Uglies by Scott Westerfeld: Changing Society-Approved Beauty Standards

The novel “Uglies” by Scott Westerfeld begins with a 15-year old girl, Tally Youngblood waiting for the most important day of her life. Her sixteenth birthday when she will be reunited with her family and her best friend Paris, but most importantly she becomes pretty. In the novel, it takes place 300 years in the future, including the government providing everything for everyone. Even plastic surgery operations, the day you turn sixteen.

At the age of sixteen, everyone undergoes a series of the extreme amounts of surgeries to blend in with society's standards of ‘’beauty’’. Making everyone's sixteenth birthday their most important day of their life. In a world of people that look like next- top-models, ‘’Natural pretties’’ aren't common. Most people who are normal looking for our society now, aren't considered pretty or alright looking in this novel for a short term they’re ‘’ugly’’. ‘Natural beauty’ is very disliked. This makes me think about our society, most social media influencers have some kind of plastic surgery. Them having a big fanbase of teens and a young audience tend to believe it's all natural. Making many fans think it’s needed to be pretty and influencing their fans that ‘’if you get this plastic surgery that you’ll be perfect and more confident’’ a lot of celebrities make this book seem like this could be our future on how be base people on their looks.

“Uglies” by Scott Westerfeld’’ makes this book into a funny, frightening roller coaster when reading leaving you at the edge of your seat during each chapter, showing the reader how overvalued looks and beauty are. showing how Tally's world has been brainwashed into thinking there's only a one-way path, showing how you have to be pretty or theirs no purpose for you in the world. Tally, herself is built as a character who doesn't know better, brought up to follow her path in becoming pretty. Her best friend/crush Paris has gotten the surgery and moved to prettyville where all the pretties live after they’ve gotten the 16th birthday surgery. While tally waits in uglyville; where all the uglies live until they turn 16, for the one day her sixteenth birthday the day she finally gets to see Paris.

Having a character like paris in the story makes tally more egure to be pretty, paris likes Tally and Tally likes Paris. Making her tempted to go, until one day Tally decides to go to prettyville; uglies aren't allowed in prettyville until they get their surgery. Making it hard for Tally to sneak in. Nearly caught by the pretties. Tally eventually seeks Peris at a party but, Peris but he is different. One major change, Peris is now gorgeous, but it seems he's less interested in Tally anymore. He seemed way too busy having fun at parties in New Pretty Town, and being around other girls. He helps Tally escape the party and makes her promise to stay out of trouble and to not come back to pretty town until she gets the surgery. So Tally doesn't risk getting in trouble and that they can be together after Tally is pretty, and he.

As you can see Peris himself has a huge impact on Tally's decisions, Tally agrees to leave. Tally meets a girl named “shay”, she’s sort of like Tally. They both live alone share the same birthday as each other and seem to be rebellious. However, Shay doesn't want to be Pretty like Tally. She'd rather put her life on line. When Shay runs a day before her birthday to The Smoke ( were it's rumored a huge settlement of uglies that haven't undergone the operation stay.

Tally soon learns about a new side of the ‘’Pretty world’’ and it isn't very pretty itself and it isn't what it seems. The authorities of becoming offer Tally the worst punishment she could imagine. She has to find her friend “shay” and turn her in, or never turn Pretty at all and stay uglie for the rest of her life. This choice would change Tallys life forever. This book gives its reader insight into what the world has almost come to within the way we judge people, with social Media controlling everyone's lives. Making people become thinner, taller, muscular and tanned, and Plastic surgeries to the max. Younger audiences can relate with Tally's character wanting to become attractive is something everyone desires to be sometime in their lives, This novel reminds the younger audiences that it's really about what is on the inside, not outside or your appearance.