Pretties Book Review

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Tally Youngblood has finally undergone the operation to make her Pretty. She’s left Uglyville behind and joined the other Pretties across the river, basking in physical perfection. But the parties and ditzy Pretty conversation is more than Tally can handle.

The Cure

Tally discovers a note she wrote to herself back when she was Ugly, encouraging her to escape. Tally tries hard to remember writing the note, but the Pretty operation has affected her mind. Along with the note, she finds two pills—a cure that will restore her mind. But the cure isn’t perfected yet; it could cause brain damage. Instead of taking both pills, Tally shares one with her new friend and crush, Zane.

Hatching an Escape Plan

The cure begins working immediately, and both Zane and Tally start planning their escape to the New Smoke, a refuge for those who want to avoid the operation. The only trouble is that Zane has been having horrible migraines. They have to work fast so that the doctor in the New Smoke can find out what’s wrong.

Into the Unknown

They hijack a hot air balloon and sail away from New Pretty Town into the unknown. Zane jumps first, using his hoverboard to guide him down to safety. But Tally waits too long and is forced to jump outside of the safety zone. She crashes into the river and finds herself lost[/kwlink] and alone. With her hoverboard smashed to pieces Tally sets out for the New Smoke on foot. But before she arrives, she gets captured by a band of savages. If Tally doesn’t make it to the New Smoke soon, Zane will give up hope.

The Bottom Line

Pretties was a decent story, but not quite as good as Uglies, the first book in the series. There are a few intense moments, from the shattering of a floating ice rink to the death-defying fall from the hot air balloon to the near-death encounter with the savages. The plot wasn’t as exciting and put together as the first book, but it’s still worth a read.

Pretties Rating:

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