Pretties continues the story Scott Westerfeld started in Uglies. Set in a dystopic future where everyone gets an operation at age sixteen to make one pretty, teenaged Tally is learning that everything may not be as peaceful as it seems.
When last we left Tally, she and her friend Shay had attempted to evade the authorities and protect the secret location of the Smoke, a settlement where people who refuse the surgery could find refuge.
Pretties opens with Tally and her buddies getting ready for a party. They are extremely happy and "bubbly," all Pretties now, condoning conformity rather than condemning it. How and why did this happen? Readers may be surprised.
Readers who cheered for Tally in Uglies will continue to do so in Pretties. She is sharper in this story than in the previous tale. In fact, "sharper" may be taken literally when she discovers a painful way to reclaim her wits.
Tally must decide whether or not to follow through on the promises and bargains she has made. Not every decision is an easy one, and none of friends will make it through this journey unscathed.
Trilogies often sag in the middle, producing a second book which is not quite as good as the first and not as important as the last. Such is not the case here.
Pretties is more than a mere second step. It is just as fast-paced as Uglies and perhaps even more thought-provoking. It is followed up excellently with Specials, the final book in the trilogy.
