Specials: Uglies Quartet, Book 3
By Carrie R. Wheadon,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Popular sci-fi series bounces back with action, depth.
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What's the Story?
Tally's not just any Pretty anymore. She's a Special, along with her frenemy, Shay. They're charged with hunting down the city's runaways and, if they're worthy, turning them into more Specials. Tally feels like she finally belongs, but nothing is the same without her boyfriend, Zane, left in New Pretty Town with his damaged brain and tremors after taking the wrong Pretty cure. Maybe if Zane were to run away again, he'd be made Special, too. But Zane's not going anywhere: He's collared like a dog with metal too strong to break without better tools. On impulse, Tally and Shay break into the armory to find the right equipment, unleashing a chain of events that threatens the cure, the runaways, and everything else.
Is It Any Good?
Way to bounce back -- where Pretties (book 2) was lacking in excitement and plot twists, SPECIALS delivers. Tally is again put to the test mentally, trying to regain her own sense of self after yet another mind-altering operation. But thanks to her body rebuilt for danger, she's also got some truly fast-paced, nail-biting action scenes. It's a good balance of thoughtful and "icy," as the Specials would say.
Westerfeld's future world opens up, too, exploring what happens in a city with more freedoms and an ever-expanding immigrant population. This is the depth the series needed to keep it special -- and expand it into its final installment.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the Uglies series. Each book describes a controlling future society, a popular theme in many of today's popular books. What's appealing about this idea? How does the society depicted here compare/contrast with other future societies you've read about?
This book was once a trilogy, then turned into a quartet. What do you like about reading book series? Why do you think they're so popular?
Book Details
- Author: Scott Westerfeld
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Simon Pulse
- Publication date: March 1, 2006
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 17
- Number of pages: 350
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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