Uglies - Scott Westerfeld | Book Review

Uglies (Uglies Book 1)

Scott Westerfeld

Reviewed 1/2/2025

Rating:

⭐️⭐️

Review (NO spoilers):

This book was very boring. It's a unique world that is similar to many other dystopian novels in concept. I don't mind a good cliché dystopian book if it's well-written: but this was not. 

I understand that this is the first of a series and more probably happens later, but this failed to intrigue me to the point where I doubt I'm going to continue reading the series at all.

It's not bad. But it's certainly not good.

Scroll down for review with SPOILERS

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Review (SPOILERS):

Their society is somehow over-explained and yet also barely fleshed out. The logic is very flawed. Control-obsessed government, small struggling minority, main character faces the option of betrayal… basic dystopian. Which is fine if the plot is good, but this was so boring! It felt like 98% of the book was just Tally running around. The ending just sets up for more books (see: Noble Sacrifice) but I'm left so uninterested I don't want to keep reading them.

Bonus: Movie Review (VERY MILD SPOILERS)

I read the book right before watching the movie, and really didn't like either. I didn't think the movie was a terrible adaptation, though, and I appreciated how they condensed a lot of Tally's travels. The actors were too pretty though (at least give them some skin texture/acne! They're teenagers!) especially David.