Brief Synopsis: The series consists of a trilogy: Uglies, Pretties, and Specials—as well as a companion novel, Extras and Bogus to Bubbly: An Insider's Guide to the World of the Uglies. The stories are set in a future where cosmetic surgery is compulsory when you turn 16, making everyone beautiful. Of course, there are some people who want to keep their own faces . . . and that’s not okay with the government. The series shares many themes with the 1964 The Twilight Zone episode "Number Twelve Looks Just Like You". In a blog posting, Westerfeld notes that he saw the episode in his childhood and had forgotten the details.
Quotes: "There was a certain kind of beauty, a prettiness that everyone could see. Big eyes and full lips like a kid's; smooth, clear skin; symmetrical features; and a thousand other little clues. Somewhere in the backs of their minds, people were always looking for these markers. No one could help seeing them, no matter how they were brought up. A million years of evolution had made it part of the human brain." -Uglies
“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.” -Pretties
“The world needed more fireworks- especially now that there was going to be a shortage of beautiful, useless things.” -Specials
“Dying is one of those things that can’t be fixed. Not by talking about it, not with all the brain surge in the world.” -Extras
Uglies Teen Ink Review
Pretties Teen Reads Review
NY Times Article Breaking Down the ‘System’