Why Sarah likes the Uglies

Scott Westerfield's Uglies, Pretties, Specials, and Extras, have long been among my favorite books. I recommend them easily, because not only are they entertaining, but they contain very little questionable content that parents would need to be wary of. IF YOU LIKE HUNGER GAMES, YOU WILL LOVE UGLIES! (see previous Hunger Games rant in my last post) Here are a few reasons I like the Uglies series, followed by some things parents may want to be aware of. But first, a brief, and admittedly poorly written, plot summary from Westerfield's blog:

"Uglies is set in a world in which everyone has an operation when they turn sixteen, making them supermodel beautiful. Big eyes, full lips, no one fat or skinny. You might think this is a good thing, but it’s not. Especially if you’re one of the Smokies, a bunch of radical teens who’ve decided they want to keep their own faces. (How anti-social of them.) Uglies is a trilogy-plus-one, with Extras being a “companion novel” and told from a different point of view. All four Uglies books have been New York Times bestsellers!"
      -http://scottwesterfeld.com/books/uglies/

Why I like the Uglies:

• Positive messages:
• "Pretty has a price." The messages here are easy to see. Especially in Uglies, the under-lying message of true beauty is clear, but without becoming preachy. Many references are made to the "Rusties" (That's us) and how beauty (and the lack thereof) is what caused racism, jealousy, wars, and all other downfalls of humanity. But the issue is also raised throughout the story about how making everyone gorgeous isn't enough- or in other words, beauty isn't really the issue here. Lots to talk and think  about. 
• "There's more to life than pretty." I really don't think I need to elaborate on this one- it speaks for itself.
• "Mindless fun is stupid." This one isn't as blatant as the messages about beauty, but it's still clearly there. The "pretties" and their "party all night sleep all day, drink your cares away" attitudes are not portrayed as positive things. Even in Pretties, when the main character (Tally Youngblood) herself is immersed in the petty world of the pretties, the constant partying is seen as, well, stupid, unintelligent, and pointless.
• "You are who you choose to be". I'll try to address this one without any spoilers. Tally is constantly pressured and sometimes forced to fit into the molds of what others (the Smokies, the City Government, her friends) want her to be. The books highlight Tally's struggle to break those bonds and be who she (and no one else) chooses to be. I won't say how, but she eventually achieves this.
• "We need to take better care of the world, and each other." Again, without being preachy or shoving it down your throat, Westerfield masterfully makes his point. The story of our civilization destroying itself through greed and lazyness is mentioned several times, as are the consequences. The way that we nearly destroyed the planet is talked about too. The City is obsessed with recycling and renewable energy (probably the only good thing about the City).
• Entertaining: This series is full of suspense and is just simply fun to read. There is tons of action, lots of funny dialogue, and of course romance.
• No dark story line! Recent teen books all have one thing in common it seems: DARK THEMES. This isn't seen in this quartet. While there are some creepy moments, and some mildly scary concepts, none of it is dark or spiritual. 

What to watch out for:

Not much. These books are pretty clean, but here's a breakdown anyway.

• Violence: Okay, honestly there is some, but none of it is gory. Can't really have an action sci-fi story without some violence, right? Nothing much beyond hand-to-hand combat and some bombing in Specials
• Sex: None in Uglies beyond a couple of kisses and a couple making out vaguely mentioned in passing (they are pretties, so whatever they do is portrayed as "bubble-headed"). Pretties is really the only book of the series with anything to watch out for. Tally and Zane begin to sleep in the same room, but it isn't implied or even suggested that they are having sex. Nothing is described beyond waking up in the same room. Also some mention of pleasure gardens, where pretties are known to.... take pleasure. All of this, in my opinion, can be over-looked or talked through. Specials has one kiss, and Tally is said to be naked in an operating room and prison cell (nothing described).
• Language: None in Uglies (unless "you suck" can be counted as language). A "hell" and "damn" in Pretties. A "hell" in Specials.
• Drugs/ Alcohol: Quite a bit in the first two books (especially Pretties), but none of it portrayed in a positive light. In Extras, characters drink champagne. Lots of social drinking.

Conclusion:

I LOVE this quartet. And I think you will too. Hunger Games fans, prepare to have a new (and way more worth-while) obsession. :) In a world where most contemporary literature carry's a dark and menacing theme, Uglies stands out. Happy reading!