The Uglies series continues with Pretties. Tally does end up getting the surgery and being a “pretty.” But she is doing it for a reason: to (well, I don’t want to spoil the ending of the first book). So, just know that she’s not going to be the normal partying pretty for much of the book. She and some new and old friends continue to try to outwit the “specials,” the scary secret enforcers of their society. And they almost get away with their “tricks.”

This novel was just as interesting as Uglies. But by the end of it, even though I feel the need to read Specials, to see how the trilogy ends, I am a little frustrated. It’s kind of the same pattern playing out over and over. I hope Specials turns the formula on its head a bit. Still, worth reading.

Rated: Moderate. More mild/moderate language use, and lots more alcohol consumption. The theme of the books makes the partying pretties somewhat undesirable, however, since they’re almost literally empty-headed. This book is a little more disturbing in terms of content because the main characters are the party-ers for a long while. And there are some references to sex; some possibility (it’s not made clear or explicit in any way) of the main characters engaged in it. The other disturbing bit of content (fairly brief) is one group of teens who are cutting themselves to try to shake off their empty-headedness and return to normalcy.