Uglies cover art

Uglies

Uglies, Book 1

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Uglies

By: Scott Westerfeld
Narrated by: Emily Tremaine
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About this listen

Tally lives in a world where your 16th birthday brings aesthetic perfection: an operation that erases all your flaws, transforming you from an "Ugly" into a "Pretty". She is on the eve of this important event and cannot wait for her life to change. As well as guaranteeing supermodel looks, life as a Pretty seems to revolve around having a good time. But then she meets Shay, who is also 15 - but with a very different outlook on life. Shay isn't sure she wants to be Pretty and plans to escape to a community in the forest - the Rusty Ruins - where Uglies go to escape "turning". Tally won't be persuaded to join her, as this would involve sacrificing everything she's ever wanted for a lot of uncertainty. When she is taken in for questioning on her birthday, however, Tally gets sent to the Ruins anyway - against her will. The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she could ever imagine: Find her friend, Shay, and turn her in or never turn Pretty at all. What she discovers in the Ruins reveals that there is nothing "pretty" about the transformations...and the choice Tally makes will change her world forever.

©2005 Scott Westerfeld. All rights reserved. (P)2015 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved. Depression & Mental Health Difficult Situations Literature & Fiction Science Fiction & Fantasy Funny
All stars
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I really enjoyed how how the story flowed yet wasn't predictable. Really felt immersed and couldn't put it down. I liked the individual characters and the protagonist was actually likeable which doesn't happen in a lot of YA novels. Very keen to read the next one and for the movie to come out soon

World building and Characters

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This series has been my all time favourite since I was a kid. Very digestible plot, amazing characters and a great, unfolding story arc.
The voice actress is amazing. She is very talented, fantastic diction and no exaggerated emotion that feels fake. But variation between characters voices needed to be a bit more obvious; had trouble differentiating characters at times.

Overall, 5 stars.

Voice actress

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I loved this book when I read it in Year 10 for school and I love it still listening to it on my drive to and from school where I teach Year 10 English... Maybe I'll find a way to slot this into our reading schedule!

Pretty Special!

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The story isnt special or suprising but it is an interesting listen that goes quick.

Enjoyable Listen, Well Read

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very reflective of today's obsession with beauty and perfection and the social separations that exist.

Unusual but good

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Loved the story! Looking forward to the next book!

Narration was average. Pleasant enough, but didn't really bring the characters to life or have great differences in the voices.

Loved it

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The first book was okay, definitely intrigued me at first but really lost wind towards the end. The story really had potential but failed hard in my opinion. I tried the next two books in the series to see if it got any better and it was super repetitive and unimaginative. I couldn't bring myself to finish reading the third one and I only wish I had returned the books while I still could.

Okay

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I think that the story was great because it’s about friendship and love which are two very important things that everyone needs

Tally and her best friend shay

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I loved how empowering the story line is, although is a little boring to read.

Empowerment of the story line

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Narrator was great, but it was so boring I struggled to finish it. Majority of the book is describing the world they live in, but has very little of the characters own thoughts and feelings. The main character was also the most boring person to centre on, I wanted to hear the pov of literally anyone else.

Nothing ever actually happens

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