Reviewed by Shravan
May 4, 2024
The Uglies is a sci-fi/dystopian series by Scott Westerfeld. In Tally Youngblood’s city, everyone undergoes an operation at the age of 16 to turn them from one of the uglies - ugly, imperfect, and flawed into a pretty - beautiful, perfect, flawless. Tally’s friend, Shay is a rebel against this forced operation, and leaves the city to go to the Smoke - the hidden rebel outpost.
Tally is refused the operation due to her relation with Shay, and is forced into finding the rebels and revealing their location if she wishes to be transformed into a pretty. She finds the rebels, but is forced into a dilemma - betray some of her closest friends or achieve her lifelong dream of becoming a pretty.
This series is absolutely incredible, with turns in the plot, suspense, action, and adventure. I loved reading every page, full of detail and description. Because of all this, I can easily rate this series 5 Stars.
Because this has a lot of violence, as well as not being very appealing for younger readers, I can give this series an age rating of 10+.
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Impostors
Scott Westerfeld
Leviathan
Scott Westerfeld
Divergent
Veronica Roth
The Giver Quartet
Lois Lowry
Books in this Series
Common Questions About Uglies
What age is Uglies appropriate for?
Uglies is best for ages 10-14 (Grades 5th-8th). It's about a world where everyone gets a massive surgery at 16 to become "Pretty" — but the main character Tally discovers that being "perfect" comes with a really scary price. Full of plot twists and suspense, and it'll genuinely make your kid think about beauty standards. Best for teens and mature middle-graders.
What order should I read the Uglies series?
Read in order: Uglies, Pretties, Specials, and Extras. The first three books follow Tally Youngblood's story — she starts as a girl who just wants to become "pretty" but gets pulled into a rebel movement. Extras follows a different character in the same world and can work as a standalone.
Should I watch the Uglies Netflix movie or read the books first?
The Netflix film (2024) looks cool visually, but it squeezes a whole book into two hours. Read at least the first book before watching — you'll picture the Pretty/Ugly world in your own way, which makes it so much creepier and more real. The book series has 4 novels with way more world-building and character development. The movie is fine after, but the books are where the real story lives.
Is Uglies similar to Divergent or The Hunger Games?
Yes, fans of Divergent and The Hunger Games will enjoy Uglies. All three are young adult dystopian series where teens challenge a controlling society. Uglies stands out because it focuses more on beauty and identity than on violence and survival games — it asks what happens when everyone is forced to look "perfect." If your kid liked those series, Uglies should be on the list.
Uglies is recommended for ages 10 - 14 (Grades 5th - 9th) with Lexile scores ranging from 770L to 880L.