Review: So Yesterday by Scott Westerfield

When Hunter meets a girl with a whole different way of doing her shoelaces, he has no idea the strange adventure that's about to begin. Through her, he winds up invited to a secret meeting at which he stumbles onto a pair of amazing shoes, and the possibility that his cool-hunting boss has been kidnapped. Hunter and his new friend pursue the shoemakers, trying to discover what's become of his boss, Mandy. Full of quirky characters and with Hunter's off-the-wall sense of humor and irony, So Yesterday was a worthy read. Go Hunter, the Mighty Penguin!

The more I read by Scott Westerfield, the more respect I have for him. I guess I'm a little old-fashioned, but I like YA that is cleaner, at least that doesn't brazenly plaster sexual situations across its pages. Scott Westerfield handles these situations elegantly, acknowledging them without overstating them. I like that and really enjoy knowing I can recommend these stories to younger teens with confidence, knowing that it isn't exposing them to thoughts and ideas that are, for now, outside their experience.

(Warning... Rant here...) Yeah, I know that many teens have already had their own experiences. But some have not. I read recently that 46% of couples choose to wait to have sex until they are married. Those stats are much higher than the entertainment industry seems to say they are. People are going to make their own choices with regard to sex and where and when, but my point is: for those who choose to abstain, I am delighted that there is still young adult fiction that acknowledges their innocence and respects that choice. (Okay, stepping off the soap box now...)

Review: Uglies Trilogy by Scott Westerfield

The Uglies Trilogy is made up of three books: Uglies, Pretties, and Specials. It is the story of Tally Youngblood, a girl who lives in a city where at 16, everyone undergoes an operation and becomes physically "perfect," with symmetrical, flawless features, a boosted immune system, toned muscles, etc. She longs for this day to come for herself. And then... the inevitable happens. She might not get to become pretty! Unless she agrees to betray her best friend, who has escaped from the city. The second and third book also follow Tally's journey to becoming pretty and ultimately becoming a dreaded "Special", an enforcer with super-human strength.

I picked up the first one grudgingly- I'm not much of a sci-fi girl, and these seemed to have that feel to them. But wow! Engaging characters. A unique premise. Compelling message. What more can I say?

Ironically-- lots of tags! I noticed them more since I had just blogged about them. Once I started noticing, I found it distracting. At the beginning of the second, Pretties, the lingo threw me for a loop. I got used to it after a couple chapters, but those first few were a little bit confusing.

The author does a great job with the characters-- I found his voice as Tally very believable, her conflicts and emotions felt real. If you're looking for a compelling read for an early teenager this Christmas, I'd recommend this trilogy.