Extras by Scott Westerfeld (5)

A few years have passed since Tally Youngblood destroyed the establishment based on pretties, uglies and specials. Now popularity runs the world. Popularity means power. Each citizen is ranked by how much she or he is talked about. Cameras record everything as they vie to be the person with the most buzz.

Fifteen-year-old Aya Fuse has a pitiful "face rank," or popularity ranking, of 451,369, which makes her a society nonentity, commonly known as an "extra." Aya's older brother Hiro, on the other hand, is famous. But Aya has a plan to up her popularity ranking. She takes Moggle, her trusty (and kind of adorable) hovercam, to a party filled with tech-heads (in love with the latest technological goodies) and surge monkeys (who indulge in wild plastic surgery modifications on themselves).

Aya hopes to discover and film a huge story about a secret group. "Kicking," or spreading, the story on her feed should result in acclaim for herself, thus upping her face rank. Because of her parents' refusal to let her become a pretty before she is 16, Aya is stuck with her average looks, including what she considers to be a huge nose. So she disguises herself by wearing a gray, hooded robe and joins a group of similarly garbed Reputation Bombers, who join to chant the name of one member in order to bump up his face rank. In the meantime, she sends Moggle out to search for members of the group who Aya had seen surfing on top of a crazy-fast mag-lev train. Anyone who kicks the story of the train riders will be famous, and Aya aims to take advantage.

Finally, Moggle sends Aya an image she recognizes. It's hoverball champion Eden Maru, who happens to be one of the train riders. Eden is famous, with a face rank that once reached an enviable 10,000. But no one knows about her wild adventures with her secret group. Aya watches Eden via Moggle. As the hoverball player edges to the exit, an amazing boy speaks to Aya, calling her face "unique." He introduces himself as Frizz Mizuno. Frizz is not only beautiful, but Aya sees in her eyescreen that his face rank is an astounding 4,612! Why is he even associating with Aya, much less gazing at her with undisguised interest? But she can't stay to find out because Eden is leaving.

Aya hoverboards after Eden, who zigzags through the city's new construction with ease. She forces herself not to think about the intriguing Frizz but to concentrate on getting the story, as she follows Eden deep inside a dark tunnel. What they find there is a cataclysmic secret --- so huge that the fate of the Earth may hinge on it.
It's a happy day for fans when a stellar "trilogy" morphs into a series. Like the three books in Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies trilogy, EXTRAS is a fast-paced page-turner with many plot twists. It has all the elements of a terrific read: heart-pounding adventure, extreme sports, friendship, espionage, a bit of tender romance, strong and brave women, and the quest for popularity. It also includes much pointed commentary on society's celebrities, power, blogging, the environment, celebrity-based television shows and more.


Woo Hoo ... This was an unexpected fourth book in the Uglies series which I just loved ..And this book is no different.

We have new characters which you will love and the old favourites are back again ..

As always Scott Westerfeld touches on different topics that you can really discuss like the craziness of Celebrities and whatt people will do for FAME and to get noticed !!!

This books are great for Young READERS and also for us OLDIES as well

So glad that I came upon this series Great !! and I am looking forward to re-reading them all again ..

I rate this book 5*****

Specials by Scott Westerfeld (5)

Tally is now a Cutter, a new branch of Special Circumstances. The Cutters, led by Tally's longtime friend Shay, arrive at an uglies party looking for outsiders crashing the festivities to stir up trouble. Tally and the other Cutters are disguised as uglies, which causes Tally to feel nostalgic as she watches the poor uglies awkwardly interacting.Tally has been completely remade. Her bones are now aircraft ceramic, light but indestructible. Her muscles repair themselves. She can hear the faintest, most distant sound through her skintenna. All her senses are supernaturally sharp --- and she actually smells the party-crashing Smokey.Smokies have been smuggling in pills with nanos, which destroy the brain lesions that keep pretties stupid and mellow. Unfortunately, the nanos can also destroy brains entirely (Tally has seen this firsthand when the pills destroyed her boyfriend Zane's mind).

Now Tally moves to arrest the Smokey, who escapes by zooming up into the air by use of a bungee jacket. The fugitive is rescued by Smokies on hoverboards, including a leader Tally well remembers: David.Immediately, Tally and the other Cutters are on their hoverboards in a thrilling race to capture the Smokies. An extra incentive drives Tally and Shay --- their personal vendettas against their mutual old boyfriend and now enemy, David. Even with the Cutters' many advantages, however, the Smokies shock them by retaliating in unexpected ways, ultimately leaving Shay and Tally to fight the outsiders in the most primitive manner. The Smokies have the advantage in the struggle, kidnapping Shay and another Cutter and stealing the Specials' hoverboards. Tally is alone and stranded in the forest until she recovers and is soon back on the hunt.

When Tally reunites with Shay and most of the other Cutters, she learns something astounding: The pills were to be delivered to one of the Crims, a troublemaking clique. That Crim is Zane, Tally's boyfriend. She is dumbfounded. Why hasn't Zane joined Tally if he's recovered?Tally and Shay visit Zane, who is still a pretty. He is also not quite right and is still damaged from the pills. However, he's helping the Crims pass out thousands of pills, resulting in a new breed of intelligent pretties. Tally asks Zane to betray his Smokey allies, and he reluctantly agrees to do it for her.While Tally still feels love for her boyfriend, she is also repelled by his disabilities. If she and Shay can help him escape, they'll all be in peril. Yet Zane may become a Special after he helps bring the Smokies down. Their mission begins with the most dangerous trick ever. Will Tally and Shay survive it --- and the consequences?

Packed with action in the face of relentless danger, the stakes continue to increase with each plot twist. During Tally's quest she discovers one surprise after another, but when she arrives at her destination, she's in for the most shocking revelation ever. This page-turner dishes up thought-provoking social commentary on government, cliques, humanity, appearance and redemption --- all wrapped up in a tremendous science fiction adventure ---

Well the end of the series and what an end ... Loved it ... I have to admit that I couldn't stop reading once I had started ... This is a great wee series of books and very thought provoking ... These are differently books that I will get my kids to read and then we can sit and discuss them ...

So glad that I happened upon this book it is hard to finds something that is suitable for young readers but is clean, interesting and makes you think ... I loved this series and would highly reommend this books ...

I rate this Book 5*****

Pretties by Scott Westerfeld (5)

Tally's story continues from the previous book, UGLIES, in this second installment of Scott Westerfeld's futuristic trilogy. Tally is now a pretty who lives only for good times. While attending a party at which she is to be voted into the Crims clique, she is followed by someone appearing to be a member of the ominous Special Circumstances team.Tally can only remember her previous adventures as an ugly outside New Pretty Town in brief disconnected snatches. She is shocked to discover that the person stalking her is Croy, an old friend from the Smoke. He has something for her, he tells her, but she must search for it later in a certain secret spot. She agrees, bemused by his repellant ugliness, including his big pores and tangled hair --- all the imperfections that the surgery to become a pretty transforms to beauty.Tally returns to her pretty life, concentrating on the fun she has with her friends. Her peace is disrupted when gorgeous Zane, leader of the Crims, asks her about David, whom she loved when she lived in the Smoke. In fact, Zane once knew Croy and had been determined to escape to the Smoke before his surgery. He regrets that he didn't go into the wilderness then.Zane is eager to accompany Tally in finding the mysterious object Croy has hidden for her. They must face strenuous, dangerous physical challenges in order to locate the gift, which is accompanied by a startling and eye-opening letter from Tally to herself, written before she underwent the pretty surgery and explaining to her future self her motive in becoming a pretty --- to save all the pretties. Zane and Tally also learn that the pretties' brains are altered during their surgery. When the two share what Croy left for Tally, everything in their lives changes, putting Zane's health at risk and infuriating Tally's friend Shay.

As with UGLIES, you cannot read this book without questioning values and mindsets prevalent not only in New Pretty Town in the future but also here and now. How much will people surrender in order to be pretty? What is the price of popularity and conformity? Can people who relinquish everything get a second chance? As in UGLIES, the plot pace is rapid and exciting, the characters are real, and the situations are truly frightening.

OK this is the second book in the Uglies series .... Which I am just loving at the moment ... Now that Tally has been made Pretty it comes with another new set of problems ... You would think she would be happy to made Pretty and party all the time .....

It introduces you to all new characters and some old ones ... And the ending is brill .... Don't want to say alot except loving this books .... Finished this book in a day And cannot wait to dive into the next one ....

I rate this book 5*****

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (5)

Tally has grown up in a post-apocalyptic world where, at the age of 16, everyone is given an operation that makes their faces and bodies perfect. Before the operation they are known as "uglies," and after as "pretties." After the operation they live in New Pretty Town, enjoying a life of constant partying and pleasure. Tally can't wait.

Shortly before her 16th birthday she befriends Shay, who tells her about the Smoke, a secret community of those who refuse the operation. When Shay runs away to join the Smoke, Tally is given a choice by the Specials, the secret police: help them find the Smoke and betray her friend, or remain an ugly forever.

Well I am drawn to young adult books at the moment ... What with Twilight and now this series ... Uglies is the first in a series of 4 books. And I loved it ...

There are so many different questions that arised in this book about beauty, perfection and what we are doing to our planet ... This is a great book for older teenagers ... Which they will really love and also gives you a chance to discuss the many issues that arises from it ...

What's wrong with wanting to be beautiful and have fun? Is the life of the Smokies better in some way? If you could choose to be a "pretty," would you?

I am really excited about reading the other books now ....

I rate this book 5*****