On the skin tone part: that was just in her city, and her city was the most strict on its guidelines, but the rest of the world had its own guidelines per city and a lot of places were actually really diverse and different skin tones were very attractive in different areas. Also, in the fourth book(Extras) it’s set in Japan so everyone in that city is Asian and has very Asian features, except for the Extras. And also, a lot of the clichés in this series weren’t at the time because the genre was still pretty new and Scott Westerfeld had some pretty groundbreaking ideas that he used in his books that alot of others authors ran with and thus became clichés
I remember loving these books, especially the second one because I just wanted to live in their world and be a pretty so bad. I remember wanting there to be less conflict in the book just so I could immerse myself in their fun pretty world more, even though there was an inherent emptiness to it. How fucked is that, because i was totally down even though i knew it messed with their brains 😭 I also specifically remember the word bubbly being mentioned A LOT and I remember she could talk to the walls and they would give her whatever she wanted??
I just read the second one and they did say "bubbly", "brain-missing (basically a brain fart)", and "bogus" SO MUCH. And the walls can't give her anything, but almost everything.
"On a basic level...this series made no sense" XD for some reason that line made me laugh, the delivery was too funny Imo the beauty standard in the books was supposed to racist and exclusive, that's kinda how beauty standards are in our world as well (hence the popularity of skin whitening, hair relaxing, double eyelid surgery etc particularly in places that were colonised by European countries). Tho I guess the beauty standard is a bit more ethnically ambiguous now, for example the "Instagram face" includes big lips and tan skin (much more than than before). But back when Westerfeld wrote the books there wasn't as much diversity in Hollywood and popular culture so I think he was trying to give a commentary on why the concept of an ideal beauty, which rests on exclusivity which is glamourised by our culture normally, would also be exclusive in a less-savoury way (white supremacist)
That's a really good point! I think Westerfeld was close to hitting that point but still fell short. As readers, we may be able to recognize the toxicity of beauty standards based solely on traditional European features, but I think that since no one in the books recognized that lack of diversity and there wasn't any commentary on the problem, the moral was missed. Again, could just be my opinion (and it could be that the commentary was there and I forgot). But that's a really good reminder that Hollywood was super whitewashed at the time that the Uglies series was written! I appreciate your comment on that element! (Also, glad you enjoyed my dry humor in the vid, haha!)
Even in today's society facial recognition and other forms of AI show preferential treatment. I think this series did touch on racism as well as classism but did so more subtly. You didn't get to be part of society, you would be denied access to jobs and education based on the way you look. Even in jobs like the specials you had to look different than other people. You weren't allowed many avenues of self-identity or expression. It even got to the point of people who didn't look the way society wanted them to had to run and hide. They would be hunted down and killed based on appearance.
They ever to jobs and economy a little. Most people are hand picked and recruited to job fields like the specials and doctors. Others don't start until they are middles. They have underground factories. I also assumed by the disappearance of people where the surgery didn't take that there was a slave society somewhere. Regardless many jobs are mentioned. This is just a post-scarcity world.
To explain. There really isn’t an “economy” in this society. In the books the government provides everything for their citizens in abundance. People don’t have to work or earn money because the government provides literally everything for it’s citizens. That’s why they just party all the time. As the pretties get older they do learn certain skills that contribute to the society but it’s not like a real job. It’s just something to keep them busy. It’s like luxury communism.
Totally makes sense! That's a really good way of putting it. And I suppose that since the Pretties all have brain lesions, they aren't worried about fulfilment and self-growth. They were just looking for the next best rush. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! :)
At 10:03 I was pretty confident that the book states that you're a pretty for like 2-5 years, and then you get another operation which turns you into like an adult and the operation is specialized to your career.
Let me help everybody here. The contents of this sci-fi dystopian series is not black and white. The main character very much suffers from the human condition and is not meant to be a hero. She's incredibly flawed and like many teens is a slave to her wants and emotions. This series gets you thinking about many things such as ideas, technology, economy, politics, culture, friendship, emotion, love, loyalty, social structure, and how they all may effect each other. The series covers ideas, actions, and structures that are for a mature thoughtful audience. Those who lack the maturity and thoughtfulness to process said ideas and actions will refer to them as "problematic". Although some aspects in this book are straightforward. Many others require you to use inferences and context clues to really understand the world that Tally, Shay, and David are living in.
i love this series but they say the r slur to describe normal things sometimes???😭 literally what… and tally’s relationship with david just seemed so rushed and it didn’t seem like her affection for her was returned to him? she just didn’t seem like she even liked him and shay got soooo jealous for no reason
She whispers about her twilight phase in shame not realizing that the twilight renaissance was going on when this video was posted and is still going on right now where everyone is rereading the twilight series currently 😂😂
Haha! Seriously though! Yeah, it made me laugh when Midnight Sun came out last summer, and everyone was doing a Twilight reread. This whole experience reminded me that I'm not ready to devote that kind of energy to rereading the dumpster fire that was the Twilight saga 😂
my most vivid memory of this series was the fun technologies. I didn't really give a damn about the characters and whatever message or metaphor the scenario/society was meant to represent either went over my head or was done so poorly it ended up making no sense. However, that thermos/water purifier/spaghetti cooker thing? I STILL THINK OFTEN ABOUT HOW MUCH I WANT ONE ALL THESE YEARS LATER. And the hoverboards were fun! I really enjoyed this review, thank you! I'm glad I never got into this series too seriously when I was younger, geez.
The US military has cookers like that in the MRE's (Meal Ready to Eat). It's a plastic bag that heats up your food packets when water is added. I forget what it's called though.
I’d like to point out that although they don’t start careers until they’re 30 they generally live to be 100+ years old easily. So they could go back to school and have plenty of time to work. I blame the onslaught of “you stole my boyfriend” partly on Scott being a man and his unconscious biases of what teenage girls would find unforgivable. The R word being dropped repeatedly totally took me out of the story.
this series is what got me truly into reading> we had choices in school for books and tests on each book. i never cared much on reading until this series. i have alot of heart for this series and i believe its brought alot of ppl into reading. she definitely missed out on alot of the nuance of the story and the perspective of literally the main character. its a distopian society thats taken care of and she doesnt understand the concept at all. she mentions its racist and i believe anyone thats read this never wouls have thought anything of it. she going straight valley girl style ... pretty trickyyyy
Thank you so much for this review! I was obsessed and in love with this series as a teen. It brought so much nostalgia as well as a lot of cringe moments that I now realize as an adult. I was thinking of rereading it but you’ve deterred me from it, which is a good thing lol! My mind is waaay different and mature now then when I was 13.
I honestly loved the first 2 books (other than the cutting), it was really fun and just felt like such a good mix of bright and happy and looming darkness. The world feels like it works throughout all the small details (some of which I think you missed because the partying is explained), and the childish drama and words felt real considering they were stupid 16-year-olds. But the last book (as well as the formentioned scene) was horrible, it was super triggering for someone with a bad past and I did not exspect to get it described in so much detail. It almost sent me into a relapes and I had to stop reading every few miniutes due to how bad it was. It also felt weird that tally didn't want to go back to normal? I mean the whole series was ment to be about loving self beauty and being happy in yourself but then tally decides to stay as the monster she was turned into? She never even says cutting is bad beyond Zane not wanting her too, I mean she almost does it in one of the last chapters? Then after everything she goes back to david but they decide to run away? It just felt like that wasn't tally, that she was still some monster. I think what makes it more horrible is that it's really well written, you can imagine very easily how horrifying it is and it just feels really bad for a book marketed towards teenagers.
Hey there! Sorry for the delayed response. This past month has been crazy. Thanks so much for your thoughtful response! You make some great points. I agree! There was a lot of opportunity for this book series to be an empowering read for teenagers, especially teenage girls, and it felt like the author really missed the mark. It's especially interesting to read the series as an adult, almost 15 years after its release and to see how attitudes have changed in regard to the themes the author presents. I also am sad to hear how triggering this book was for you. As I read it, I worried it would be triggering to many for the self-harm aspects. I think that if this book was written today, that aspect wouldn't have been published, or it would have at least had a trigger warning at the start of the book. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts! I appreciate it! :)
Darn it, I can't find a picture of it online! It's so interesting how different book covers look in each country. Some are definitely better than others.
@@madisonsreadingcorner So I’m many months late but they are indeed even weirder 😳 2.bp.blogspot.com/-0AGCd0Q_CwU/UpeiRz3q2qI/AAAAAAAAASM/Y5-0DjUpGO4/s1600/Brzydcy_Scott-Westerfeld,images_big,25,978-83-237-8462-3.jpg
I really appreciate this review. I’m right with you up to the end of book 2. I was REALLY not sure if I wanted to read book 3. I was leaning “no” but thought maybe I should just because I hate quitting mid-series. But I’m thinking I won’t waste my time with Specials now. Thanks for saving me 10 hours of my life!! 😁
When I was in middle school I was OBSESSED with this series but during the same time I started cutting myself not because I wanted to feel pain but just because I wanted too and I am so not surprised if this series is a reason for that
i'm glad this exists bc as a trans guy this book FUCKED ME UP as a kid. it directly contributed to me cutting, including in locations mentioned in the book. christ, this is bringing back so many memories already... HELP
Can you tell me about the two main character’s name? I’m supposed to complete an assignment by this Friday but I still don’t access to the book and my teacher doesn’t know.
Oh no! I'm sorry to hear that this book was so traumatizing for you as a kid. This book was a mess for binary individuals, but I'm sure it was even more challenging for those in the transgender community. The Uglies series really glorifies only one specific kind of beauty and handled topics like trauma, mental illness, cutting, societal expectations, etc. in such an awful way. I hope you're emotionally in a better place now. No one should have to feel such heartache from a book, especially when they're young. Wishing you all the best! :)
I got a box set of these books when I was in like junior high (so like 2013) and I put it down after I read the first one because it was just... so boring and shallow. I think that was one of the first book series I actually refused to finish. About a year later I had an acquaintance who was obsessed with them and I lent her my copy of the book she hadn't read yet, and that was the sum total of my engagement with this series. Since then I don't think I've even thought about it until now, so thanks for bringing those bland, bland memories to the forefront of my brain. I got the sense that "Uglies" was really just written for girls my age that already had a specific set of self-esteem issues. Which is great, I'm glad that girls who were going through those problems had that series along with other resources to comfort them, it just didn't resonate with me (in junior high and high school I was actually insecure about not embodying this masculine vision of androgyny I had in my head, so the theme of "I'm very insecure because all the girls around me are so beautiful, but I'm plain and therefore ugly by comparison" that was common in a lot of books with girl protagonists written for my age group never clicked with me. Then in college I realized I was nonbinary and went "OHHHH, so my obsession with embodying what I saw as the 'opposite' of my sex, including the parts that stressed me out or that I didn't actually care for, stemmed from a recognition that my gender identity simply does not line up with what was assigned to me at birth, and there really aren't any rules attached to that feeling" and immediately felt a billion times more comfortable with myself presenting and moving through the world in any fashion I pleased lmao). Have you ever heard of the "Wake" trilogy by Lisa McMann? That was a YA series I remembered really liking, but my tastes were also very questionable and I think I was mostly just curious because it was one of the first times I had ever encountered a sex scene in a book (even if it was just a fade-to-black affair). I would love to see how those bad lads aged lol
Omg you have exactly formulated my issues with this series! Actually, I never thought so much of the economy lmao but now that you mention it, it doesn't make any sense. Oh God, I absolutely hated the "pretty slang" too. I honestly just could not. The cutting was just sooooo problematic for me, especially because it was never really addressed properly. I mean, I get it as a plot device to some extent, but it just was not handled well AT ALL. it really does glorify self-harm, period. The stupid love drama annoyed me so so much too. I actually had so much hope for Tally/Shay's relationship, but I just could NOT anymore after a while. Thank you so much for posting this review, it's basically exactly the rant I needed because it was exactly what I was thinking when I read it haha
Hey there! Sorry for the slow response- life has been busy lately! But thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with me. I'm so glad to hear that there are other people out there who were bothered by the series! I honestly was so worried when I put this video up- I was nervous that there would be a bunch of people angry that I disliked a beloved series. I'm glad to hear that you liked my review and it satisfied your need for a rant about The Uglies! :)
Thanks for youe honest review. I was always curious about the series aince my library had an incomplete collection of the books i figured theyd be good but im glad you have valid points about rhe book not holding up over time, esp as an adult.
"quarentine does weird things to us" haha yeah, i laugh. then look at the upload date, and cry. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA THIS PLAGUE IS GETTING PRETTY OLD
I always wanted to read this book as a teen. I never did for some reason. I bought the book a few years back thinking I would read it. As a 29 year old mom I don’t like to read in a teen perspective anymore. So thank you so much for the review so I don’t have to read the series! Sounds very high school. Interesting concept though.
Tally was against cutting the first time she saw it. Shay always seen as wrong. The only ones that supported it were "crazy" and wrong needing to be helped. I could see a surface view glorifying it, but even the special doctor looked at Tally with disgust.
Great vid! I kinda enjoyed the first two books when I was 13, but I remember the specials book had weird vibes to it. I couldn't remember much about it, that's why I'm here! They're making a netlfix movie, god help us all, maybe this will get tons of views when it comes out.
I recently had the urge to reread Uglies, and then watched your review. I feel the first book is still a really fun page-turner, but I agree the second and especially the third books are just bad. The "cutting" aspect, as you said, is just tasteless and adds nothing to the story and the pretties' dialogue is just so grating. The setup for this series was great, but the author seems to have no idea what to really do with it. Have you read the 4th book (Extras)? It's actually a lot better and redeems the series a bit. There's apparently a new trilogy out now too?? I'm cautiously intrigued...
You're right- the first book had an element of surprise, but after that, it went downhill (as many YA trilogies do). I haven't read Extras yet. By the time I finished the trilogy, I was too exhausted by that world to continue! I also didn't know there was a new trilogy. I'll have to check out some reviews on that. If you do end up reading the new trilogy, let me know how it is! I'm intrigued to see if his writing has changed!
You're talking of the "Imposters" Series. I just finished the 4th Book, "Youngbloods", and I was very happy with how it all played out. These 4 new books are 20 years after the end of Extras, as well as follows all new Characters and the likes, but hints at the Uglies books as a building block. I'd highly recommend reading the Imposter series
I remembered the series being pretty cringe in retrospect but i COMPLETELY blocked out the whole 'cutting' issue in the later novels; for good reason too. I'm pretty sure it either made me view my self harm in a more glorified way or might have even been a big factor in why it started/got worse in my formative years. Oof.
I mean yeah sure you're not the target demographic, but like most of the plot points you brought up are explained throughout the series, you know if you'd actually bothered to read it You’re entitled to your opinion but maybe don’t do a review on the book series if you haven’t bothered to read it
With nothing better to do, I just finished listening to the second book in this series. I absolutely lost my mind at the r-slur for the exact same reasons you listed. It wasn’t a consistent issue, but the very fact that it there was WILD.
@@madisonsreadingcorner I honestly forgot about so many parts until I watched your review. You did a great job on this video. I agree with everything you said and I’m tired of the ugly duckling trope.
I read the first book and I kinda liked it, but don't really feel like continuing on with the series. I definitely don't feel like I'm the target audience as a 26yo guy anyway.
I'm just coming here to find out if Tally and Shay ended up together or something. Considering this is a YA novel I didn't have much hope for that happening, but it sucks to know that I was proved right. I just started the first book and they just had so much chemistry and it really got my hopes up, since I'm wow myself, I feel like I'm always looking for representation and legitimately wholesome wlw relationships. Especially in YA novels. This is a brain dump I know, but it's just really disappointing.
I totally agree! Tally and Shay had a lot of chemistry, and I think if the series had been written today, rather than 15 years ago, we would have had the opportunity to see that come through! It's really encouraging that I'm starting to see more representation coming into YA novels nowadays. I recently read You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson (totally different YA genre than the Uglies), but the main character is a Black woman in the process of coming out and having her first real relationship. Totally wholesome, super cute relationship, relatable content. So if you haven't read that one, I'd recommend it! :)
I’m re reading it now and I am also wlw and honestly can’t believe I didn’t ship / think they would be a thing back in middle school I 100% can’t un see the connection now
Right?! Yeah, the slang and strange terminologies in the series were so weird! It reminded me of the cringy way they spoke in the Maze Runner series! The Uglies series definitely was one that didn't age well.
Also she normally calls him Andrew after the first introduction. I believe the point of the name is that those names would be considered ancient at that time. Tally thought the name David was weird bc ppl aren't named normal things anymore. It all was actually pretty fitting to match the rest of the fantasy world
So I enjoyed the series as a nostalgia trip since I read it in 2005 but it is very problematic today. I'm still on the Scott Westerfeld under the name Tally-wa. So much cringe now...
@@handmaidentodeath6164 Ah, good ole Tally-wa! Haha! But I totally understand where you're coming from. I think if I'd read the full series when I was younger, and then reread it today, I'd have more nostalgia to cling to. But as a first-time read, it was so hard for me to ignore the problematic stuff. It's fascinating to think how different the series would be if it were written today.
my major problem was how shoved down your throat the message and the authors opinions on certain topics were. like we get it, everybody is unique and pretty in their own way and you think politicians and celebs are ugly. you could have at least made it subtle.
I read the first book book I was about 12 and I remember loving it, so I ordered the whole series this quarentine because I got back into reading and I have to say, while I didn't love it as much, because I'm obviously not a teen anymore and times have changed, so some of the conversations on beauty standards and stuff have changed, it was my favorite book of the series. I did love how it was so dystopian that you basically didn't have to do anything after high school, because that's the way I think it should be...I think we're smart enough and deep down peaceful enough, to live in a world where nobody has to work so I really loved that about it; however, I think it started getting progressively worse after the 1st book. I hated the relationship thing because with David, I just didn't feel the connection there, and with Shay it was just like come on, either be friends or don't. Also, in the latter 3 books, I swear, half of the story is literally talking about hooverboards and hooverboard chases and rides and fixing hooverboards and I'm not one that is particularly into mechanical things or action scenes, so that really started to wear on me. I just was kind of dissapointed because I feel like the world the author set up in the 1st book had so much potential!! I almost wonder if it would have been better if he waited a year or 2 at least between books because it seems like maybe he just tried to crank out a bunch of sequels after the success of the 1st one, without much thought or cohesiveness. Dr. Cables end was so lackluster and just bizarre, it all happened so fast. And in regards to Zane dying, I think it either could have been written in a different way or shouldn't have happened at all. Maybe it's because I'm in my 20s now and the lens I'm looking through is just so different, but yeah I just wish it would have gone in a different direction and I really hope if they actually do make a movie or series like they say they're going to, they twist a couple things a bit to make it a little better and maybe fit today's narrative a little more cohesively- while still upholding the main theme of beauty isn't everything, but it truly does make some people's lives easier, and also to stand up to authority or just for what you believe in. I dont know if you read the 4th book- The Extras, but I would say, minus the hooverboard talk because of course there's a lot of it- it was my 2nd favorite because it was more of a stand alone and has a commentary about fame and social media/news in a way that I think was actually really good and I was actually surprised because it pretty much accurately depicts like fame and tiktokers or just social media influencers...and I think it was before like vine and youtube and stuff really took off so, I reccomend reading that one too if you have time/are bored! (Like I said, it's not amazing but I think it's second best to the 1st book) Overall, I agree with most of the things you said about the story not being super put together and pretty much all of the relationships are annoying, but I did find it pretty enjoyable to go back and revisit, especially with not much to do at the moment 🤣 Thanks for your in depth commentary! Really enjoyed it and I wish I could find more people talking about this series but it doesn't seem to have held up through time, (not super surprised), but yeah I can't wait for the TV adaption and hope it goes somewhere a little better!!
I love this! Such a great response! Yes, this book series absolutely had SO much potential, but we were all let down by the direction it took (especially looking at it as an adult in the 2020s. It definitely is interesting to see how societal changes since this book's release have dated the content and made many aspects problematic in nature. I'll have to check out the 4th book to give it a shot! By the time I finished the 3rd book, I was so fed up with it all, that I couldn't bring myself to read Extras. Now that some time has passed, I'm intrigued to see the commentary on that world's societal aspects. Thanks for the recommendation! :) Here's to hoping the Netflix adaptation takes notes and makes some adjustments to suit the times!
On the skin tone part: that was just in her city, and her city was the most strict on its guidelines, but the rest of the world had its own guidelines per city and a lot of places were actually really diverse and different skin tones were very attractive in different areas. Also, in the fourth book(Extras) it’s set in Japan so everyone in that city is Asian and has very Asian features, except for the Extras. And also, a lot of the clichés in this series weren’t at the time because the genre was still pretty new and Scott Westerfeld had some pretty groundbreaking ideas that he used in his books that alot of others authors ran with and thus became clichés
Can you share some other authors and books that ripped off pages from Uglies
I remember loving these books, especially the second one because I just wanted to live in their world and be a pretty so bad. I remember wanting there to be less conflict in the book just so I could immerse myself in their fun pretty world more, even though there was an inherent emptiness to it. How fucked is that, because i was totally down even though i knew it messed with their brains 😭
I also specifically remember the word bubbly being mentioned A LOT and I remember she could talk to the walls and they would give her whatever she wanted??
No same though
I just read the second one and they did say "bubbly", "brain-missing (basically a brain fart)", and "bogus" SO MUCH. And the walls can't give her anything, but almost everything.
Someone said Bubbly and Bogus is just Based and Cringe but in the future
Shay at the end of Pretties: This is my revenge for you stealing David from me!
Also her a novel ago: I don’t care about him anymore lol
"On a basic level...this series made no sense" XD for some reason that line made me laugh, the delivery was too funny
Imo the beauty standard in the books was supposed to racist and exclusive, that's kinda how beauty standards are in our world as well (hence the popularity of skin whitening, hair relaxing, double eyelid surgery etc particularly in places that were colonised by European countries). Tho I guess the beauty standard is a bit more ethnically ambiguous now, for example the "Instagram face" includes big lips and tan skin (much more than than before). But back when Westerfeld wrote the books there wasn't as much diversity in Hollywood and popular culture so I think he was trying to give a commentary on why the concept of an ideal beauty, which rests on exclusivity which is glamourised by our culture normally, would also be exclusive in a less-savoury way (white supremacist)
That's a really good point! I think Westerfeld was close to hitting that point but still fell short. As readers, we may be able to recognize the toxicity of beauty standards based solely on traditional European features, but I think that since no one in the books recognized that lack of diversity and there wasn't any commentary on the problem, the moral was missed. Again, could just be my opinion (and it could be that the commentary was there and I forgot). But that's a really good reminder that Hollywood was super whitewashed at the time that the Uglies series was written! I appreciate your comment on that element! (Also, glad you enjoyed my dry humor in the vid, haha!)
Even in today's society facial recognition and other forms of AI show preferential treatment.
I think this series did touch on racism as well as classism but did so more subtly. You didn't get to be part of society, you would be denied access to jobs and education based on the way you look. Even in jobs like the specials you had to look different than other people. You weren't allowed many avenues of self-identity or expression. It even got to the point of people who didn't look the way society wanted them to had to run and hide. They would be hunted down and killed based on appearance.
They ever to jobs and economy a little. Most people are hand picked and recruited to job fields like the specials and doctors. Others don't start until they are middles. They have underground factories. I also assumed by the disappearance of people where the surgery didn't take that there was a slave society somewhere. Regardless many jobs are mentioned. This is just a post-scarcity world.
To explain. There really isn’t an “economy” in this society. In the books the government provides everything for their citizens in abundance. People don’t have to work or earn money because the government provides literally everything for it’s citizens. That’s why they just party all the time. As the pretties get older they do learn certain skills that contribute to the society but it’s not like a real job. It’s just something to keep them busy. It’s like luxury communism.
Totally makes sense! That's a really good way of putting it. And I suppose that since the Pretties all have brain lesions, they aren't worried about fulfilment and self-growth. They were just looking for the next best rush. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! :)
At 10:03 I was pretty confident that the book states that you're a pretty for like 2-5 years, and then you get another operation which turns you into like an adult and the operation is specialized to your career.
Partially right. You are a new pretty from like 16-25 and then at 25 you become a middle pretty and get a job. Still a pretty but a different kind.
in my personal opinion this series was so hard to get through and felt like a chore to read.. even though i was reading with my own free will
Let me help everybody here.
The contents of this sci-fi dystopian series is not black and white. The main character very much suffers from the human condition and is not meant to be a hero. She's incredibly flawed and like many teens is a slave to her wants and emotions. This series gets you thinking about many things such as ideas, technology, economy, politics, culture, friendship, emotion, love, loyalty, social structure, and how they all may effect each other. The series covers ideas, actions, and structures that are for a mature thoughtful audience. Those who lack the maturity and thoughtfulness to process said ideas and actions will refer to them as "problematic".
Although some aspects in this book are straightforward. Many others require you to use inferences and context clues to really understand the world that Tally, Shay, and David are living in.
i love this series but they say the r slur to describe normal things sometimes???😭 literally what… and tally’s relationship with david just seemed so rushed and it didn’t seem like her affection for her was returned to him? she just didn’t seem like she even liked him and shay got soooo jealous for no reason
Yes I swear she had way more compatibility to Zane 😭
She whispers about her twilight phase in shame not realizing that the twilight renaissance was going on when this video was posted and is still going on right now where everyone is rereading the twilight series currently 😂😂
Haha! Seriously though! Yeah, it made me laugh when Midnight Sun came out last summer, and everyone was doing a Twilight reread. This whole experience reminded me that I'm not ready to devote that kind of energy to rereading the dumpster fire that was the Twilight saga 😂
my most vivid memory of this series was the fun technologies. I didn't really give a damn about the characters and whatever message or metaphor the scenario/society was meant to represent either went over my head or was done so poorly it ended up making no sense. However, that thermos/water purifier/spaghetti cooker thing? I STILL THINK OFTEN ABOUT HOW MUCH I WANT ONE ALL THESE YEARS LATER. And the hoverboards were fun!
I really enjoyed this review, thank you! I'm glad I never got into this series too seriously when I was younger, geez.
i remember that contraption now that you mention it! I can see it so clear like a movie lol
For real the tech world building was what captivated me most, not all the drama.
The US military has cookers like that in the MRE's (Meal Ready to Eat). It's a plastic bag that heats up your food packets when water is added. I forget what it's called though.
I’d like to point out that although they don’t start careers until they’re 30 they generally live to be 100+ years old easily. So they could go back to school and have plenty of time to work.
I blame the onslaught of “you stole my boyfriend” partly on Scott being a man and his unconscious biases of what teenage girls would find unforgivable.
The R word being dropped repeatedly totally took me out of the story.
this series is what got me truly into reading> we had choices in school for books and tests on each book. i never cared much on reading until this series. i have alot of heart for this series and i believe its brought alot of ppl into reading. she definitely missed out on alot of the nuance of the story and the perspective of literally the main character. its a distopian society thats taken care of and she doesnt understand the concept at all. she mentions its racist and i believe anyone thats read this never wouls have thought anything of it. she going straight valley girl style
... pretty trickyyyy
Thank you so much for this review! I was obsessed and in love with this series as a teen. It brought so much nostalgia as well as a lot of cringe moments that I now realize as an adult. I was thinking of rereading it but you’ve deterred me from it, which is a good thing lol! My mind is waaay different and mature now then when I was 13.
You should definitely read it again. Based on most of these comments many readers aren't understanding the concepts and ideas in the series.
I honestly loved the first 2 books (other than the cutting), it was really fun and just felt like such a good mix of bright and happy and looming darkness. The world feels like it works throughout all the small details (some of which I think you missed because the partying is explained), and the childish drama and words felt real considering they were stupid 16-year-olds. But the last book (as well as the formentioned scene) was horrible, it was super triggering for someone with a bad past and I did not exspect to get it described in so much detail. It almost sent me into a relapes and I had to stop reading every few miniutes due to how bad it was. It also felt weird that tally didn't want to go back to normal? I mean the whole series was ment to be about loving self beauty and being happy in yourself but then tally decides to stay as the monster she was turned into? She never even says cutting is bad beyond Zane not wanting her too, I mean she almost does it in one of the last chapters? Then after everything she goes back to david but they decide to run away? It just felt like that wasn't tally, that she was still some monster. I think what makes it more horrible is that it's really well written, you can imagine very easily how horrifying it is and it just feels really bad for a book marketed towards teenagers.
Hey there! Sorry for the delayed response. This past month has been crazy. Thanks so much for your thoughtful response! You make some great points. I agree! There was a lot of opportunity for this book series to be an empowering read for teenagers, especially teenage girls, and it felt like the author really missed the mark. It's especially interesting to read the series as an adult, almost 15 years after its release and to see how attitudes have changed in regard to the themes the author presents. I also am sad to hear how triggering this book was for you. As I read it, I worried it would be triggering to many for the self-harm aspects. I think that if this book was written today, that aspect wouldn't have been published, or it would have at least had a trigger warning at the start of the book.
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts! I appreciate it! :)
"Weird book covers" girl you should see the covers for the Polish edition
Darn it, I can't find a picture of it online! It's so interesting how different book covers look in each country. Some are definitely better than others.
@@madisonsreadingcorner So I’m many months late but they are indeed even weirder 😳 2.bp.blogspot.com/-0AGCd0Q_CwU/UpeiRz3q2qI/AAAAAAAAASM/Y5-0DjUpGO4/s1600/Brzydcy_Scott-Westerfeld,images_big,25,978-83-237-8462-3.jpg
I really appreciate this review. I’m right with you up to the end of book 2. I was REALLY not sure if I wanted to read book 3. I was leaning “no” but thought maybe I should just because I hate quitting mid-series. But I’m thinking I won’t waste my time with Specials now. Thanks for saving me 10 hours of my life!! 😁
When I was in middle school I was OBSESSED with this series but during the same time I started cutting myself not because I wanted to feel pain but just because I wanted too and I am so not surprised if this series is a reason for that
i'm glad this exists bc as a trans guy this book FUCKED ME UP as a kid. it directly contributed to me cutting, including in locations mentioned in the book. christ, this is bringing back so many memories already... HELP
Can you tell me about the two main character’s name? I’m supposed to complete an assignment by this Friday but I still don’t access to the book and my teacher doesn’t know.
@@Lily-ow5wm Hey, sorry for the slow response! The main characters in the first book are Tally and Shay.
Oh no! I'm sorry to hear that this book was so traumatizing for you as a kid. This book was a mess for binary individuals, but I'm sure it was even more challenging for those in the transgender community. The Uglies series really glorifies only one specific kind of beauty and handled topics like trauma, mental illness, cutting, societal expectations, etc. in such an awful way. I hope you're emotionally in a better place now. No one should have to feel such heartache from a book, especially when they're young. Wishing you all the best! :)
I got a box set of these books when I was in like junior high (so like 2013) and I put it down after I read the first one because it was just... so boring and shallow. I think that was one of the first book series I actually refused to finish.
About a year later I had an acquaintance who was obsessed with them and I lent her my copy of the book she hadn't read yet, and that was the sum total of my engagement with this series. Since then I don't think I've even thought about it until now, so thanks for bringing those bland, bland memories to the forefront of my brain.
I got the sense that "Uglies" was really just written for girls my age that already had a specific set of self-esteem issues. Which is great, I'm glad that girls who were going through those problems had that series along with other resources to comfort them, it just didn't resonate with me (in junior high and high school I was actually insecure about not embodying this masculine vision of androgyny I had in my head, so the theme of "I'm very insecure because all the girls around me are so beautiful, but I'm plain and therefore ugly by comparison" that was common in a lot of books with girl protagonists written for my age group never clicked with me. Then in college I realized I was nonbinary and went "OHHHH, so my obsession with embodying what I saw as the 'opposite' of my sex, including the parts that stressed me out or that I didn't actually care for, stemmed from a recognition that my gender identity simply does not line up with what was assigned to me at birth, and there really aren't any rules attached to that feeling" and immediately felt a billion times more comfortable with myself presenting and moving through the world in any fashion I pleased lmao).
Have you ever heard of the "Wake" trilogy by Lisa McMann? That was a YA series I remembered really liking, but my tastes were also very questionable and I think I was mostly just curious because it was one of the first times I had ever encountered a sex scene in a book (even if it was just a fade-to-black affair). I would love to see how those bad lads aged lol
Omg you have exactly formulated my issues with this series! Actually, I never thought so much of the economy lmao but now that you mention it, it doesn't make any sense. Oh God, I absolutely hated the "pretty slang" too. I honestly just could not. The cutting was just sooooo problematic for me, especially because it was never really addressed properly. I mean, I get it as a plot device to some extent, but it just was not handled well AT ALL. it really does glorify self-harm, period. The stupid love drama annoyed me so so much too. I actually had so much hope for Tally/Shay's relationship, but I just could NOT anymore after a while.
Thank you so much for posting this review, it's basically exactly the rant I needed because it was exactly what I was thinking when I read it haha
Hey there! Sorry for the slow response- life has been busy lately! But thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with me. I'm so glad to hear that there are other people out there who were bothered by the series! I honestly was so worried when I put this video up- I was nervous that there would be a bunch of people angry that I disliked a beloved series. I'm glad to hear that you liked my review and it satisfied your need for a rant about The Uglies! :)
Thanks for youe honest review. I was always curious about the series aince my library had an incomplete collection of the books i figured theyd be good but im glad you have valid points about rhe book not holding up over time, esp as an adult.
"quarentine does weird things to us" haha yeah, i laugh. then look at the upload date, and cry. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA THIS PLAGUE IS GETTING PRETTY OLD
Yeah, remember when we all thought this was just going to be a two-week shutdown? Now, here we are, a year and a half later!
Yeeeeeah 😬
I always wanted to read this book as a teen. I never did for some reason. I bought the book a few years back thinking I would read it. As a 29 year old mom I don’t like to read in a teen perspective anymore. So thank you so much for the review so I don’t have to read the series! Sounds very high school. Interesting concept though.
Some of your points make me think that you spark notes this...
Tally was against cutting the first time she saw it. Shay always seen as wrong. The only ones that supported it were "crazy" and wrong needing to be helped. I could see a surface view glorifying it, but even the special doctor looked at Tally with disgust.
I feel like the whole "cutters" arc was so problematic
Seems like an old fanfic honestly
Great vid! I kinda enjoyed the first two books when I was 13, but I remember the specials book had weird vibes to it. I couldn't remember much about it, that's why I'm here! They're making a netlfix movie, god help us all, maybe this will get tons of views when it comes out.
10 minutes in, still waiting for the low down.
I recently had the urge to reread Uglies, and then watched your review. I feel the first book is still a really fun page-turner, but I agree the second and especially the third books are just bad.
The "cutting" aspect, as you said, is just tasteless and adds nothing to the story and the pretties' dialogue is just so grating. The setup for this series was great, but the author seems to have no idea what to really do with it.
Have you read the 4th book (Extras)? It's actually a lot better and redeems the series a bit.
There's apparently a new trilogy out now too?? I'm cautiously intrigued...
You're right- the first book had an element of surprise, but after that, it went downhill (as many YA trilogies do). I haven't read Extras yet. By the time I finished the trilogy, I was too exhausted by that world to continue! I also didn't know there was a new trilogy. I'll have to check out some reviews on that. If you do end up reading the new trilogy, let me know how it is! I'm intrigued to see if his writing has changed!
I definitely read extras but don’t remember a thing about it. My memory fades as the books go on, the first two were my favorite as a tween
You're talking of the "Imposters" Series. I just finished the 4th Book, "Youngbloods", and I was very happy with how it all played out. These 4 new books are 20 years after the end of Extras, as well as follows all new Characters and the likes, but hints at the Uglies books as a building block.
I'd highly recommend reading the Imposter series
I remembered the series being pretty cringe in retrospect but i COMPLETELY blocked out the whole 'cutting' issue in the later novels; for good reason too. I'm pretty sure it either made me view my self harm in a more glorified way or might have even been a big factor in why it started/got worse in my formative years. Oof.
I mean yeah sure you're not the target demographic, but like most of the plot points you brought up are explained throughout the series, you know if you'd actually bothered to read it
You’re entitled to your opinion but maybe don’t do a review on the book series if you haven’t bothered to read it
With nothing better to do, I just finished listening to the second book in this series. I absolutely lost my mind at the r-slur for the exact same reasons you listed. It wasn’t a consistent issue, but the very fact that it there was WILD.
I can still picture the world in the series years later and dream about it. 😅
I remember back in middle school everyone was reading it and teachers were doing book talks about it.
I read all the books except “extras” because everyone I knew told me it was the worst thing they ever read
i loved it now i was like 12 but i had good taste try it out
Lol well get ready for a Netflix series ! If that gets finished. They only have two or three articles about it so we will see.
Haha! Oh dear! Well, that'll certainly be interesting to see how they approach it if they do make a Netflix series.
@@madisonsreadingcorner I honestly forgot about so many parts until I watched your review. You did a great job on this video. I agree with everything you said and I’m tired of the ugly duckling trope.
Love the vid! The last book was a hot mess that I couldn't look away from. A beautifully bad disaster.
yay finally someone else who disliked the book
I'm with you there! It's not worth the hype everyone gives it!
I read the first book and I kinda liked it, but don't really feel like continuing on with the series. I definitely don't feel like I'm the target audience as a 26yo guy anyway.
I'm just coming here to find out if Tally and Shay ended up together or something. Considering this is a YA novel I didn't have much hope for that happening, but it sucks to know that I was proved right. I just started the first book and they just had so much chemistry and it really got my hopes up, since I'm wow myself, I feel like I'm always looking for representation and legitimately wholesome wlw relationships. Especially in YA novels. This is a brain dump I know, but it's just really disappointing.
I totally agree! Tally and Shay had a lot of chemistry, and I think if the series had been written today, rather than 15 years ago, we would have had the opportunity to see that come through! It's really encouraging that I'm starting to see more representation coming into YA novels nowadays. I recently read You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson (totally different YA genre than the Uglies), but the main character is a Black woman in the process of coming out and having her first real relationship. Totally wholesome, super cute relationship, relatable content. So if you haven't read that one, I'd recommend it! :)
@@madisonsreadingcorner Thanks! I'll definitely check that out!
I’m re reading it now and I am also wlw and honestly can’t believe I didn’t ship / think they would be a thing back in middle school I 100% can’t un see the connection now
Massive Tally x Shay shipper XD (that felt weird to type my name is Shay)
ok now I'm getting the dramatic blow by blow....yawn.
Good night
I’m glad someone also sees the many problems with it. The terms like “littlies” and “Uglyville” just make me cringe so much I hate it
Right?! Yeah, the slang and strange terminologies in the series were so weird! It reminded me of the cringy way they spoke in the Maze Runner series! The Uglies series definitely was one that didn't age well.
Also, peris’ dropping felt it was only for shock value.
They never said the primative group was indigenous. It actually sounded more like they were cave men to me.
Also she normally calls him Andrew after the first introduction. I believe the point of the name is that those names would be considered ancient at that time. Tally thought the name David was weird bc ppl aren't named normal things anymore. It all was actually pretty fitting to match the rest of the fantasy world
@@jennadabomblike how your screen name would look odd if everyone's name was like Elon's son
So I enjoyed the series as a nostalgia trip since I read it in 2005 but it is very problematic today. I'm still on the Scott Westerfeld under the name Tally-wa. So much cringe now...
Scott Westerfeld forum*
@@handmaidentodeath6164 Ah, good ole Tally-wa! Haha! But I totally understand where you're coming from. I think if I'd read the full series when I was younger, and then reread it today, I'd have more nostalgia to cling to. But as a first-time read, it was so hard for me to ignore the problematic stuff. It's fascinating to think how different the series would be if it were written today.
My nickname to this day is literally still Toriwa
my major problem was how shoved down your throat the message and the authors opinions on certain topics were. like we get it, everybody is unique and pretty in their own way and you think politicians and celebs are ugly. you could have at least made it subtle.
You just really didn't get it...
Get what lol
10:33 i think it's implied that they have some kind of brain enhancing surgery that makes them magically good at whatever job they choose to have
It's not implied I think it's stated (by David's parents)
I read these books when I was in middle school and I loved the first two but I agree, by the third book I was just sooo over it.
Thank you for this. You saved me so much time, this book series is definitely not for me 😭 I found Tally insufferable
Haha eugenics :)
Bloody hell, what a long winded lead in.
Let me guess, its the most woke movie to come out, ever..
Movie? 😭 do you mean like the uglies books being turned into movies?
Also I've read the whole thing and I wouldn't consider it super "woke"
the grip this series had on me when I was 11 was insane
I read the first book book I was about 12 and I remember loving it, so I ordered the whole series this quarentine because I got back into reading and I have to say, while I didn't love it as much, because I'm obviously not a teen anymore and times have changed, so some of the conversations on beauty standards and stuff have changed, it was my favorite book of the series.
I did love how it was so dystopian that you basically didn't have to do anything after high school, because that's the way I think it should be...I think we're smart enough and deep down peaceful enough, to live in a world where nobody has to work so I really loved that about it; however, I think it started getting progressively worse after the 1st book.
I hated the relationship thing because with David, I just didn't feel the connection there, and with Shay it was just like come on, either be friends or don't.
Also, in the latter 3 books, I swear, half of the story is literally talking about hooverboards and hooverboard chases and rides and fixing hooverboards and I'm not one that is particularly into mechanical things or action scenes, so that really started to wear on me.
I just was kind of dissapointed because I feel like the world the author set up in the 1st book had so much potential!! I almost wonder if it would have been better if he waited a year or 2 at least between books because it seems like maybe he just tried to crank out a bunch of sequels after the success of the 1st one, without much thought or cohesiveness.
Dr. Cables end was so lackluster and just bizarre, it all happened so fast. And in regards to Zane dying, I think it either could have been written in a different way or shouldn't have happened at all.
Maybe it's because I'm in my 20s now and the lens I'm looking through is just so different, but yeah I just wish it would have gone in a different direction and I really hope if they actually do make a movie or series like they say they're going to, they twist a couple things a bit to make it a little better and maybe fit today's narrative a little more cohesively- while still upholding the main theme of beauty isn't everything, but it truly does make some people's lives easier, and also to stand up to authority or just for what you believe in.
I dont know if you read the 4th book- The Extras, but I would say, minus the hooverboard talk because of course there's a lot of it- it was my 2nd favorite because it was more of a stand alone and has a commentary about fame and social media/news in a way that I think was actually really good and I was actually surprised because it pretty much accurately depicts like fame and tiktokers or just social media influencers...and I think it was before like vine and youtube and stuff really took off so, I reccomend reading that one too if you have time/are bored! (Like I said, it's not amazing but I think it's second best to the 1st book)
Overall, I agree with most of the things you said about the story not being super put together and pretty much all of the relationships are annoying, but I did find it pretty enjoyable to go back and revisit, especially with not much to do at the moment 🤣
Thanks for your in depth commentary! Really enjoyed it and I wish I could find more people talking about this series but it doesn't seem to have held up through time, (not super surprised), but yeah I can't wait for the TV adaption and hope it goes somewhere a little better!!
I love this! Such a great response! Yes, this book series absolutely had SO much potential, but we were all let down by the direction it took (especially looking at it as an adult in the 2020s. It definitely is interesting to see how societal changes since this book's release have dated the content and made many aspects problematic in nature.
I'll have to check out the 4th book to give it a shot! By the time I finished the 3rd book, I was so fed up with it all, that I couldn't bring myself to read Extras. Now that some time has passed, I'm intrigued to see the commentary on that world's societal aspects. Thanks for the recommendation! :)
Here's to hoping the Netflix adaptation takes notes and makes some adjustments to suit the times!