As an avid fan of Westerfeld's Midnighters series, I was one of many firestarters who created a small hub of Westerfeld "worshippers" here at our branch library after the first, The Secret Hour came to print. So I'm surprised it has taken me over two years to finally get around to reading his next engaging YA science fiction series. This title, Uglies, comes recommended not only by myself, but by others who enjoy reading YA lit (teens, as an ex-bookseller I remember this title being purchased often by teens regardless of their recognition of the author, and librarians alike located in INDEP, MO).

Our current twenty-first century civilization (aka "life as we know it") is one now taught in textbooks; old history told in the form of ghost stories to educate young "uglies" of our inferior and destructive race. Uglies, you say? Anyone under the age of 16, who has yet to have the operation (similar to those seen on Nip/Tuck) performed upon their willing selves. The result of this surgery has conditioned society to believe that being "pretty" is the next step to growing up. Besides looking gorgeous, pretties have practically anything they desire: parties, food, drinks. Longingly watching from across the river in Uglyville, this high rolling lifestyle is what most uglies crave, including our female protangonist: Tally, 15 yrs 9 months. On the day of her 16th birthday, Tally and her friend Shay are supposed to have this surgery done together. But Shay runs away and Talley is given a choice: to find and betray her friend or remain an ugly forever. What may seem like a slow start, the friendships formed and lost are essential to the remainder of the series. This world of deception and lies is endowed with plenty of action sequences and forces Tally's firecracker teen spirit to question her beliefs.

Now dear readers, when you see the name Westerfeld on shelves or in the hands of wiley teens, remember futuristic worlds, action thrillers, a well known and appreciated author in the YA lit field. In other words, as my teen group says "Westerfeld! Westerfeld! RAH! RAH! RAH!"