Specials by Scott Westerfeld
Who would like his book? Anyone who has read Uglies and Pretties will want to read Specials, but be sure to read the first two books first. The background is essential.
Why? Tally’s experiences as a “Special” in this third part in the evolving series by Scott Westerfeld are much more intense than in the previous two books. As an elite fighting machine and part of a clique called the “cutters”, she is so accustomed to being “icy” that she must cut herself to feed her addiction to this level of being. Her path toward regaining a true sense of herself takes her back through all of her essential relationships from the first two books. Her journey provides Westerfeld with an opportunity to smoothly fill in background information about the culture of the cities and about the lives of certain characters that answer many questions raised in the first two books. I found this volume disturbing and thought-provoking about issues including the care of the environment, the role of the government in maintaining order, the need for identity within a group, and the quest for love and understanding.
The details: 384 p. 2006