Title: Pretties
Series: Uglies, book 2
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Publisher: Recorded Books
Narrator: Carine Montbertrand
Duration: 11 hours, 10 minutes
Copyright: 2006
Genres: science fiction, action, young adult
Filed in: Audiobook reviews
THE GIST: Tally Youngblood is pretty and all is right with the world. She vaguely remembers her Ugly days in the Smoke, but that’s all just a bad dream now. All she has to worry about these days is how to dress for parties, and which clique to join. But someone is stalking her. Someone wearing a Special Circumstances uniform.
Tally finally confronts the stalker and he explains that he was sent there to give her something. The letter he gives her explains how the founder of the Smoke, (a doctor who used to perform the pretty operation), has found a cure that will return people to their former, free-thinking, selves. All they need is a test subject to make sure it works. According to the letter, Tally volunteered to go undercover, get the pretty operation, and be that test subject. Tally is horrified, but here’s the kicker; the letter is signed, (dramatic pause), Tally Youngblood! Along with the letter, are two little white pills.
The cure works, but now Tally and her friends must escape New Pretty Town and rejoin the Smoke so they can start planning how to bring the cure to the entire city. But these kids know how to make an exit! They lead the authorities on a thrilling chase which involves a daring hover-board leap from a hot-air balloon! Tally is not out of the woods yet, though, (pun intended). Her miscalculated leap to freedom has left her stranded in the uncharted woods outside the city without a hover-board. Also, it seems that she is not alone. Maybe these woods are not uncharted after all.
MY THOUGHTS: “Pretties” is the second audio book in Scott Westerfeld’s “Uglies” series, and again, I am struck by the amount of thought and detail hehas put into his futuristic world, set 300 years in our own future. He really sseems to have thought of everything, including how our own society collapsed; a bio-engineered plague that attacks all oil and petroleum products, rendering them useless. Imagine what that would do to the world as we know it!
One of my favorite Westerfeld inventions is the bungee jacket. They are stored on the roofs of buildings in case of fire. Very clever!
NARRATOR: Carine Montbertrand delivers another solid performance. I mentioned once before how much I like to see one narrator perform an entire series of audio books so I won't mention it again. Oops, I just did.
FINAL WORD: Even though “Pretties” was written for younger readers, I think this audio book will appeal to readers of all ages. It’s full of clever futuristic gadgets and has plenty of adventure and action to keep you turning pages.
CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS:
“Uglies” by Scott Westerfeld
“Pretties” by Scott Westerfeld
“Specials" by Scott Westerfeld
“Extras" by Scott Westerfeld
If you liked this audiobook review, you can purchase the audiobook here:
Get "Uglies", The Collector's Set: Uglies, Pretties, Specials, Extras from Amazon.com
This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audio book.
Audio book review by Steven Brandt
Come back soon for more audiobook reviews from Audiobook-Heaven
Yup, I think I'd like this trilogy. When I read the title I thought, "Just what we need, a vanity driven story." But this sounds like a lot more than a vanity story. This sounds like an adventure story!
ReplyDeleteWay to go Master Stormcrow! ;-)
I was telling a choir mate about the Uglies last night, and she's curious, so I'm gonna point her here :)
ReplyDeleteJust finished 'Pretties' last night. I didn't like it as much as 'Uglies' but it was still good. Man those pretties drink a lot haha! Now to see if I can get my hands on 'Specials'...
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