Uglies-Delilah

                   Scott Westerfeild's bestselling series begins with the dystopian fiction novel titled Uglies. As another idea for where our society could be headed based on our actions now, this futuristic "ideal" world definitely shows many connections to our behavior today. In Uglies, the line between ugly and pretty is definite. Once you turn 16, you get an operation that makes you supermodel beautiful. No one questions the system. The full on cosmetic surgery is taught to be the turning point in a despised and loathed ugly's lifetime. Pretties have everything. Full lips and wide eyes, perfect skin, perfect height. No one is too fat or too skinny. And the feelings they resonate are almost unreal. When someone looks at a pretty, they undergo a sense of safety, of warmth. But appearance is not all that changes in the process. Tally, a 15 year old ugly who can't wait to turn pretty after her best friend Paris moves to the other side of he river, is about to have the operation. Then she meets Shay, a rebellious ugly with the same birthday as Tally. The two become very close. Until Shay reveals that not everything is as perfect as the government implies it to be. Just like how Tally has spent the weeks before the operation dreaming about New Pretty-town, Shay has spent those weeks dreaming about the Smoke, a place no one seems to care about except the authorities. When Shay disappears, Tally is faced with a devastating choice- betrayal, or longing?
                    As mentioned before, Uglies is based off of our current expectations. It connects to the real world because here people are obsessed with looks. They obsess over their own faces, bodies, compared to other peoples. This can be treacherous because of how many people are in the world. So many different faces can be overwhelming. Uglies is a disgusting idea formed upon humanity today. Only in it, the government is seemingly flawless, and everyone holds a hope that they will eventually become gorgeous because everybody, except for some, will.
                   While reading, I could not put this novel down. I hate the idea of it, I hate the simplicity that nobody even seems to question what occurs. But Uglies is a very compelling science fiction novel. Scott Westerfeild's trilogy would best be read by readers who love ideas of the future, of what we may become. I recommend his book to dystopian lovers, science fiction lovers, and anybody who has issues with the way society places us into sections based on how we look. It might just spark a rebellion in you.