Tally Youngblood is the main character in the fantasy book Uglies By Scott Westerfeld who has written 18 novels, five being adult and 13 being young adult.  Scott mainly writes young adult, science fiction, fantasy books.  Uglies was named Best Book for Young Adults 2006 by the American Library Association and is also the first book of a four book series.

The main character's name is Tally. She has a best friend named Paris.  Tally also meets a girl named Shay and a boy named David. In this book, you are an “Ugly” from birth until you are 16 years old. Tally is just three months away from turning 16, becoming a “Pretty” and joining her best friend in New Pretty Town. When Tally breaks into New Pretty Town to see her best friend Paris, she meets a girl named Shay that has a different point of view towards becoming a “Pretty.”

Shay and Tally argue and argue if the “Pretty” surgery is a good idea or not. Eventually Shay tells Tally about a hidden town in the wilderness and asks Tally to go with her. Although Tally doesn't want to go, she is blackmailed by Dr. Cable of the Secret Police. He tells her if she doesn't go find the town, she will never be a “Pretty.” Tally is forced to go find the hidden town which is actually called The Smoke. There she finds Shay and meets a boy named David, who tells her that the surgery is a big mistake. What happens after Tally meets David? Does she end up getting the surgery or does she turn against it and never return home?

One of the themes of this book is that man is always struggling against society.  Tally is put under pressure by the special circumstances to find her friend Shay and turn her in to be able to turn pretty.  In the community that Tally lives in the only way to be socially accepted as pretty is to have surgery to physically change your appearance.  In the book Tally says, “I’m not sure what I am anymore.. Sometimes I think I’m nothing but what other people have done to me-a big collection of brain washing, surgeries, and cures... That, and all the mistakes I’ve made. All the people I’ve disappointed.”  In just that one quote from the book she realizes that she will never be fully socially accepted even if she gets the surgery or not.  Throughout the whole book it expresses how humans constantly battle against what society has set to be socially acceptable.

Another theme of this book is what you look like is not all that matters.  A quote from the book to support this is “What you do, the way you think, makes you beautiful.”  In the book if anything too do with your appearance is pretty you will have friends.  Your personality or anything about you that doesn’t have to do with what you look like does not matter if you have friends or not.

Personally, this book was a very good read. It was interesting, and had enough plot twist to want to keep reading it. The only thing I did not like about this book is that it took longer to get to some of the parts were more interesting than others.  The author could have not taken as much of the book to explain the parts in the book that are not as exciting as other parts.  One day, it should be turned into a movie. I am giving this book a 4 star rank.  The plot was good and detailed, the characters were exciting and captivated my attention. If I could, I would recommend everyone to read this book.