Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

370 pages

"Tally has finally become pretty. Now her looks are beyond perfect, her clothes are awesome, her boyfriend is totally hot, and she's completely popular. It's everything she's ever wanted.

But beneath all the fun--the nonstop parties, the high-tech luxury, the total freedom--is a nagging sense that's something's wrong. Something important. Then a message from Tally's ugly past arrives. Reading it, Tally remembers what's wrong with pretty life, and the fun stops cold.

Now she has to choose between fighting to forget what she knows and fighting for her life--because the authorities don't intend to let anyone with this information survive." -Back Cover

*SPOILERS*
I liked this second book in the series better than I thought I would. I liked Tally a lot in the first book and I was reluctant to "see" her become pretty and lose her feistiness. But, I also felt that that journey was probably a necessary one to show us what's really wrong with the pretty world. I was also reluctant to add another love interest. I liked David's character in the first book and I liked their relationship, basing love on personality rather than looks, but Zane's character wound up being a nice addition. (I shouldn't read reviews of books in a series before I've read the books.) Zane is more than just pretty. He's thoughtful, feels remorse, and wants to be free. I thought his feelings and relationship with Tally were believable and eventually I wasn't sure who I wanted her to be with.

I liked how the author made the lines between right and wrong somewhat blurry. As a reader you can almost be convinced that the pretty world isn't all that bad. After all, everyone gets along. There's no crime and life's a party. Except for the fact that there's no choice. Tally and Zane have to fight to stay "bubbly" and think clearly. I really liked how Croy made finding the cure into a puzzle that forced Tally to come out of the haze and have to think. The ending was pretty heartbreaking. When you find out why Zane is having such bad headaches you just wish Tally could catch a break for once and not feel like everything is her fault. And you feel so bad for Zane. I liked how she describes being torn between two loves from two different lives. In the end I would have made the same decision she did. Tally has changed. Her experiences have made her a different person. She reminded me a little of Katniss from The Hunger Games. She's a strong female character and I just hope she can retain that part of her, the strength and bravery that makes us root for her, throughout the rest of the series and stay true to who she was in the beginning. That was my biggest complaint about Katniss. She felt like a completely different person by the end of the series, too damaged by what she'd been through to have any fight left in her at all. I'm hoping that doesn't happen to Tally.

I had one of those "NOOOOOO!" moments at the end of this book. Shay is a complex character. You want to hate her and feel like she's a villain but you're not quite sure she is because she's a victim of circumstance too. She still feels like a girl who just wants to be with her friend...albeit a friend that she also hates. Book 3 should be interesting. I'm at least relieved that Tally doesn't become a Special by choice. I sure hope Dr. Cable gets what she deserves.