Uglies, Pretties, Specials

Synopsis: In a highly technologically advanced city in a future North America, everyone undergoes a major (even this is an understatement) operation at age 16 to make them "pretty." People are given the same types of features with very little variation; muscles, immune systems, weight, everything is adjusted to fit a kind of stereotype defended by scientific research and dictated by "evolution." But, what happens if someone doesn't want to be pretty?

Given my recent fascination with recognizing and breaking free from the ways in which my cultural assumptions have been inherited from a whole universe of past ideas, this series grabbed my attention from the outset. I liked seeing the characters struggle with the divide between the beliefs they inherit and the experiences that they have that challenge their assumptions about the world and themselves.

I generally liked the trilogy, although there were some disappointing aspects to it as well, many of which came along in the third book, which was my least favorite of the three. Then of course, there is a challenge with sci-fi that I felt these books struggled with. To be really successful, sci-fi has to make the science both unbelievable and incredibly believable at the same time. The science has to be out there enough that it is still beyond the reach of what the reader experiences, but still within conceivable reach of the possible. There were moments where the science in these books faltered on the latter. It walked a fine line between making it fantastic and maintaining it as believable.

That said, I did like the issues that the author raised (although I felt by the end he was kind of force feeding some of his ideas to you and hammering them in to get the point across, which I believe is completely unnecessary in a really well written work - when the ideas come across in a somewhat unconscious and natural manner, I believe, is genius in writing). The ideas and concerns he raises for what a society values are pertinent, and got my brain spinning - always a good sign.

My favorite concept that the reader encounters is that of the effect of individual freedom on societies as a whole and on the individuals within them. When we are allowed to choose our own destinies and we allow others to do the same, we are accepting the fact that people may not make good choices - in fact, they may make choices that have serious repercussions for both themselves, their families, others, and communities at large. The question is, then, is it more important for people to have the ability to choose, or to avoid the negative consequences of the choices they may make? And more importantly, why? I, for one, favor choice. This angle of the story could send me into a whole realm of interesting discussion, but I'll spare you as it could get quite long and involved rather quickly.

"Everyone in the world was programmed by the place they were born, hemmed in by their beliefs, but you had to at least try to grow your own brain." ~from Pretties