90 pages • 3 hours read
Uglies
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Summary and Study Guide
Overview
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld is a young adult dystopian/science fiction novel and the first book of the Uglies Quartet. Published in 2005, Uglies was awarded the ALA 2006 Best Books for Young Adults award, the ALA 2006 Popular Paperback for Young Adults award, the Kirkus Editor’s Choice award, and the SLJ Best Book of the Year award. Uglies is followed by Pretties, Specials, and Extras.
This guide uses the May 2011 Simon & Schuster BFYR paperback edition.
Content Warning: This study guide contains extensive discussions of issues related to physical appearance and body image.
Plot Summary
The novel is set in a futuristic dystopian society based on aesthetic beauty. Citizens are segregated based on their appearance. Children, known as “uglies,” live in Uglyville until they turn 16. At that age, they undergo surgical procedures to alter and enhance their appearance. Teenagers who have completed surgery are called “pretties” and live in New Pretty Town.
Tally Youngblood is a 15-year-old “ugly” waiting to turn 16 so she can get the surgery to become a “pretty” and reunite with her best friend, Peris. Dismayed by their long separation, Tally sneaks over to New Pretty Town to see him, but she is surprised and heartbroken when he sends her away to wait.
Unlock all 90 pages of this Study Guide
Plus, gain access to 8,900+ more expert-written Study Guides.
Including features:
Related Titles
By Scott Westerfeld
