Uglies
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In philately, the term Uglies is used to refer to the stamps of the Indian Feudatory States.
| The Uglies | |
|---|---|
 Uglies, the first book in the trilogy |
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| Author(s) | Scott Westerfeld |
| Cover artist | Russell Gordon and Rorigo Corral |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Uglies series |
| Genre(s) | Young adult Science Fiction Fantasy |
| Publisher | Simon Pulse |
| Publication date | February 8, 2005 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 425 |
| ISBN | 0-689-86538-4 |
| OCLC Number | 57686394 |
| LC Classification | PZ7.W5197 Ugl 2005 |
Uglies is a 2005 science fiction novel by Scott Westerfeld. It is set in a future post-scarcity dystopian world in which everyone is turned "Pretty" by extreme cosmetic surgery upon reaching age 16. It tells the story of teenager Tally Youngblood who rebels against society's enforced conformity, after her new found friends Shay and David show her the downsides to becoming a "Pretty". They show Tally how being a "Pretty" can change not only your look but your personality. Written for young adults, Uglies deals with adolescent themes of change, both emotional and physical. The book is the first installment in what was originally a trilogy, the Uglies series, which also includes Pretties, Specials, and Extras
Under the surface, Uglies speaks of high profile government conspiracies and the danger of trusting the omnipresent Big Brother. While the underlying story condemns war and all the side effects thereof, the true thrust of the story proves that individual freedoms are far more important than the need for uniformity and the elimination of personal will.
The book shares many of its themes with the 1964 The Twilight Zone episode "Number Twelve Looks Just Like You".[1] In a blog posting, the author of the books notes that he viewed the episode in his childhood and had forgotten all the details.[2]
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Tally Youngblood is close to turning 16, the age when she can be turned into a pretty. Being a pretty is fun. You have certain privileges that uglies don't, but then Tally meets a girl named Shay who doesn't want to turn pretty. Shay has introduced Tally to things that she has never seen or heard of, like David. The day before Tally and Shay's operation, they pull a huge prank on the new uglies, but afterwards, Shay explains to Tally that she doesn't want to turn pretty. She tells Tally that she wants to go to the Smoke with David. Before Shay runs away, she gives Tally a note with encrypted directions to the Smoke just in case Tally decides to leave. The day of Tally's 16th birthday, Special Circumstances interrupt the operation. They tell her that she has a choice. Find Shay and bring her back, or stay ugly forever.
[edit] Characters
Tally Youngblood: The main protagonist of the trilogy. Almost sixteen-year-old daughter of Sol and Ellie Youngblood. Nicknamed "Squint" because of her "small, watery, indifferently brown" eyes. After her best friend from childhood, Peris, turns and moves to New Pretty Town, she meets Shay, another ugly who amazingly has the exact same birthday as Tally. She runs away to the Smoke, catching the attention of Special Cirumstances. They force Tally to follow Shay into the wild, armed only with a Ranger Survival Kit, a special long-range hoverboard, and a silver heart locket that, once activated, will send Special Circumstances to bring her home.
Shay: Meets Tally after the latter crashes a pretty-town bash. She and Tally become best friends, despite the fact that Tally can't wait to turn sixteen, but Shay (A.K.A. Skinny) would rather keep her ugly -normal- face. Shay tries to convince Tally to run away to the Smoke with her, but fails. Once Shay disappears, Tally is questioned by Special Circumstances, and is eventually forced to follow Shay to the mysterious Smoke.
David: The mysterious David takes rebellious young Uglies to the Smoke, which his parents, Maddy and Az, founded. Uglies can go to the Ruins at night and try to contact him through a sparkler signal. He's described to have a scar through one eyebrow, hands as hard and rough as wood, a big nose, and a jacket and shoes that he made himself. Despite all that, Tally thinks his "ugliness" suits him. He was in a relationship with Shay, but later falls for the more serious Tally.
Maddy: David's mother and Az's wife. She was a cosmetic surgeon of the Pretty Committee, which is in charge of the Operation. Her husband, Az, was researching ways to make the Operation safer, as people still died each year, mostly from being unconscious so long. They were forced by the Specials to either leave, or forget the dark secret they had found. They chose to run away and found the Smoke.
Az: David's father. Before the events of the book, he is a surgeon that turns Uglies into Pretties. He is captured and killed during an operation led by Dr. Cable to make him forget about the lesions. They were trying to change his memory.
Croy: One of Shay's friends who lives at the Smoke.
Peris: Tally's best friend since they were littlies. As an ugly, he is nicknamed "Nose". He is a pretty during the events of the book.
Dr.Cable: Head of Special Circumstances. She is the person who denies Tally the pretty surgery and sends her out as a spy to the Smoke. Dr.Cable is responsible for the downfall of the Smoke.
Ellie and Sol Youngblood: Tally's parents. Tally admits that she isn't very close to her parents.
[edit] Reception
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Uglies has been analyzed as a means of understanding modern society's relationship with the body image and cosmetic surgery.[3]
[edit] Film
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This section may contain original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding references. Statements consisting only of original research may be removed. More details may be available on the talk page. (January 2012) |
20th Century Fox and producer John Davis (Eragon) bought the film rights to the novel.[citation needed] Davis and his co-producer wife Jordan were "plugged into the tale by their daughter, who read the book in school". The movie was originally scheduled to be released in the year 2011, according to the Internet Movie Database, but was pushed back to late, possibly November, 2012. User Based Casting, notable for its fan-driven casting initiative for James Patterson's Maximum Ride, added Westerfield's Uglies to its book-to-film lineup in early 2012.
[edit] References
- ^ "Why haven't I read these books?". The Book Smugglers. 6 August 2009. http://thebooksmugglers.com/2009/08/why-havent-i-read-these-books-the-uglies-trilogy-by-scott-westerfeld.html. Retrieved 26 November 2010.
- ^ Westerfield, Scott (3 January 2008). "Number 12 Looks Suspiciously Familiar". http://scottwesterfeld.com/blog/?p=377fin. Retrieved 26 November 2010.
- ^ Scott, M. Heather; Dragoo, Kristin N. (2010). "The Baroque Body: The Role of Body Modification in Scott Westerfeld´s Uglies". Critical Issues: Humanity in a Cybernetic Environment. Oxford: Inter-Disciplinary Press. pp. 51-58. ISBN 978-1-904710-71-4. http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/visions308ver1040310.pdf. Retrieved 27 March 2011.
