I just recently finished reading the book Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. It had been very popular among my peers while I was in college, but I just never got around to reading it at the time. So I thought I would see what all the fuss was about. After reading this book I understand why all my friends raved about it, though what struck me most was how strong of a sci-fi novel it is. No one seemed to mention how creative and detailed this future world was. Perfectly plausible concepts for creating hover boards, hover cars, bungee jackets, even hover elevators? The culture Westerfeld develops throughout the story is natural and new.
Through out the story our heroine, Tally Youngblood, grows from just another trick pulling ugly waiting for her turn to become "pretty" into a strong young woman responsible for her own actions and her own future. Even the writing style adds to the shift in the settings from a safe, perfect utopia to an unsure and dangerous world. Perspectives and morals are challenged.
I believe this would be a great tool in many upper middle and high school classrooms. It is a long book (a whopping 425 pages) however the plot flies. It is a modern, intriguing tale which will divide a classroom. Even in higher level courses it would be very effective in discussion on topics of ethics, morals, social norms, growth, health and countless other topics. I would begin a unit on this book by asking students "If you could change anything about yourself what would you change?" After students answered I would then pose the question "If someone offered you the chance to change everything you hated about yourself, to make you perfect and happy, would you take it?" Allowing a discussion to begin from the very start. If you do decide to teach this as part of your curriculum I suggest making sure your library is well stocked with the rest of the series; Pretties and Specials as students will be clamoring to know what happens next. I know I am!
