Saturday's Book Recommendation: Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
I've read Uglies, Pretties, and now am on the third book of the Westerfeld series, Specials.
I tend to like the futuristic fantasies that lead you into a civilization who tries to fix what our current civilization is doing wrong. It's always interesting (to me) to see what they think our world has done wrong and how future people might change things. Usually the biggest mistake is warfare or the environment. This series addresses both. And, like other futuristic fantasy societies, the uglies, pretties, and specials overcorrect.
One thing I think Scott Westerfeld does well is to give you the backstory from the previous series' books, so that you really could read each one on its own. You could choose just one to read and never touch the others, though I would have a hard time doing that. Another thing Westerfeld does well is leave you hanging at the end of the book. He makes you want to keep reading.
In Pretties, Tally has been transformed into a beautiful person who can't remember much about her venture into the Smoke (a place where people live with nature.) She thinks of it as a time of foolishness. She now is ready to party all day and night and think shallow thoughts.
Tally meets Zane, so you get a little bit of boy/girl relationship, but it's not overly romantic (I'm just not into romance books!) Zane and Tally kiss, which gives them some clarity and helps them think better (hmmm. . . it's an interesting concept.) They do some adventurous things that help them think less and less shallow and realize that the Smoke was actually a good idea.
That's about when people from the Smoke come back into Tally's life. They offer her a way out. In the process, some things go very wrong, which makes for a great story! The end of the book is the peak of everything that could have gone wrong. So, of course, you have to get Specials to see how it all works out.
I'm enjoying the books. I think I mentioned before that I'm listening to this series on audiobook. It's a great format for this story. If you want to read a little of this book, click here.
I tend to like the futuristic fantasies that lead you into a civilization who tries to fix what our current civilization is doing wrong. It's always interesting (to me) to see what they think our world has done wrong and how future people might change things. Usually the biggest mistake is warfare or the environment. This series addresses both. And, like other futuristic fantasy societies, the uglies, pretties, and specials overcorrect.
One thing I think Scott Westerfeld does well is to give you the backstory from the previous series' books, so that you really could read each one on its own. You could choose just one to read and never touch the others, though I would have a hard time doing that. Another thing Westerfeld does well is leave you hanging at the end of the book. He makes you want to keep reading.
In Pretties, Tally has been transformed into a beautiful person who can't remember much about her venture into the Smoke (a place where people live with nature.) She thinks of it as a time of foolishness. She now is ready to party all day and night and think shallow thoughts.
Tally meets Zane, so you get a little bit of boy/girl relationship, but it's not overly romantic (I'm just not into romance books!) Zane and Tally kiss, which gives them some clarity and helps them think better (hmmm. . . it's an interesting concept.) They do some adventurous things that help them think less and less shallow and realize that the Smoke was actually a good idea.
That's about when people from the Smoke come back into Tally's life. They offer her a way out. In the process, some things go very wrong, which makes for a great story! The end of the book is the peak of everything that could have gone wrong. So, of course, you have to get Specials to see how it all works out.
I'm enjoying the books. I think I mentioned before that I'm listening to this series on audiobook. It's a great format for this story. If you want to read a little of this book, click here.
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