Pages 398-425

The very end of this book is when they arrive back at the Ruins and try to figure out their next course of action. Maddy told David that his father had died while being experimented on in an effort to erase his memories and to bring him back to society under control, not spreading his "crazy" beliefs. Doctor Cable had told Maddy about Tally's betrayal and eventually told David about it too. She also explained to them that she had found a way to erase the lesions from pretty's minds through some of Dr. Cable's previous work. It was after Shay refused to be altered by any of Maddy's cure for the lesions that Tally made a fateful decision in an effort to help other pretties who wanted to be free from government control.. Tally chose to turn herself in to Special Circumstances and would sign a release saying she wanted to take the cure no matter what she said after her operation. She sacrificed herself to become what she hated the most which showed how much she had changed throughout the book and was no longer a selfish person who did everything for her own gain.

Pages 359-397

They got their bungee jackets by stealing them from the Uglyville art school and found some uglies looking for David back at the Ruins. David convinced Sussy, An, and Dex to distract Special Circumstances the following night to aid in their escape after taking back their friends. By midnight of the following night, Tally and David chose to make their break-in. Once they had successfully managed to break into the bunker undetected, they went in search for their friends. In their search, they ran into Dr. Cable and had to knock her out, but then right behind her they found Shay, and she was pretty. She had all the attributes of a newly turned pretty, beauty, flawlessness, and the absentmindedness. Shay saw Tally as her best friend and said she didn't care that she had been betrayed twice, but instead forgave her and felt there was no need to hang onto her anger. This attitude of forced forgiveness was even worse to Tally than her anger and decided the only choice she had was to help her friends to escape and try to resolve their issues once they were safely away from the city limits.

Pages 304-358

After Tally's meeting with Dr. Cable and discovering how she inadvertently betrayed her friends to them, she artfully managed to escape from Special Circumstances by stealing a hoverboard and racing to the tunnel with the railroad. While in there, she found David had escaped too and she vowed to make the wrong she did right. Then after rushing to see if David's parents were alright, they discovered that their house had burned down and there was no evidence of their remains. Both of them then decided that they would rescue their friends and family, no matter what the cost.

On their way back to the city, Tally got a history lesson. David told her that the reason the Rusties destroyed their own society was because of the amount of wars they got into. It was during one of these that one scientist discovered a bacterium to eat up oil and cause it to catch fire on contact with air. He explained to her that was why all of the vehicles were left in the Ruins and he filled in some of the missing pieces that they were not told under such a strict society. Then when they did arrive back at the city, Tally came up with the idea to use bungee jackets to break in to Special Circumstances and rescue their friends.

Best and Worst Parts

The worst part of this book is when Tally decided to betray her friend for her own personal gain. It was so she could spend her days partying with her friends and becoming like everyone else that she chose to help Special Circumstances. She went against Shay's wishes when she followed her and repeatedly lied to everyone that cared about her as to why she ran away to the Smoke. But she battled with herself the whole time she spent there and finally realized that everyone was entitled to their own opinion on how to live their life and to me that was the best and most important part of the book. Everything that followed her changed mindset went along with her idea and she stays true to her beliefs. It's the fact that she doesn't change her mind in when facing danger that epitomizes her new way of thinking and what makes this book so good.

Recommendation

To me this was one of the best books I have read. It shows a girl battling her selfish desires but also an innocent who doesn't want to go against everything she has ever known. It would be hard to realize your whole life had been a lie, but she doesn't blindly ignore the facts when they are presented to her. Instead she accepts them and chooses to do what she can to fix the wrongs she has done. This story sends a positive message to the reader, especially teens who may struggle with wanting to give into peer pressure and be like everyone else, that you have to be your own person. You shouldn't form yourself to what others expect of you, but rather to think for yourself and develope your own character. I would recommend Uglies to all readers but especially younger teens struggling to find out who they are.

Conflict and Resolution

The main conflict in this book was the issue of Special Circumstances putting lesions in people's minds during the operation. When that happened, none of the new pretties would realize what had happened and would never think anything was different due to them. That was the reason why Az and Maddy ran away, because they knew it wasn't right for people to be controlled by others and everyone had a right to think and act for themselves. So after Special Circumstances rounded up all the members of the Smoke and killed Az, Tally resolved to do everything in her power to help Maddy develop an antidote to the lesions inserted in people during the change. The only way she could think of how to do this, she had to become a pretty and later allow Maddy to try her drug on her. And because this is how the book ended, with her going back to the city to become a pretty, the conflict is not resolved and leaves the reader wondering how the events will play out until the next book.

Character development

In the beginning of this book Tally was an average ugly, pulling tricks and having fun just trying to pass the time before her dream of becoming pretty became reality. It was after her best friend abandoned her to have his operation and never visited her afterwards that she began to wonder how a surgery to change your looks could make you forget about your friends. Then when she was able to see him, his attitude seemed different and didn't act like the Peris she remembered growing up with. After their visit and Tally met Shay, she started to realize that some people wouldn't want the operation and to be their own ugly selves. And although she didn't understand why no one would want it, she accepted this fact and didn't judge her for her opinion. Then when Special Circumstances forced her to find the Smoke, she discovered a whole different world outside the strictly run community she had lived in all her life and began to live for herself. With hard work and learning to live off the land, Tally began to become a new person, one who wanted away from society and live in peace where she could think for herself. Then when David took her to meet his parents and she found out the truth about the operation, she officially chose to live her life with him. That night when she burned the transmitter and it alerted Special Circumstances to their whereabouts, she promised herself that she would make everything right no matter what. This showed that she had learned to value things other than herself and people did have a right to live their lives and not being controlled by others. Tally' s sacrifice for others at the very end proved that she was not the selfish, self-centered person she was at the beginning. All she ever wanted was to be pretty and have fun with her friends, but at the end she decided to do what she hated the most. And it was all in an effort to save her new friends and the innocent people she had accidentally betrayed by her rash actions to atone for her misdeeds and accept responsibility.

Pages 254-303

Right away David's parents, Az and Maddy, really liked Tally and were glad that he was comfortable enough with them to her to bring her to their home. Their house was away from the Smoke because they wanted to spare the new arrivals from the shock of their in-between faces. They explained to Tally that after they left, they were able to develope a pill specifically designed to erase some of the effects of the operation. Az and Maddy also explained why they left the city in the first place. Maddy found tiny lesions in people's brains that she later discovered where usd to control new pretties. The lesions suppressed their emotions and forced them to be in a constant haze. But, in people who needed their reflexes such as doctors, firefighters, and people working for Special Circumstances, none were present. David's parents concluded that they were a part of the operation, along with becoming pretty, you were forced to feel what they wanted you to and think exactly how they wanted you to. Tally realized that if she had followed through with the operation she longed for, she would become that way also and would always be controlled by someone other than herself. It also made sense to her why Peris had acted so different around her than what she remembered. So with her new view on Special Circumstances, she chose to destroy the tracker she was given and build her life in the Smoke with David so she could be the person she wanted to be and not like everyone else.

That morning Special Circumstances arrived and captured all the runaways and found out where they came from so they could be returned. It was after Tally was captured and Shay saw how her captors treated her that Shay discovered her betrayal and vowed to have her revenge for taking her boyfriend and lying to everyone.

Pages 203-253

Tally's confusion was cleared up when Shay showed her how to uproot trees in order to find pieces of metal left over by the Rusties. After a couple hours of work, her hands were completely blistered but she felt exhilarated being able to accomplish something for herself instead of just pulling tricks and pointless activities. She was proud of herself and realized she didn't have to depend on other people for her success. When she found her hands completely blistered, David asked her to help scout for other places to salvage. He ended up taking her to a collapsed railroad tunnel that he found fascinating. She also found out that David wasn't actually a runaway, he was born in the Smoke. His parents used to be doctors who worked in the city she came from and were able to partly reverse the surgery. He didn't tell her how but she became really curious as to how.

When Shay talked to her later that night, she asked if Tally had found a person she loved and if that was the reason for her reluctance in arriving and her depressed attitude. To keep her real motives a secret, Tally just agreed to her reasoning. And although she missed many of the city comforts, she started to accept life in the Smoke and realized life on your own isn't that bad. Tally ended up staying for a long time and got to know most of the residents. She learned about their lives and the reasons they ran away from city life. David also began to take an interest in her. When Shay realized his growing fondness for her best friend, she became really confused and saddened by Tally's betrayal and couldn't understand why she would want David when she had someone of her own. Later that night, David ended up surprising her after a horrible day and everyone being upset with her for supposedly betraying her friend. She didn't know where he could have been taking her until he said that he wanted her to meet his parents, thoroughly surprising and making her very nervous.

Pages 156-202

It was the next day that Tally figured that the worst mistake she could make would be to try and jump the gorge and decided to take the chance. After a few agonizing moments, the deposits in the river caught her hoverboard, which works off of metal in the ground, and was able to continue on in her search for Shay. That night while taking a bath, a huge machine that made a terribly loud sound and a lot of wind, flew over her camp. It destroyed her sleeping bag and gave her good cause to be extra cautious from then on. When she came to a beautiful valley four days later, she awoke to a blazing fire all around her. In her desperation to find her hoverboard and get to the river, her shoes ended up melting from the heat. After jumping into the river to escape the flames and also the machine she had seen days before, someone pulled her out and into safety. Tally later found out that they are only burning the white flowers in the valley because they overtake all other vegetation and were trying to get rid of the noxious weeds before they could spread elsewhere. It was specially developed by the Rusties because it was so valuable, but they ended up making a super weed that could only be destroyed by fire and wreaking havoc on the wildlife. The men flying the "helicopter," turned out to be allies of the Smoke and flew her to a special place where the people from there could pick her up and also gave her a new pair of shoes. After being dropped off, Tally went to a hilltop where Shay, David, and Croy met her and took her to the Smoke. Shay showed her around the area and explained to her that everyone was the same and had their own worth. That was her reason for escaping the city, to be her own self and not like everyone else, but right away Tally did not completely understand her wanting to be separated from all of the beautiful people back home. But it was when Shay told her that it was time to go back to work that she was truly confused.

Pages 102-155

It turned out that nothing was actually wrong with her operation, the problem was with her best friend leaving a day before her operation. A certain section of the city's police force called Special Circumstances told her that unless she helped find out where Shay escaped to, Tally would never become pretty. Before Shay left, she had left Tally a coded note as to where she was going, a place called the Smoke. She had mentioned it before but Tally never knew exactly where the place was located. So it was when her parents told her to do the right thing and find this place for Special Circumstances combined with her desire to become pretty and spend her time with Peris, that Tally chose to find her friend and expose her new life to Dr. Cable. Dr. Cable provided Tally with all she needed to find her way to the Smoke and a special transmitter to alert them when she reached to Smoke so they could bring back all the runaways. Most of the people that had runaway earlier had been Shay's friends who left before their operations, but she chickened out when the opportunity arose to escape. So by following Shay's instrucions, she found a long rail road track and eventually came to a chasm large and seemingly unpassable. She had already almost fell off a different cliff and could not figure out what the "worst mistake" was that she needed to make, like Shay had told her. By the end of the chapter she decides to just lay down and try to figure it out the next day.

Setting and Characters

The beginning of this book it is set in a controlled city that alerts the authorities if any person crosses any boundaries they are not supposed to and everyone adheres to the city's rules and restrictions. Everyone is effectively controlled by the government except for certain uglies who have taken it upon themselves to play tricks on the city and fellow dorm mates. But, none of them have ever done anything major to get into trouble for their actions, its simply a way to spend time before becoming pretty and able to constantly party in Pretty Town. It is after Tally and Shay decide to sneak out of the city limits and visit the Rusty Ruins that they begin to become braver in their actions and more creative in their tricks. They enjoy sneaking out and tempting fate to catch them and realize there is life outside of the strictly controlled society. But, its not until Shay decides to run away and Tally is forced to find the Smoke for Special Circumstances that her attitude and personality change also. Once the Specials force her to find the renegades or not allow her to have the operation, Tally realizes just how much everyone is controlled by them. It takes her a long time to come to this conclusion and it was only after she learned how to work, make decisions for herself, and decided that maybe she is pretty the way she is. She also learns that being an individual and not what everyone else thinks you should be is more important to her. Tally realizes this in the wilderness away from society. Its wild, free, and able to clear her head and force her to think for herself.
Tally is an innocent embarking on a journey when she is forced by Dr. Cable to find the Smoke and the society free from a strictly controlled government. The main setting is the city but its when she arrives in the civilization separate from everyone telling you how to look, act, and live your life. Its the freedom from society that allows Tally to make her own decision and its the wilderness and forest lifestlye that changes her view of life.

Pages 52-101

These next couple of chapters are about Shay's and Tally's adventure to the ruins and the interesting discoveries made there. To get to the Rusty Ruins, the two had to get through white water, hike, and spend a lot of time in search for them. When they get there they explored the area and played around a little bit but then Shay became serious. She went to the top of a hill and lit a safety sparkler, then later explained to Tally she was signaling for David, a secret runaway whom she couldn't tell anyone about. This was the way things continued for a while: going to the ruins, using the light to call David, and the two enjoying their last few months together while still ugly. It was when the time for their operation was coming closer that Shay expressed her feelings to Tally and admitted wanting to stay the way she was and not being like everyone else. They got into an argument about it and did not speak for a week. Then Shay told Tally that she was leaving the city and wanted to discover a life outside of being told how she was supposed to look and knew of a place where her dream was possible. She gave Tally a coded message as to where she was going in case she ever wanted to come find her and left the city a day before her scheduled change. But, Tally was looking forward to her operation no matter what her friend had thought about it and couldn't wait to spend all her time with her best friend, Peris, once again. So at the end of the chapter Tally is waiting at the hospital for the change of her life when she is told there is a problem with her operation, leaving her confused and depressed.

Why I put link here

I chose to put the link to goodreads.com because it tells other people's opinion on the book and enables you to compare your thoughts with others. Some people say how they liked it whereas others didn't care for it and give good reasons for both point of views. Once you read the book, you can chat with others about it and state your thoughts as well. I think its a good website to look into the characters and the events that happened and maybe figure out something that you didn't understand while reading.

Explanation for link

I chose to put a link to Scott Westerfled's website because it gives good background information to people interested in but haven't read the book and also a question and answer section for people who have. It details some of the main things in the book that may have been confusing and helps people to understand some concepts more thoroughly. His site goes in depth about the reasons as to why he wrote the book and how society does seem to be making a path towards a certain perception of beauty and how everyone should look.

First 52 pages of Uglies

In the beginning of this book, this young girl, Tally Youngblood, is desperate to talk to her newly turned "pretty" friend who deserted her right after his operation. He always promised her they would be best friends forever and that his surgery would never change their blood oath. So when he leaves her on her own after his sixteenth, she is left feeling dejected and alone. In order to make sure her friend, Peris, is still ok she decides to crash the pretty party he is attending. When she finds him, he is not the same enthusiastic person he was when he was ugly. Desperate to make him happy, Tally promised to not do anything too stupid so they can be together when she turns sixteen also and cannot wait to join him in his new world. Then on her escape from the cops at the party, she encounters another ugly who would become her best friend in a matter of days. They spend all their time togehter pulling tricks and end up having the same birthday so they can be made pretty together without worrying about time separated when it comes time to be made pretty. Its when Tally is beginning to get excited about turning pretty that Shay makes her feelings known that maybe she doesn't want to be like everyone else and to actually be herself and not some generated idea of what society wants her to be like. The two have a little fight over it but not too big of a deal between the two friends. Then at the end of page 52 Shay decides to show Tally the "Rusty Ruins" which are outside of the city and completely unknown to her. Tally was looking forward to the adventure with her new friend although she was also a little skeptic about it.

My book interests

I have always read a lot of books and enjoy it in my free time. Lately I have read The Lord of the Rings, This Present Darkness, Piercing the Darkness, The Oath, The Seeker of Truth series, and the Twilight series and many others. Usually I read every chance I get and often annoy my mom when I don't pay attention to her when she is talking because I am reading instead. On road trips, study halls, and when I am bored are good opportunities to read a good book. Ever since I was able to, I have liked to read and it has broken up the monotony of the day when I am bored. Books are able to entertain and make my day interesting.

But, there are some books that I almost couldn't stand to finish. Among these were Anna Karenina, The Shack, and War of the Souls. Although I didn't think they were the best, they were still well written and was glad to have something to take up my spare time. Most books I read are fiction and have no relevance to the real world. An example of this is the Inheritance cycle. Included in these books are Eragon, Eldest, and Brisingir. They are very well written books about a dragon and a boy fighting to save their world and are entertaining when nothing else is going on. The book that I am blogging about, Uglies, is also set in a fiction realm and is about a young girl trying to escape the pressures of society.

First Post:-)

We are currently during an assignment for Honors English 3 and have chosen a book to blog about. The book I have chosen is Uglies by Scott Westerfeld and was published in 2005.