Uglies

Uglies, Book 1

By: Scott Westerfeld

Narrated by: Emily Tremaine

Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's Summary

Tally lives in a world where your 16th birthday brings aesthetic perfection: an operation that erases all your flaws, transforming you from an "Ugly" into a "Pretty". She is on the eve of this important event and cannot wait for her life to change. As well as guaranteeing supermodel looks, life as a Pretty seems to revolve around having a good time. But then she meets Shay, who is also 15 - but with a very different outlook on life. Shay isn't sure she wants to be Pretty and plans to escape to a community in the forest - the Rusty Ruins - where Uglies go to escape "turning". Tally won't be persuaded to join her, as this would involve sacrificing everything she's ever wanted for a lot of uncertainty. When she is taken in for questioning on her birthday, however, Tally gets sent to the Ruins anyway - against her will. The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she could ever imagine: Find her friend, Shay, and turn her in or never turn Pretty at all. What she discovers in the Ruins reveals that there is nothing "pretty" about the transformations...and the choice Tally makes will change her world forever.

©2005 Scott Westerfeld. All rights reserved. (P)2015 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Great Story, Mediocre Performance

I'm a big fan of the Uglies series and Scott Westerfeld. He writes interesting stories and characters. Unfortunately Emily Tremaine's reading drags the story down. She has a nice soothing voice, more suited to a relaxation mantra rather than an action-y story of tricks and escapes. It's not bad enough for me to not listen to the rest of the series but I definitely recommend purchasing the books as well so you can get the real feel of a good story.

Deadpan narrator murders bubbly story.

This is one of my all-time favorite books. I've worn out two paperback copies over the years. Now that I'm a mom with young kids, it's hard to find time to sit and read, so when I found Uglies on audible, I was ecstatic. Emily Tremaine is decidedly less so. Not only was the reading emotionless and flat, her odd placement of inflections was maddeningly off on several occasions, distorting the meaning of the dialogue. Scott Westerfeld is an amazing author. Uglies and its sequels deserve the high praise and popularity of The Hunger Games, Divergent, and other critically acclaimed YA series.
Would I buy this book again? I probably will one of these days. In print. On audio? Only if someone else is reading it to me.

Uglies

I thought this book was good. It was kinda slow at some parts but it overall was a good read. I didn't really like the reader she was ok. She doesn't have that much emotion.

If it wasn't in my recommendations..

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The book was okay I listened to it because it was in my recommendaitons, the summary seemed like it would be good. But I don't feel like it was that attention capturing to be honest.

Would you be willing to try another book from Scott Westerfeld? Why or why not?

I'm going to read the rest of this series only because I don't like to start a series without finnishing it.

What three words best describe Emily Tremaine’s performance?

Her performance seemed pretty montone compared to some of the other's i've heard.

best book ever

this book really took over my mind and body it felt like i was actually there with the characters in the book saying and doing everything they did.it was a really amazing experience.

A Crazy Look at a Could-Be Future

Would you consider the audio edition of Uglies to be better than the print version?

I've actually read the print version a long time ago. Audio is great. Listening to the book is like having a movie in your head. I'm not sure if say one is better than the other. My imagination is great. With and without a narrator, the book is fantastic.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scene was when Tally decided once and for all which side she was for... and fought like hell to stay there.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were a lot of moments. One in particular involving a rabbit pen and shoes. I'm not going to give away the details however. 😉

Any additional comments?

This is a great series with a fantastic narrator. It is well worth the credits or money spent.

Great series

Would have preferred a more enthusiastic reader, but enjoyed it regardless. Good start to a series and I'll definitely download the others

Great Story

The story is great but I feel like a bit more emotion could have been put into the reading by Emily.

I will say that it was a bit odd listening to an audio in 3rd person POV.

can't wait to listen to the next book in the series!

good concept, but boring young adult execution

before I write this, I will say that I didn't know that it was a young adult novel. it does fall into a lot of the tropes as most young adult books that I have read. The world, and main concept are very good. The problem is, the protagonist is extremely hollow, as is the overall story and every character you meet. it seems like the author just had a really good idea and had to tell it, but didn't do so in a very fun or convincing way. halfway through the book, I just wanted to read the SparkNote version for overall summary and see what the main idea behind this was. The main reveal was a good one, and really makes one think about how much we are giving up to our governments. how much is too much? when does it cross a line that cannot be uncrossed? aside from that, very boring.

This is definitely not ugly!

I loved the story!! The plot was amazing and very well thought out. I enjoyed the characters--especially the main protagonist. Unlike any other main character in YA dystopian, in this series you watch Tally learn from her experiences and grow as a main character should. I listened to this audiobook (both narrations--2008 and 2015). I didn't like neither narrator; however, I preferred the 2008 version more just because the narrator has more personality.

Book for young adults

I read this series as a teenager and loved it. Doesn't have the same impact now that I'm older.

Really dull! Had to put it in fast forward to get through it.

This book was so dull! I would have given up ages ago but I had bought it so persevered. The main character is mind numbingly thick and annoying and the narrator is lifeless and hard to listen to. I was struggling to stick with it so from half way through had to speed up the second half in attempt to give it some oomph. Didn’t work. It’s also probably for a younger demographic. Feels like a young teen book so perhaps it just wasn’t for me. I will definitely not be continuing with the series.

Can’t wait to listen to book 2

I loved this book great plot just the right amount of twists and turns so excited for book 2

loved it

great story great narrator., cant wait to continue with the next series. cliffhanger ending. highly recommended

Loved it!!

I stumbled upon this book after listening to ‘the girl who dared’ series (which is also a must listen/read) and this series did not disappoint. I loved the different types of characters that Scott created and the narration was spot on. The way in which Scott describes the world in which the series takes place is also very good, allowing the listener to conjure up a vivid image.

uglies

really well written fantastic story from strat to finish can't wait for the next book

Excellent!

Great narrative, and story. It kept me absorbed all the way through, and can't wait to listen to the next book.

Entertaining and great concept

As a fan of dystopian literature I was intrigued by the unusual and relevant storyline. Its not the most beautifully written and the narrative can feel a little stodgy at times but a highly entertaining story! Can't wait to delve in to the rest of the series!

Detail !

There is a lot of unnecessary detail, which drags the book on too much. Although the book is interesting 👍🏽

Great story, disappointing ending

I loved the premise of this story and couldn't wait to see what happened next. The events and characters were interesting and there were a few surprises on the way. Unfortunately, it felt like the writer just got bored at the end. I was listening to it as an audio book and was completely shocked when it just finished. Too much was left unresolved and to the reader's imagination. I much prefer my books to have a proper ending.