"Pretties (Uglies #2)" by Scott Westerfeld

388 pages

Tally is finally pretty. She turned sixteen, had the operation, and moved to New Pretty Town. Now her appearance is perfect in every way, and her only job is to party and have fun all the time. She's got her friends Peris and Shay with her, and life can't get any better. So why does she feel like she's missing something? She keeps thinking about her time out in the Smoke, where people keep their Ugly faces and live in the wild, with barely any technology. The conditions are horrible there, so why can't Tally stop brooding over her vague memories of the place? When some of the Smokies come back, with a letter the old Tally wrote to herself, it becomes clear that there's a lot more to New Pretty Town, the operation, and the Smoke than Tally remembers. And there's a reason why she can't remember--because her brain was altered during the operation, just like every other Pretty. Once again, Tally finds herself at odds with the City and its cruel-pretty Specials, and she'll do anything to get out.

After reading "Uglies," "Pretties" was a disappointment for me. Tally gets on my nerves a lot more in this one. She still shows a lot of strength, but she's more whiny in "Pretties." Also, the plot is much slower, with far less action until the end. And the whole "savages" thing didn't sit well with me. Worst of all, a big love triangle is formed in this one, and I am so sick of those. Despite all these complaints, I did enjoy the story. I like where the series is going (except for the love triangle) and it ends with a big surprise and a cliffhanger. I'm definitely going to be finishing the series because I'm invested enough that I want to see what happens, but I don't have super high expectations.