Pretties

This is the second book in the Uglies trilogy, and while I found myself disappointed at the decisions that had to be made at the end of Uglies, I liked that even though Tally had to give in for the better good, there was still a strong part of her self awareness that survived the great surge. When it starts out, it is a bit frustrating because she seems to be just like every other Pretty, but after a good party crash and some help from a new cute guy, she is able to remember more of what her life was like while being an Ugly and her time at the Smoke.

I appreciate the fact that she still has feelings of concern for others, still is aware of right and wrong and still has a desire to do something to change anything even though she is not sure how. I thought this one was a well written as the first, throwing in some surprises that I just didn't expect and giving her the chance to show her courage again. I liked that while Tally had to do what was expected of her by society, she didn't continue with surges, adding and constantly changing her appearance with the newest trends. I think that Westerfeld has again written a story to help adolescent girls understand the importance of staying true to oneself even when the rest of the world thinks you're ridiculous. If you liked the first, you will enjoy the second.