Customer Reviews

Specials

5 star:		(68)
4 star:		(58)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Specials is the final book in Scott Westerfeld's Uglies trilogy (after Uglies and Pretties). In this installment, Tally wakes up from surgery and finds herself part of an ultra-cool team of Specials (bio-engineered, covert law enforcement personnel) called the Cutters. She has snazzy techno-features, like embedded computer chips, unbreakable ceramic bones, and razors that come out of her fingernails. She's the ultimate weapon.

It's a bit disturbing to read a book in which the heroine of the series has been essentially co-opted by the bad guys. Tally now works for Shay, her complex best friend, and is expected to find and betray the New Smokies (her friends of the first book). But she does maintain traces of her former self, and she is particularly motivated to find Zane (her now brain-damaged love from the second book), and convince Dr. Cable to transform Zane into a Special, too. However, when she does find Zane, she is revolted by his weakness, by his not being "special" like she is. She struggles with herself, knowing deep inside that she loves him, but programmed to see the world so keenly that his imperfections grate on her, and so sure of her own superiority that she can't really imagine being with him again.

A series of adventures follow, during which Tally and Shay pull a stunt that turns out to have disastrous consequences, and then set off on the trail of the New Smoke. Tally re-encounters David (her love from before she met Zane), and has to go up against the seemingly invincible Dr. Cable. The ending is satisfying in many ways, although the resolution of the Zane vs. David choice is a bit of an anti-climax.

Overall, I found it a fascinating story, full of unexpected twists, chases, and cool special effects. I think that the Westerfeld says some interesting things about what constitutes beauty, about making up your own mind vs. letting others tell you what to do, and about the balance between governmental protection and control. Tally's changing personality makes this series a bit tough, however, after the first book. You like her. You dislike her. You pity her. You don't know what to do with her. For me, I prefer to have a main character that I can identify with more. Tally's evolving personality makes that a bit difficult. I'm left feeling that Scott Westerfeld presents some intriguing ideas with this series, and that teens will enjoy it, but that I didn't love it the way I do when I identify with the main character. Still, it's a fun ride. And I'll definitely see the movies if there ever are any.

This book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on June 11th, 2006.

'Tally- your special' Tally can still remember the haunting words of Shay's that have destroyed her life a pretty forever. Even the days when she was and Uglie- specials seemed like legendary figures, myths, something people talked about but never saw- Tally would never have guessed in her wildest-dreams that she would become one. And now she was.

Being a special, bring a new and beautiful aspect to the life of Tally. She feels abnormal, everything she sees has a simple and somewhat- crystallic beauty to it. Everything shimmers with loveliness and grace and beauty- life is unreal now, that Tallys a special.

Then Tally is given an offer- to stamp out the rebels of the New Smoke- once and for all- whether she does or whether she doesn't, darkness has crept into Tally's life- like a dangerous fume, like pure hatred from a bleeding heart. Whatever she chooses, Tally's life will never be the same now that she is a special.

The third and final book to this amazing trilogy had a beautiful shade of darkness to it. The characters were well-developed, personality changes occured, and the readers grow close to Tally like a weed entwining a fern that had gone from pretty and bonny- to breathtakingly beautiful with a hardness to it.

I have enjoyed reading Scott Westerfield's other books to the series: Uglies and then Pretties. The originality to both of them is wonderful and creative, and over-all adds up to a great teen read, that depicts an amazingly modern world- perhaps the future, for us humans.

Tally has been forced into yet another cruel surgery. And now she is a Cutter (a new kind of Special with flash tattoos, super-fast reflexes, and wolf-like eyes). Tally can think more clearly than ever, but her memory has once again been altered. She now thinks of David and the rest of the Smokies as enemies, and she wants nothing more than to end the Smoke forever. Well there is one thing she wants more......Zane, now severely effected by the brain lesion nanos, is entirely weak. Tally can't even look at him and won't rest until he's a Cutter, too. Shay comes up with a plan to make Zane a Cutter, so that Tally will be happy, and the same plan will end the Smoke forever. What could be more perfect, right? Wrong. Their innocent plan evolves into something much bigger. Someone will die, many will question who they are, and the world will change, forever.

Specials is a brilliant end to the Uglies trilogy. It had many of the same themes seen in the last books, along with a few new themes. The story of the Rusties, billions of people that died from a human-made virus, is told in both Pretties and Uglies. Few of the Rusties survived, all because they went too far environmentally. Specials increases the importance of this small theme from the last two books. It reminds us what happens when we take the environment for granted, and this is the base for the fabulous, unexpected ending to Specials and to the Uglies trilogy.

I encourage everyone to read these books. They are wonderful and do not let you down.

This is a review on the audio book version of "Specials" performed brilliantly by Carine Montbertrand.

I will assume that anyone reading this book has read the previous books in this series. If not than stop reading this review and go read them. The last we saw of Tally Youngblood, she had escaped pretty town and on her own made it to the New Smoke ready to reunite with her boyfriend Zane. Poor afflicted Zane, who took the cure with her and started to experience terrible headaches. At the Smoke, Tally is told by her old beau Ugly David that the cure pills were meant to be taken together (although in their directions they never said so!) and Zane got the Nanobytes that apparently lurved to snack on brain matter nonstop, while Tally got the pill that stopped those Nanos from that third trip to the buffet. Tally realizes that she has cured herself of pretty-mindedness. She is sort of like Keanu Reeves in the Matrix but without the leather outfit or Laurence Fishburne.

Tally is soon revisited by her old friend Shay, who is now a Special by her own choice. Shay wants Tally to be Special too, and whisks her back to Pretty town for yet another operation. Specials are like the Men in Black from our society, you hear of them but never see them, yet you fear them anyway. They don't have the brain lesions, so they aren't airheads like the Pretties. Specials have all sorts of add-ons, for sight and stealth and strength. They have "skintennas" built in so they can talk to each other on a network, they can see in the dark, and have tattoos covering their bodies. They also have wolf like features and sharpened teeth, the better to eat you with my dear!

Tally, as a special, is deadly beautiful. Along with Shay and the other Crims they are still cutting themselves to get the most excellent clarity, or to be "Icy" in special-speak. The Cutters are Dr. Cable's elite force. Tally wants to know why Zane isn't a Special also, and her and Shay go visit him in Pretty town, where she realizes that Zane's brain damage couldn't be fixed and he is a shaky mess. She still loves him, but her Special mind is turned off by his flaws. The only way he can become a Special is to pull off a serious trick and lead her and shay to the New Smoke. So they arrange for him to be freed, and follow him.
The rest of the book is built around Tally and Shay causing havoc in a Military building, freeing Zane from his beacon, following him to the New Smoke and discovering a whole new town called Diego where surgeries to enhance oneself have gone awry and Tally has to choose between curing herself, and saving her town from War.

These books, especially this third one, have dealt with so many issues albeit in a different way, that we all have to face. We all have found ourselves looking in the mirror and seeing how much we have changed, either by time or by circumstances. We all must either face those changes, accept them and grow or try to gain back what we have lost ignoring the futility of that action. There comes a point in your life where you must see the scars that life had given you and embrace them. You must take your losses and make them count for something.
That's what these books have spoken to me through Tally and her experiences.

This clever futuristic novel has brought my teenage mind into a new perspective of our world. I have always cared for the environment, but never quite will think the same way again. Not only this book but Uglies and Pretties have made me a reader, (which i never relly had done before Uglies). I love these books and encourage any reader to read them. These books are my all time favorites and I recommend them to everyone. All my friends are reading them now.

As you follow Tally through adolescence the reader begins to notice the twists and turns of this ultimately imprisoned life. The third book (Specials) is an interesting way to keep thoughts and ideas flowing about the future, even if there isn't a fourth sequel. When you start reading you learn of the past life of Tally Youngblood, start to see her future, and you watch her struggles and recoveries as being special alters not only her once plain pretty body but her relationship with Zane and her once special enemies. The transformation in these books is incredible and again, I definitely recommend them. The reason I am writing a review is to say that Scott Westerfield is brilliant and that everyone should stop to think about the world's future not only in the novels but here on Earth... how much longer until all of us our considered stupid for destroying ourselves by the only people left?

I am kind of holding onto hope that this is not the end of the story. This third book just didn't seem to tye it all together like the others did. I am a huge uglies fan(the second book being my favorite)and I felt so let down by the third. Here's why...

1. The whole thing with the smoke joining with the city didn't really work. I mean the whole point of the smoke was that they were this rebelious little group...you know, the smoke against the world. But then they join the city and all of a sudden they are these ruthless people living in a messed up city of wierdo's. I don't get it.

2. The whole Tally cutting herself thing was horrible. I was horrified when i first read about her doing this, Shay is one thing but Tally,well yeah. It may not have been so bad if the whole thing had been resolved, but like so much else in the book it seems like tally never fixes this problem. 3. The end did not work for me. I had always assumed that Tally would go back to pretty or maybe even ugly( although I really like her pretty). Instead she heads off into into the wild- still this vicous special. And i just don't really like the whole going off into the wild thing. Especially not with David. Now don't get me wrong, i like david. But what is the deal with them are they a couple or not? which leads me to my big complaint...

4. Scott really messed up his love triangle in this book. Actually his love square. I always loved the charachter of Zane, from the moment he appeared in the books, he added a great element of drama. I was also a David fan,just because he was always there and because he always added something to the plot. I had also always wondered about Shay, the fourth in the love square. Irritating as Shay could be she always managed to be the first one out there. I mean you can see Tallys whole journey reflected in what happened to Shay. So imagine my horror when there is almost no romance in this book. None. David is in maybe three scenes where he says and does nothing of value, and Zane while in more scenes, pretty much does nothing except shake and try to persuade Tally to fight her specials lesions. Shay however predominates over 2/3 of the book, yet still the big Shay& Tally conflict is not solved. At the end of the book they have not had the talking that needs to happen between them to remedy everything that happened. Its just like Shay suddenly woke up and forgave tally, which did not work for me. And now for my Zane rant. I do not mind so much that Zane was killed. It is the way that he was killed that horrified me. After being left out of most of the book he is suddenly killed in a bad operation. At this point you are not really even sure how much tally cares about the guy and it shows. For maybe half a page tally mourns Zane, then she is done with him. Occasionally, as if the author just remembered that he died we hear tally feel depressed about zane. Deeply depressed. But she never comes to terms with it!!! She is just left at the end of the book still struggling over his death, and there horrible last encounter. Then david pops up and everything is all fine and dandy with him. They were another one that needed a good long talk. It seemed like scott tried but he couldn't really pull it off. I always knew that tally would have to choose between zane and david, that one of them would probably have to die, and i always thought(to my deep distress) that it would be zane who scott would make kick the bucket. however the way he did it was so badly laid out that i am only left desperatly hoping that a fourth book might be written and zane might come back, or tally learn to deal with the loss by falling in love with david or something.

So i was pretty disapointed in this book. The plot line wasn't as good and this story just seemed all over the place.

This is a spectacular ending to a fabulous trilogy. The plot and characters provoke questions on the importance of friendship and physical power. Tally Youngblood has undergone her second operation: she is now a fierce looking special who keeps Uglyville and New Pretty Town in line. What she used to call bubbly is now icy, and she is endowed with lighting-fast reflexes and superhuman strength. Tally soon discovers that the lesion curing pills have gone in to mass production, and are being handed out all over the city. Her special circumstances operation makes her believe that this is horrible, and that it is something to stop. On a trip back from crashing a pill-distributing party in Uglyville, she forces Shay to take her to Zane, who she has not entirely forgotten. They see that he is now cured, though he still feels the aftereffects of their pill-taking mishap, and that the Crims are now up to more serious tricks than crossing the borders on hoverboards. When he and some others of their old clique go on a journey to the New Smoke, Tally tracks behind them and in doing so disobeys orders from Shay. When she gets to The New Smoke, after a long time of struggling to understand how the Crims' minds are working, she gets a big surprise. During her time there she takes some heart-crushing blows, and learns in the end that specials really can cry. This is a remarkable book that leaves you to contemplate Tally's character and her strength- mentally and physically. It has a great ending, with an unexpected story twist that leaves you wondering whether she will ever live happily ever after. Read this if at all possible, and the other two in this trilogy along with it!

I picked up Uglies on a whim one day and was immediately sucked into this original and thought-provoking series. Specials is the thrilling ending to my favorite sci-fi read since Ender's Game.

Tally and Shay are fascinating characters who have grown and evolved in each book. You love them and you hate them in equal turns. In this story, we see them at their finest. They have to differentiate between what is really right and true and what they have been programmed to believe is right and true. The whole series explores cultural beliefs on beauty, self esteem, and control of the masses. This book brings Tally's world crashing into the world Outside, with amazing consequences.

I was so annoyed with the whole Tally-David-Zane love triangle at the end of Pretties, and I'm so satisfied with the complex resolution to that in Specials. I love that this story is never predictable. Just when you're sure you know what will come next, something totally unexpected happens. And you get to see just a little bit more of Tally's futuristic world.

Excellent conclusion to an excellent story. Here's to hoping for more after the trilogy.

Tally is now a Cutter, a new branch of Special Circumstances. The Cutters, led by Tally's longtime friend Shay, arrive at an uglies party looking for outsiders crashing the festivities to stir up trouble. Tally and the other Cutters are disguised as uglies, which causes Tally to feel nostalgic as she watches the poor uglies awkwardly interacting.

Tally has been completely remade. Her bones are now aircraft ceramic, light but indestructible. Her muscles repair themselves. She can hear the faintest, most distant sound through her skintenna. All her senses are supernaturally sharp --- and she actually smells the party-crashing Smokey.

Smokies have been smuggling in pills with nanos, which destroy the brain lesions that keep pretties stupid and mellow. Unfortunately, the nanos can also destroy brains entirely (Tally has seen this firsthand when the pills destroyed her boyfriend Zane's mind). Now Tally moves to arrest the Smokey, who escapes by zooming up into the air by use of a bungee jacket. The fugitive is rescued by Smokies on hoverboards, including a leader Tally well remembers: David.

Immediately, Tally and the other Cutters are on their hoverboards in a thrilling race to capture the Smokies. An extra incentive drives Tally and Shay --- their personal vendettas against their mutual old boyfriend and now enemy, David. Even with the Cutters' many advantages, however, the Smokies shock them by retaliating in unexpected ways, ultimately leaving Shay and Tally to fight the outsiders in the most primitive manner. The Smokies have the advantage in the struggle, kidnapping Shay and another Cutter and stealing the Specials' hoverboards. Tally is alone and stranded in the forest until she recovers and is soon back on the hunt.

When Tally reunites with Shay and most of the other Cutters, she learns something astounding: The pills were to be delivered to one of the Crims, a troublemaking clique. That Crim is Zane, Tally's boyfriend. She is dumbfounded. Why hasn't Zane joined Tally if he's recovered?

Tally and Shay visit Zane, who is still a pretty. He is also not quite right and is still damaged from the pills. However, he's helping the Crims pass out thousands of pills, resulting in a new breed of intelligent pretties. Tally asks Zane to betray his Smokey allies, and he reluctantly agrees to do it for her.

While Tally still feels love for her boyfriend, she is also repelled by his disabilities. If she and Shay can help him escape, they'll all be in peril. Yet Zane may become a Special after he helps bring the Smokies down. Their mission begins with the most dangerous trick ever. Will Tally and Shay survive it --- and the consequences?

Packed with action in the face of relentless danger, the stakes continue to increase with each plot twist. During Tally's quest she discovers one surprise after another, but when she arrives at her destination, she's in for the most shocking revelation ever. This page-turner dishes up thought-provoking social commentary on government, cliques, humanity, appearance and redemption --- all wrapped up in a tremendous science fiction adventure --- and is a satisfying and triumphant conclusion to this extraordinary trilogy. Highly recommended.

--- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon

Specials, the third book in the Uglies trilogy by Scott Westerfeld, offers just as much intrigue and action as the previous two installments.

What if everyone in the world was pretty? What if things were more peaceful because of it? Would you conform to the norm or fight to be unique?

When Tally was almost sixteen, she was ready to get her obligatory operation, just as everyone else gets at that age. She thought the world was a pretty okay place and took her surroundings and standing in stride.

Then she learned that not everyone gets the surgery, some escaping to a safe haven known as the Smoke, where people look and live as naturally as possible. Forced by the authorities to visit the Smoke, Tally found herself siding with the dissenters - a decision that risked her life and the lives of those she loved.

After the smoke cleared - no pun intended - Tally found herself one of the Pretties, having undergone the surgery anyway, again under the thumb of those in power. At first, she did not know any better, but once she learned of their mind-altering surgeries, she fought back, this time stronger and smarter than before.

Now she is one of the Specials - stronger than she ever could have imagined, with special privileges and high-powered contacts. But at what price? Sure, she enjoys the power, the strength, the immunity - but she has been given all of these gifts from people who may not have her best intentions at heart.

One thing is for sure: Tally is no longer the blissfully ignorant girl she was a few years ago. She cannot be. She can, however, attempt to right some of the wrongs she has been a part of, and, in the process, change her life and her society.

Readers of Uglies and Pretties will not be disappointed. Specials delivers all that it should and more. The action sequences are packed with octane, an the writing is imaginative and descriptive. The ending of Specials will challenge readers to think, really think, about what they take for granted and what they should truly value.