Westerfeld, Scott (2005). Pretties. NY: Simon Pulse. ISBN: 0689865392. 384 pages.
The second book in Westerfeld's trilogy (Uglies was published in Feb., 2005) is decidedly less impressive than the first. In the first book, we're introduced to the dystopian world in which main character Tally lives: a more environmentally friendly U.S. or U.K., the population is divided into "uglies" (children under 16), "pretties" (16-30-somethings), "middle pretties" (middle aged folks) and "crumblies" (old people). In an effort to eliminate attractiveness bias and to create a more equitable society that enjoys pleasure as well as responsibility, every citizen is given an operation at age 16 to make them equally beautiful or handsome and sent to live in Pretty Town, a party spot for the young and hot. Later, these same citizens will be altered to become "middle pretties" and work to support the infastructure. Tally, an almost 16-year-old ugly, has always wanted to become a pretty; however, when she befriends a fellow ugly and is introduced to an underground society of "Rusties" who live outside of town in primitive conditions and who never succumbed to the pretty-making operation, she begins to question the altriusm of her society. The first volume of the series describes her introduction to the alternate society while the second volume has her living among the Pretties (as a Pretty, herself) and working from within to effect change. The Pretties is OK, but not as gripping as Uglies, probably because it lacks the rich description of the social world in which Tally and her friends live. I'd like a LOT more information about how the society works and Pretties, set in the artificial Pretty Town, really seemed like the right place to elaborate this. The third book is supposed to resolve the series and clear everything up and, I have to say, I'm not disappointed enough in Pretties to be indifferent to the impending publication of the next volume. |
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