So, after finishing the first two books in this series - Uglies and Pretties, I picked up the third book called Specials. I started reading this book on June 2 and finished it about or so later (can't find the little piece of paper I usually use to track when I start and stop reading). Like the others in this series, Specials picks up right where the last one left off.
Specials finds Tally it's newest member of the kind of rogue and wild subgroup called the Cutters. The Cutters, you guessed it, cut themselves to escape the influence of the brain lesions that cloud their thinking. The Cutters are made Special and are the youngest members of the Specials group. They are tasked with finding and destroying the New Smoke.
As you also can guess, shit hits the fan with this endeavor too. A neighboring city called Diego serves as the home base for the New Smoke, and was never as strict as the hometown of Shay and Tally. On the journey to the New Smoke, many of the Cutters/Specials are captured and they voluntarily take the cure. The are very happy with their lot in life. But somehow, Tally has escaped taking the cure. And, this ends up being helpful. Diego is about to be attacked by Dr. Cable and the Specials. The former Cutter Specials convince Tally to help them defend Diego from this eminent attack.
Of course things go awry and not as planned, and of course shit hits the fan again. Tally gets some semblance of revenge on those who wronged her, and ends up splitting off from her former Pretty Cutter Specials and doing something unexpected.
The book is a quick and easy read. It is entertaining and I enjoyed reading the series. I haven't picked up the fourth book in the series, Extras, but I may check it out from the library sometime.
So, after finishing Uglies by Scott Westerfeld on May 22, I started book 2 in the series, Pretties. I finished Pretties on June 1. This one picks up right where book 1 left off. It's pretty obvious from the title and the cover that Tally and Shay become Pretties. So, I don't think that's too much of a giveaway.
So, here they are, all pretty living on the pretty island going about their pretty and carefree business. They fall in with a clique of people known as the Crims (or criminals) and Tally is waiting to be voted into the group. She meets Zane, the head of the Crims, and is hopelessly infatuated with his gorgeousness. On the night when Tally is voted in at a large and over-the-top pretty party, she notices a somewhat familiar face in the peripheries of the crowd at the party. Upon further investigation, and making chase with the person, she remembers that she does, in fact, know him though how is a bit fuzzy at first. He hands her a letter from herself, and then disappears.
Tally reads the letter and is surprised (sort of) by the contents. The letter sends her on a wild goose chase / scavenger hunt of sorts, with Zane in tow, to figure out what it all means. And, it means a LOT. Fast forward a little, and the Crims decide to start pulling some very un-typical non-pretty shenanigans on the Pretty Island in large part due to the letter to Tally from Tally. The Crims start to get a cult-like following.
But, of course, all isn't pretty in pretty town, and some shit hits the fan in a number of ways. I won't go into that here, but there are some grand adventures, close calls, interesting revelations - all make for good reading.
Yes, these books are categorized young adult literature, but I think a person of any age can enjoy them. These books are entertaining and fast reads. I enjoyed them enough to immediately start book 3 in the series, Specials. My co-worker didn't give me the 4th book, so I'll need to check that one out from the library when the time comes. Until next time...
