girl named Eva Nine who lives on a different planet. her caretaker is a robot and she is to find out where other humans are.
Beestle the worst and skariest of all the monsters destroys her home.
Then she go's on amazing adventures getting a new friend on her way. But what happens when Beestle catches her.
This book is way better than Alice in wonderland and The wizard of oz.

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