Extras by Scott Westerfeld
First Published: 2007
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 400
Rating: 4*
Extras is available in Paperback for £6.99 or £4.99 on Kindle at Amazon.co.uk
I am so pleased to tell you that Westerfeld has redeemed himself after the disappointing 'Specials'. As with the previous three books in this series, I love the front cover. I think it is the clean cut edges and metallic shimmer highlighting a specific detail. On 'Extras', the pupil of an eye has a shimmery green circuit board which ties in very well with the themes within the story-line.
Extras was a lovely ending to the quartet, and I appreciated the differences between this book and the first three books. Extras is set years after 'Prettytime' was ended and the 'Diego' War. Thankfully, Tally, Shay, Fausto and the Cutters still make an appearance. I have come to the conclusion that Tally's transition into a Special is what triggered my dislike of the penultimate book - Specials. I believe that Westerfeld turned her into a dislike-able character with unfriendly characteristics. I understand that these characteristics are traits of being a 'Special' however it altered my relationship as a reader with the main character.
Extras was a lovely ending to the quartet, and I appreciated the differences between this book and the first three books. Extras is set years after 'Prettytime' was ended and the 'Diego' War. Thankfully, Tally, Shay, Fausto and the Cutters still make an appearance. I have come to the conclusion that Tally's transition into a Special is what triggered my dislike of the penultimate book - Specials. I believe that Westerfeld turned her into a dislike-able character with unfriendly characteristics. I understand that these characteristics are traits of being a 'Special' however it altered my relationship as a reader with the main character.
In Extras, we have a new main character, 'Aya'. Aya lives in a vastly different world than when Tally was an Ugly. There are practically zero Bubbleheads, fame and reputation are the currency and technology has advanced enormously. I was grateful for the change of setting as it made the series interesting again and there was more to learn.
The final book carried on from the trilogy with themes of conservation, waste, and recycling. There are good messages in this book about our commodified and manufactured culture. I think it is a relevant topic that is emphasised in current media and it fits the context of important issues raised within education.
The ending was abrupt and I admit here that as much as I wanted to finish this series, I wasn't ready for the book to end and was shocked when I reached the last page. Therefore I can wrap up this review saying that I honestly enjoyed the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld despite being disappointed with the third book 'Specials'.
My favourite book was of course, the first one as it set the scene and outlined characters. There is always a lot to learn in the first of a series and as a reader, I felt I was being taken on an adventure - but I also enjoyed the second and last equally. Overall, I would rate the complete series at 3.5*.
I recommend Uglies and the following books!
Love Charlie, Xx
