Pretties is the second book in the Uglies trilogy by Scott Westerfeld, taking place soon after the first book. In Pretties Tally has finally had the operation – but against her will. Not fully remembering her ugly past, she gets used to the pretty lifestyle, becoming best friends again with Shay, and reforming her relationship with Peris. She joins a group called the Crims, who are all pretties who had run-ins with Special Circumstances when they were ugly.

But despite having a pretty mind, Tally doesn't fully conform with the customs of her new world. Along with the Crims – who include Shay and Peris – she spends her time trying to become 'bubbly'; to temporarily go back to the ugly mindset where you sense things much more vividly. But when Tally gets some of her ugly and smoky memories back, she knows she has to escape. But surely she can't get away a second time?!

I really enjoyed Pretties, and the concept of the trilogy is great; they all take part in very different parts of the same world. The Pretty world is so different to that of the Uglies, and Tally seems to be a changed person too. And one of the best features of this book is that it really makes you think about identity and what changes who we are; is Tally still herself after the operation? Does Shay's apologies really matter if she doesn't remember what she actually did? We also get to see tonnes more of Tally's world in this book. We get to see inside New Pretty Town a lot more, and experience all the fascinating technology that they have access to. And as for the part where Tally meets another outside tribe...well, no spoilers, but that really is eye-opening as to how some people are treated badly even if they haven't done anything wrong.

That being said, there were a fair few faults in this book. First of all, there was one thing that really irritated me throughout the novel; the 'pretty-speak'. Tally, Shay and their friends are constantly going on about how everything is 'bubbly', 'bogus' or 'pretty-making'. I do understand that this is reflecting the changed culture of the pretty world, but it is overused far too much. Secondly, the character of Zane was a bit annoying. After readers have fallen for David in the first book, Westerfeld introduces a whole new love interest, who Tally seems to love just as much...and for no real reason. I found Zane's character rather under-developed; he was just another Crim to me. And he also didn't have that strong nature of David; Tally was protecting him, not the other way round.

Despite Zane's weaknesses, a lot of the characters were developed far more in Pretties. Tally herself gained several new layers, along with Dr Cable and Croy. But the stand–out character developments were definitely Peris, who becomes a lot weaker, and Shay, whose dark, jealous side we get to see. That said, I would have liked to have seen more of David. He was one of the outstanding characters in Uglies, but in this book doesn't show up until right near the end...but the dynamic between David and Zane is interesting. Who does Tally really want?

Moving on to the ending, this was quite tragic but also rather predictable. Think about it...in Uglies, Tally is ugly and then has the operation at the very end; in Pretties, Tally is pretty and then...? Well, the next book is called Specials, it's a bit too predictable. Despite this, I found it very sad how Tally is once again changed so much; it's almost like a character has died each time she changes.

So, to conclude, Pretties is an excellent book that shows the reader another side of Tally's world. There are some major twists and changes in character, and I loved following Tally on her heart–pounding, heart–wrenching journey. Just can't wait to get my hands on Specials...

I would recommend the Uglies trilogy to fans of dystopian novels like Hunger Games and Never Let Me Go, along with teens with an interest in the side effects of beauty. Definitely not one to be missed!

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