Module #8 Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Westerfeld, Scott. Uglies. New York : Simon Pulse, 2005.
Summary: Tally Youngblood lives in a future world were everyone upon turning 16 undergoes an operation to make them physically perfect or "pretty." Anyone who has not yet undergone the surgery is called an "Ugly" and those who have are called a "Pretty." Tally cannot wait to be a "Pretty" and live in New Pretty Town with the rest of her older friends. Then Tally meets another Ugly named Shay who doesn't care about being pretty and wants to leave behind the city forever. Tally's life gets complicated when she is sent to retrieve Shay from the outsiders secret city. Tally learns that being pretty comes at a high cost and her world and priorities change forever.
Tattered Cover says: Fantastic book! Uglies had me turning pages all night long. It is a mesmorizing world of perfection and abundance. Some of the self asborbtion and obsession with appearance hit close to home. A great read for teenagers or adults!
How to use this in a library: Uglies would be great to use to compare with current events. Using advertisements and gossip magazines, students will have a blast making comparisons to the fictional world of New Pretty Town. The consequences of the obsession with beauty and judging people by their appearances can be discussed.
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