One of the "Ugly People" Trilogy - Ugly People

Author: Scott Westerfeld
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Fantasy Paradise, Rebellious Youth. A futuristic world of ultra-technology filled with confusion and conspiracy, the love, personality, and adventures of an extraordinary girl. This book won the 2005 American Library Association Best Young Adult Book Award. It was named the Best Fantasy Novel of the Year by the renowned review journal Kirkus. This book received a five-star review on Amazon for its meaning of beauty, personality, and betrayal. I believe this book absolutely deserves the 2006 Hugo Award (the highest award in fantasy literature). It not only provides young readers with an exhilarating adventure story but also makes readers reflect on how to constantly self-reflect and make the right choices during their growth. – Holden Prasse (Famous book critic)
"The beginning and end of the story are full of suspense, and the alternative description of the future world suggests that this will be a wonderful series." – Kirkus Reviews
"Reasonable plot, making it highly readable, including the description of high-tech in the future world and the satirical commentary on current public policies. Fortunately, the gripping ending doesn’t end but instead hints at a series of exciting stories to come." – School Library Journal
"As the first book of a trilogy, this book raises many thought-provoking questions— the true meaning of beauty, personality, and betrayal. For science fiction fans and all readers who love thought-provoking, thrilling adventures, this book is highly recommended." – Coryat Reviews
In a perfect fantasy paradise 300 years in the future, Tally, like other children, eagerly awaits her sixteenth birthday. On that day, she will be carefully arranged by the "Beauty Committee" to transform from a repulsive ugliness into a stunning beauty, stepping into a magnificent, high-tech fantasy paradise—Beauty City. But Tally’s newly made friend, Shay, disappears. Shay leaves behind a mysterious note and a legend about "Dust." The "Special Circumstances Department" gives Tally a terrible choice: find Shay and "Dust," or she will forever lose the chance to become a stunning beauty!
Leaving the talking rooms and discarding the interface rings that constantly monitor her, Tally glides on a flying skateboard toward the legendary "Dust." Crossing the remnants of the "Rust Kingdom," she personally experiences the natural charm of rivers, sunrises, and sunsets. Tally’s "Dust" leaves her both horrified and curious. She meets a mysterious boy named David, slowly learns about the existence of people who don’t want to become "beauties," and discovers the major secret hidden by the "Dust" guardian of "Beauty City."
However, her tracker leads to the near-total destruction of "Dust" in an instant, and an even harder choice lies before her.
She effortlessly travels through time between 300 years in the past and the future, painting a dreamlike future world in a misty, vast fantasy cloud. There are anime-like images, dazzling sci-fi scenes, and deeply moving friendships, love, and confusion of a teenage girl. Is perfection truly beautiful? Does beauty need personality? Can people truly confront their inner selves and essence only by abandoning the cookie-cutter standards of beauty? This is a book worth reading for all beautiful and unbeautiful people, sparking deep reflections on human destiny and painting a symbolic, lingeringly beautiful tapestry!