Specials by Scott Westerfeld

Specials, is the third book in the Uglies series and wraps up the story of Tally Youngblood. Mr. Westerfeld has done a wonderful job with this series and I was very pleased with all three of his books (Uglies, Pretties, Specials). For YA novels they possessed a depth that I haven't experienced with other newer authors. Mr. Westerfeld's commitment to his writing, characters and plot had me categorizing him with other great authors that I love as a child such as CS Lewis and Madeleine L'Engle. I mentioned in an earlier review of Uglies that Tally Youngblood wasn't so much a likable character as a respectable one, and she remains that way throughout the series. In Specials, Tally transforms from the bubbly pretty into a Cutter which takes her character from vapid to vicious. This transition is the hardest one that Tally has to face, but underneath it all she is still Tally and she has to fight against the gods. The book takes you on a break neck journey through Tally's world. It introduces you to new things that you only suspected were in existence, but the author never revealed. The Smokies take the game to a whole other level...and Tally finds herself facing off against people she once loved and called friends. With each twist of the plot Mr. Westerfeld led me down paths that I never expected, all the while entertaining me and making me question my beliefs and prejudices. I also do not feel that the conclusion of the Zane/David/Tally triangle was an easy way out, my opinion is that the author handled it very well - in a way that I did not expect. A wonderful conclusion to a great series. I recommend this for adults and their teenagers.