Pretties presents a Tally who is different the one we met in Uglies, her vocabulary transformed to make her feel like a new narrator while keeping her underlying personality. It’s a really good portrayal of memory loss and identity.‬

Her relationship with Shay is complex and dynamic, and I like the Crims as a group. This book explores more the world established in Uglies, especially in ways that show the underlying systems of control which are in place.

I appreciate the handling of the dynamics with Zane and David, especially the message that you can have had a good relationship with someone but not want to return to it later on because you’re different people. It’s dystopian, so the time horizon for this change is pretty extreme, but it’s still a good message. As a book for teens, taking the time to say this is really important, given that the series establishes multiple romantic interests in the first place.