Uglies: Audiobook Review

In the first book of Scott Westerfeld's Uglies trilogy, we meet Tally a normal girl who longs to be pretty -- just like everyone else, and soon she will be. In a society where everyone gets cosmetic surgery at the age of 16, everyone's equal. Choices can't be based on looks because everyone is beautiful. But what happens when equality isn't a choice?

It took me a long time to get around to this book because I have a hard time getting into distopian societies. Particularly ones eerily like our own. Tally's image-obsessed world seems purposely designed not to be so far from our own modern day issues with appearance and beauty, and the thought of reading about a world where beauty had won sounded depressing. But when I finally did get it in playaway form from the library, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have put a reserve on the second one.

A few of the romantic entanglements in the story annoyed me (more on that in the Book Club section at the end of this review), but overall I did find I was able to relate to the main character a lot more than I expected. I was also able to see why teens in particular could relate to the character and the concept as a whole. In a lot of ways this is a story about rebellion and seeing the world in a new light, but also how frightening that is. Westerfeld doesn't take the easy way out and glorify the rebellion. Tally is often terrified by the thought of striking out by herself, and the author allows the reader to see the facts of the society and evalute for themselves what's right. Though they're fact's that are hard to argue with.

Still, the story was more multi-faceted and nuanced than I expected and dealt with more than just beauty, but also questions of the individual versus the group, as well as the ethics of choices.

PLAYAWAYS

The reader, Carine Montbertrand, was quite good. I think female readers often have an easier time being both genders believably. I noticed she made the villain sound a bit like the Wicked Witch of the West, but this didn't actually bother me.

So instead of reviewing the reader, I'd like to review the playaway format since it's the first time I've used it. Playaways, for all of those who don't know, are little devices about the shape and size of a somewhat clunky ipod that carry one audiobook on them. It was convenient not to change CDs, and I certainly see where these would be useful to the large portion of people who no longer have CD players.

But to be entirely honest, I was a little underwhelmed with the quality of the device. The controls are not immediately intuitive and most are not as good as a CD player's controls. The volume, for instance, must be turned all the way up before it can be turned down again. Additionally, to my constant frustration, the play, pause, and power button were all one in the same and I kept forgetting which one it was the first few times and getting stuck in the menu which has a symbol that looks suspiciously like play, but is actually the speed adjustment (although why you would want the reader to sound like an over-excited hamster, I have no idea).

On top of all the issues with the controls, the sound quality is not very good at all. I half expect there to be a tiny little cassette player inside. It's certainly not CD or ipod quality. Then the device itself is a bit flaky. Several times the display froze. I tried turning it off but to no avail. The only way I was able to reboot the device was to take the battery out and then but it back in.

Still, I will admit I put a hold on the next book in playaway format, so I don't hate it completely. Plus, I think I've finally got the hang of the controls. But I hope, and am relatively certain, that these devices will be only a short-lived stepping stone to a far better format soon to come.

BOOK CLUB

I've decided from now on that if I'm going to reveal plot points or spoilers in a review, it can be considered like my own little book club where you're all free to participate or not. Just like in a book club you don't have to have read the book, but just know that I will discuss it in detail as if you had read it.

So I have to admit the love-triangle bothered me. It had everything that usually bothers me about love-triangles like the obliviousness of the main character and the jealousy of the slighted third person. I also sympathized a lot with Shay and was really bothered by the fact that David's admiration of Tally was based on a lie. Shay may never have had a chance with him, but until she was honset with him, Tally didn't deserve one. Even though I actually did like Tally as a character, I couldn't get into any of the romance because of this.

Also, Tally forgets rather easily about Paris. I know she insisted they didn't have a romantic friendship, but he still used to be her best friend. She saves Shay even though she's been made pretty, so why not Paris? Understandably they're pressed for time but she never even It's not his fault he has the same legions as Shay. Perhaps I'll get to see this in the next book, though. I'll just have to wait and see.

I thought the orchid metophor was a bit heavy-handed but not too over the top. I did find it ironic that the pretty rangers dealt with the danger of beautiful sameness choking out all other life every day and they never made the connection to their own beautiful and restrictive homogenous society. It made me wonder whether, even when they have tricky jobs, if they still have a few legions in their brain. Or perhaps literature education just isn't stressed. I guess that is one important use for metaphor though -- being able to see for yourself if you live in a distopian society.

As for the end, I was pretty sure it was going to be a cliff-hanger since it didn't seem possible for them to resolve everything before the end. As cliff hangers, go though, I suppose it's not too bad. If I hadn't liked the characters or plot, then I wouldn't feel the need to see what happens next. So I didn't feel the ending was too much of a cheap trick (my general opinion of cliff-hangers).