All the Things

A blog by Holly Papa.

Specials by Scott Westerfeld, book three in the Uglies Series

by | Mar 11, 2009 | Blog | 10 comments

****Beware – Spoilers below****

At the end of book two, Tally is betrayed by her best friend Shay and turned into a Cutter, a young Special. Under the leadership of Shay, Tally learns to use her weapon-grade body to tame and shape the world around her. Eventually, though, Tally once again re-wires her mind to think outside the brain lesions. I appreciated the care that Tally took of her former friends, despite the fact that being a Special made them repulsive to her, and did I mention the mandate to destroy the New Smoke? Oh the arrogance of superiority and pride! I found myself liking Tally less and less and then more and more. I was shocked by the lengths Special Circumstances would go to to preserve what they felt was a justified ‘utopia’. As well as the things Shay would do to trick once she felt that she was better than everyone.


Tally’s decision in the end I felt was a little abrupt, although it made perfect sense. I just really would have liked to hear a little more of Tally and David’s conversation- but that’s probably the romantic in me. What would it have been like to be a fly on the wall in the Rusty Ruins as they made their plans, and Tally explained to David what solitary confinement had clarified for her? Um, yeah. “Light, Light, I see light, bzzzzt!” That’s all I’d care about if I were a fly on the wall. I guess I’ll just have to make up the conversation myself. I was rooting for David the whole time anyway. Who did you like better, David or Zane? I liked them both, I just felt like Tally filled the emptiness of David being gone subconsciously with Zane. I was surprised that she stuck it out with Zane so long- not because of his injuries, but just because in my world I wanted her to remember her love for David and not let anything stand in the way. I guess that just goes to show I’m not the author.


I was a little disapointed to find out that this is the last of the series, but apparently there is a 4th, Extra’s, although it’s not exactly the same characters- more on that in the review coming soon. I appreciate Scott Westerfeld’s ability to create a whole new world and make it so believable. It sure would be a kick to visit Tally’s future! Thanks for a great read!

10 Comments

  1. Suey

    I liked them both too, but I leaned more towards David. Fun series!

    Reply
  2. Kailana

    I am glad there was a fourth book. I was a bit worried about the character change, but it all worked out. In the end I enjoyed the entire series… Sometime in this century I will get around to reviewing book three and four…

    Reply
  3. Sharon

    I have awarded you an I Love Your Blog award. (See details at my blog.) I really enjoy reading your blog. I’ve been relucant to read the Uglies series, but maybe I’ll change my mind.

    Reply
  4. kaseyheinly

    I really enjoyed the series, too, though I’m a weirdo and I liked Zane better than David. 😀 If you haven’t already, check out Scott Westerfield’s So Yesterday. Great stuff. Totally different type of story, but really an engaging read.

    Reply
  5. holly

    Suey- I’m glad you liked David too, and yes it is a fun series!

    Kailana- I agree about the 4th book and your assessment of the character change. I can’t seem to find my review that I already did (at least I thought I did) on the 4th and I already returned the book, so we’ll see when I get around to posting one.

    Sharon- Thanks for the award! We enjoy your blog too. We’ll have to get started on whittling down the top picks for us.

    kaseyheinly- So why do you like Zane better? My reason for liking David is that Tally fell in love with him when she wasn’t pretty and didn’t have the ‘pretty’ factor influencing her so much. I’ll have to check out So Yesterday- thanks for the idea!

    Reply
  6. Laura H

    Hmmm.. I read the series too and I heard about Extra’s but didnt know if it was worth my time.

    Reply
  7. hollybookscoops

    Laura H- I haven’t posted my review of Extras- I don’t even remember if I wrote it yet, I’ll have to check. But, as long as you understand the characters aren’t the same, and it’s another part of the same world, I think it’s a good read. I think it’s disappointing to some if they are expecting the continuation of the Tally Youngblood story.

    Reply
  8. trina.

    All I wanna know is what happened to Zane once the third book came around?

    Reply
  9. rae

    I loved these books i thought they were all amazing!!! my favorite boy would have to be David.

    Reply
  10. malia

    i loved all three books.. i didnt really like extras.. my favoirite boy is zane:) sad to see him die.. it made me cry:(

    Reply

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