Saturday's Book Recommendation: Specials by Scott Westerfeld
Okay, I just wrote a sentence, then had to erase it. I was going to say that Specials is the last of the Uglies series. HOWEVER, I see that Scott Westerfeld has written a fourth book, Extras. Why it's still called a trilogy, I don't understand.
Actually, Specials wraps up the trilogy quite well. It has a satisfying ending, where the previous books were obviously open and made you want to pick up the next book. The only negative that I saw was a little more coarse language than in previous books. I knew it existed in the previous books, but it didn't stand out. In Specials, however, I thought it was quite obvious, especially in one part. Still, I really liked the series.
Specials centers on Tally again. This time, she has been forced to be an agent for Special Circumstances. She has all the latest technology on her body - too much for me to remember, but it is an impressive, almost indestructible body! According to the previous books, she is now one of the "bad guys." It's great to see how Westerfeld really changes the perspective so well in all these books. Tally goes through many changes, from Ugly to Smoky to Pretty, and now Special. You'll get a good idea of how she struggles with her past that can't be erased.
I have to admit that I like Tally best when she was part of the Smoke, but viewing life from the Special perspective is very interesting. She goes through some life-changing events in this book to be sure. From internal struggles to a full-out war to the death of a close friend, the plot will keep you reading!
You can preview Specials here.
If you really liked this series (and I know that young science-fiction readers may certainly get hooked on it,) you may also want to know about an "accessory book," Bogus to Bubbly: An Insider's Guide to the World of Uglies.
I'm not hooked on it enough to want to know all the backstory, ins and outs of each clique, etc. But, I can imagine kids who love this series certainly would love to read all the details that are in the author's head, that don't make it into the book.
Actually, Specials wraps up the trilogy quite well. It has a satisfying ending, where the previous books were obviously open and made you want to pick up the next book. The only negative that I saw was a little more coarse language than in previous books. I knew it existed in the previous books, but it didn't stand out. In Specials, however, I thought it was quite obvious, especially in one part. Still, I really liked the series.
Specials centers on Tally again. This time, she has been forced to be an agent for Special Circumstances. She has all the latest technology on her body - too much for me to remember, but it is an impressive, almost indestructible body! According to the previous books, she is now one of the "bad guys." It's great to see how Westerfeld really changes the perspective so well in all these books. Tally goes through many changes, from Ugly to Smoky to Pretty, and now Special. You'll get a good idea of how she struggles with her past that can't be erased.
I have to admit that I like Tally best when she was part of the Smoke, but viewing life from the Special perspective is very interesting. She goes through some life-changing events in this book to be sure. From internal struggles to a full-out war to the death of a close friend, the plot will keep you reading!
You can preview Specials here.
If you really liked this series (and I know that young science-fiction readers may certainly get hooked on it,) you may also want to know about an "accessory book," Bogus to Bubbly: An Insider's Guide to the World of Uglies.
I'm not hooked on it enough to want to know all the backstory, ins and outs of each clique, etc. But, I can imagine kids who love this series certainly would love to read all the details that are in the author's head, that don't make it into the book.
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