I myself have read the Uglies series and I've seen other Vtmers out there who have read the books and like them, so here is a thread where we can all discuss the series in closer detail.

There are four books in the series: The Uglies, The Pretties, The Specials, and The Extras. They were written by Scott Westerfeld and take place in the future. It follows Tally through the first three books and talks about how people under sixteen are considered an "ugly". After you turn sixteen, you get an operation done that makes you gorgeous and you get to party all night long and live a good life. The series takes us through Tally's adventures with her friend Shay.

If you haven't read the series, I would highly recommend that you do!

The first question will be:

What was your favorite book in the series and why?

~alyssa~

I haven't read Extras yet but I've read all of the others. I'm not sure which was my favorite, I can't decide between Uglies or Specials, both were good. They were pretty good, not the best books I've read but interesting enough that I wanted to read them all. I wasn't crazy about the ending of Pretties though, it seemed a little unfinished almost? I guess to leave room for another but it would have been nice if Tally finally admitted she liked David.

I know what you mean. I was pretty ticked when I found out she was going to be a Special because it really did seem like she left something unfinished behind.

None of the books were brilliant, but they were enjoyable to read and a lot better than some other books I've read. One thing about his style of writing that I really liked was how even though he didn't write in first-person, he made it seem that way a lot. It wasn't like he was commentating a basketball game and just taking the characters through the motions, he actually made it pretty interesting.

~alyssa~

Exactly! I mean I didn't mind her being a Special, but I didn't like the rest of it. I was happy that David went with her though, I always liked him. Did you read the alternative end? It said the author originally had Tally go off alone. That would have been way to despressing for me.

Good point, he wrote in a ver close third person. I'm trying to write like that, I haven't gotten it quite right yet because my characters tend to be very chatty.

So question: Who was your favorite character in the books? I don't really know who mine is, in the beginning of Uglies I really liked Shay, but then I didn't as much. Tally drove my crazy at some points but at others she didn't. I didn't really like Zane, Fausto was cool, and like I said I did like David.

Westerfields books are weird ... in a really interesting sort of way.

Like hot-for-harry said, they weren't brilliant, but they were very enjoyable. His style of writing is very interesting to read, and although they weren't in first person, it really seemed so. I haven't been able to read Extras yet, but I have been planning on it.

My favorite out of the three though, was Uglies. Tally was still an ordinary girl but she was doing such unordinary things. I don't know what it is about these series, but I enjoyed reading them.



I agree X-Girl, and everybody else - that it did seem like it just ... ended almost. Maybe he tried to make it a cliffy, but he did leave the end a little bit TOO open for a good cliffhanger.

Sam

Hello! I actually read the series because someone on VTM recommended them to me some moons ago and I found that I enjoyed the quite a bit.

X-Girl I completely agree with what you said about the Pretties, that was something that annoyed me, I felt Westerfeld went too quickly at the end. I wish there would have been a little more closure to her chapter as a Pretty. But hey it's his book not mine.

What was your favorite book in the series and why?

I think I'd have to go with the Uglies. When I first read it I really enjoyed it! Specially the end of the book because it left you wanting to read the next. Now because of the way I am I saw this book as a sly way of criticizing the society we live in. Because if we think about it now a day’s what matters to most people is the way you look. They paint you a prototype of a person and beat it into your head at a very young age that to be beautiful that is the way you have to look. I think that's why I enjoyed the book so much.

Who was your favorite character in the books?
Tally got on my nerves many times during the series so she's a no, Zane was too much of a bubble head, and Shay was such a brat so I'd go with David. Honestly David really appealed to me because of his forgiving nature. Heck it was Tally's fault that his dad died I would have seriously slapped the girl but he forgave her. I dunno I just thought David have a certain something that made him attractive. So it'd either be David or Dr. Cable just because she was evil

I have a question: If you could change something about the series what would it be?

-Stef

Good question, Stef!

If you could change something about the series what would it be?

I would change how Tally switches beings every time. One time she's an Ugly, the next she's a Pretty, and the next she's a Special. It kind of annoyed me the second time he did that and she became a Special. She was so completely dead-set against it, that I was kind of ticked off when he did that.

I'm ecstatic that people are responding so well!

~alyssa~

Hey guys! I love this series so much, except I didn't finish reading Specials, and haven't read Extras either. I was wondering if someone would mind telling me what happened in Specials, because (and I'm sorry if this sounds rude) the beginning was a bit boring and honestly, I didn't want to read about Tally being a Special (again, sorry). Otherwise, the other two were great! Has anyone read anything else by Scott Westerfield? I've read the Midnighters series and Peeps.

What was your favorite book in the series and why?

I would have to say Uglies. It was a great read and very captivating, once you get into it. I loved Tally and David's relationship, and then the whole thing with David being Shay's old boyfriend....

If you could change something about the series what would it be?

I feel the same way, hot-for-harry. It was a bit annoying, especially when I was also sagainst Tally being a Special, which is why I ended up not reading that book. It just seemed weird. Another thing I would change is... well, I really can't say much else because I liked most of it.

I finally read Extras, just finished it today. I liked it, although Aya was a little annoying. The best part for me was when Tally and co. showed up, if I hadn't been on an airplane I would've started squealing. The ending was a little weird, but I liked the very end after the party. I was so happy when I read that. I'm hoping there will be another one, I'd rather it be about Tally or next generation though.

If you could change something about the series what would it be?

I was a little annoyed when she became a Special, but I throughly enjoyed reading Specials and having her break away from that, so not much of a complain from me there.

I would change the fact that David and Tally never really obviously get together (I like everything to be neatly tied up at the end). Probably wouldn't have had Zane be so important since I didn't like him. I'm sure I'll come up with something else later, but that's all I have for now.

I would have to say that my favourite in the series would have to be the Uglies, simply because I really liked the realationships between the characters (such as with Tally and David) before their brains got all whacked out. I just can't understand their way of thinking anymore and that bugs me because ordinarily even with the most evil characters I can still somewhat understand their rationalizations. However when the brain surgens started their work I quickly lost intrest.

I am truly sorry that it took so long for me to read the series. I bought all three of them (I have yet to read Extras, and to be honest I probably won't) but I couldn't get into the story for the longest time, so I never read it. But a couple weeks ago I tried to read it again and I ended up not being able to put them down!

Uglies was my favourite, mostly because Tally wasn't so annoying then, and David is my favourite character. I agree with what Stef said - how Uglies really was like an opinion on how we see the world today. I loved the plot in this first one, I really did. I was just sad that Westerfeld didn't elaborate on Tally and David's relationship too much.

Pretties and Specials were okay, but once Tally was a Pretty she became such an annoying character to me. She lost her magical hold on me, and I came to miss David in the book. Zane was okay, I much preferred him to Tally. And then in Specials when she was a Cutter...well don't even get me started. For a last book it truly annoyed me. I admit that I did cry when Zane died though! I'm glad that she found David.

And Shay; oh man I always hated her. Even in the Uglies I was not fond of her. She was such a flip-flopper and had no mind of her own. I would've killed her off myself if I could've haha!

As for what I would change in the series... well I would've made Tally not forget David, and not fall for Zane. I would've wanted her to have kept her way of thinking and not turn into a bubble-head. I guess basically I would've kept her Ugly personality!

I definitely agree with what you guys have said... I was so not a fan of when she became a Special! I wish that the people in Diego would have given her that operation to turn her back into a Pretty.

But all in all, it was a great series.

Lauren

I read the series a while ago, and they were pretty good. The one thing is that I feel like all of the books had something missing to them, I just don't know what. I liked the first ones the most, and Extras not so much. Maybe because it wasn't directly related to the first three.
What I like the most of these books is the message, with the way the world is headed and all that. Extras I found really interesting too, because even if its not comparing it directly to today's celebrity culture, there are alot of resemblances and we see that somehow, we can't help ourselves from doing the popularity thing!
If something really, really bothered me with the series, its how Shay ended up. I was sooo so mad, that she used to be the strong ch aracter that changed everything for Tally, and then she ended up a dumb, annoying, useless Pretty. I don't feel like she got the ending she deserved. And sometimes there were things that happened in the books and I was like... alrighty then, but other than that they were pretty good.

Wow Lauren you read fast, haha.

EDIT: I don't know if you guys know about this...? Here. Probably another of those movies that will never happen.