Extras by Scott Westerfeld Book Review

Extras by Scott Westerfeld

First Published: 2007

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Pages: 400

Rating: 4*

Extras on goodreads.com

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. 

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

Welcome to Love Charlie Read

Hello, I'm Charlotte. Otherwise known as Charlie, and there are two things that I love to do most: Read and Crochet. I already have a blog for my crochet journey but it is only recently I thought that I should keep a blog for the books I'm reading and those that I enjoy. More importantly, I believe it will do me good to keep up with a blog and try not to forget about it. 

So, here we go... And you can already figure out by my lack of poetic and metaphorical language that I am no expert. I am not an English Literature student and I haven't studied English since High School. I write how I speak, and books are just something I am passionate about. Sometimes I can go through patches in life where I don't read for a month - but most of the time I have a stack of books on my bedside table. (Much to the dislike of my Girlfriend who likes things to be tidy) 

If I could transport you to the home of my dreams, there would be bookshelves as tall as giants, holding hands around the room, absolutely packed with books in all colours and conditions. The room turns into a den, with fairy lights strung everywhere, cushions and blankets on the floor with baskets of wool and crochet hooks. Candles lit and a warm glow fills the air, making it cosy and inviting. A big teapot filled to the brim with green tea, and my favourite mug ready for me. As C.S Lewis stated. " you can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me" It smells like Christmas; old books, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, chocolate, fresh cotton and in this fantasy cave of mine, you can be transported all around the world, into the future and way back into the past. You can sit up straight or stand up, lie down on your belly or chill on your back. Any way you like, you can enjoy the wonders of being a book lover. I want to share some of this passion with you. I invite you to my comfortable world of books. I encourage you to read and share your thoughts. I look forward to sharing my books with you. 

Love Charlie, Xx