Pretties is the second book in the Uglies series, by Scott Westerfeld. This review contains some spoilers about the first novel.

P retties did not go exactly as I expected. At the end of the first book, Uglies, Tally agrees to take the experimental medication that will hopefully take away the lesions the pretty surgery places on the brain. In order to see if the medication is going to work, Tally has to have the pretty surgery. The last line of the first book is, "I'm Tally Yongblood, make me pretty."

I have to say I was a little dissapointed that she was going to become pretty. I loved the idea of the heroine not conforming to social standards. In the book Pretties, the story turns as Tally conforms to social standards and then has to learn to fight against them.

Pretties opens up with with Tally pretty and in new pretty town. Her biggest concern of the day is finding something to wear to a party. She is found at the party by someone from the first book who gives her clues to the location of the medicine and the note she wrote herself saying why taking the medicine to cure the pretty lesions was necessary. Zane, one of her pretty friends, decides to help her and takes the medicine with her. This is where the book got a little frustrating for me. I LOVED David from the last book. I thought he was perfect for Tally and their romance made me smile. Now there was Zane, whom I also loved, but for different reasons. I couldn't decide who I loved more and it broke my heart that I knew she couldn't be with both. I won't ruin that part, but the whole situation made me sad.

Pretties was good. I read it very fast and it made me want to finish the triology, but it also suffered from "middle-book syndrome." I often find that the middle book in a trilogy tends to stagnate a little bit. They are meant to move the story along, but they can't move it along too much or you won't finish the series. I felt that at times with this book. Sometimes I was so aggravated that the author wouldn't give me more information. I kept feeling like he was holding back for something bigger in the last book, but it also made this book not as good as it could have been.

Overall, a good, simple read about what happens when Utopian societies go wrong. This book, although not the best book you will ever read, will propel you into the next book.

P.S. I didn't review this book for any reason other than I love reading!