Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Lenore

"Pretties", the second book in Scott Westerfelds great Uglies series, continues where the first left off. If you haven't read book one and don't want to be spoiled, STOP READING NOW. Ok, so now Tally has had her surgery and her "smoky" friends are trying to contact her and save her from her "pretty" ways. She now runs with a group of "pretties" who seem to be smarter than the rest, called "crims" because of their "criminal" backgrounds as "uglies". The leader of this group is Zane and he and Tally start up a romance while still pulling "ugly" tricks.

This book suffered a bit from "middle" book syndrome but was still very compelling save for some blatant anorexia and cutting (sure, it worked as part of the story, but I personally didnt like it). Tally and Shay continue their "love/hate" friendship/rivalry which is a well-drawn and convincing adolescent relationship. Some characters from the first book, such as David are given not as much screen time as I might have hoped and some new characters, such as a savage young man who is part of a anthropological study of violence, are given a bit too much. You do learn more about the world the author has created and are well set up for the third book, "Specials".

Reprinted here with author's permission