AUTHOR APPRECIATION WEEK 2: SCOTT WESTERFELD: Pretties

Pretties by Scott Westerfeld



My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Perfect. Perfectly wrong.



Tally has finally become pretty. Now her looks are beyond perfect, her clothes are awesome, her boyfriend is totally hot, and she's completely popular. It's everything she's ever wanted.



But beneath all the fun -- the nonstop parties, the high-tech luxury, the total freedom -- is a nagging sense that something's wrong. Something important. Then a message from Tally's ugly past arrives. Reading it, Tally remembers what's wrong with pretty life, and the fun stops cold.



Now she has to choose between fighting to forget what she knows and fighting for her life -- because the authorities don't intend to let anyone with this information survive.Goodreads



After Tally's adventures in the Smoke I was excited to see where the next volume of the series would start off. It opens with Tally awakening on a very important day. She is applying to be part of the Crims (criminals) the most popular clique in Pretty Town. It is interesting to see Tally's character change. Everything about her is Pretty. Her biggest worries are dresses for parties and what to eat. Her Friend Shay is also pretty, both of them having only fuzzy memories of their times in the Smoke.



Tally also finds herself drawn to Zane the charismatic leader of the Crims. He is fascinated by Tally's past and awakens locked memories with his presence and his kiss. Encountering a strange Smokie at a party leads Tally and Zane to a letter from her former self and a choice that will change both of their lives. It is a cure to the Pretty brain. Now Tally and Zane embark on a journey to awaken the other Crims and let the New Smoke know that they have allies in the Pretty world.







I really enjoyed the beginning of this book. Seeing Tally live the Pretty life was disturbing and interesting. The relationship between her and Zane was a nice twist especially when memories of David from the Smoke start to fill her memories.



The book lost it's focus for me with the subplot with Shay and the Cutters. Once Tally and Zane decide to leave to find New Smoke though the book gets back on track.



Great revelations are made about the purpose of Pretty society as well as the cure that has been developed. Tally finds her self alone in a strange area of the outside world. This time really shows the resourcefulness of her character.



I felt the time in the Smoke was cut a little to short and the ending a little rushed though it did resolve the importance of Shay's subplot. I'm looking forward to the next and final chapter.

















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