XVI by Julia KarrPenguin
January 6th, 2011
Nina Oberon's life is pretty normal: she hangs out with
her best friend, Sandy, and their crew, goes to school, plays with her little
sister, Dee. But Nina is 15. And like all girls she'll receive a Governing
Council-ordered tattoo on her 16th birthday. XVI. Those three letters will be
branded on her wrist, announcing to all the world-even the most predatory of
men-that she is ready for sex. Considered easy prey by some, portrayed by the
Media as sluts who ask for attacks, becoming a "sex-teen" is Nina's worst fear.
That is, until right before her birthday, when Nina's mom is brutally attacked.
With her dying breaths, she reveals to Nina a shocking truth about her past-one
that destroys everything Nina thought she knew. Now, alone but for her sister,
Nina must try to discover who she really is, all the while staying one step
ahead of her mother's killer.
I have to say, I neither loved nor hated this book. It was okay and a read that wasn't entirely too memorable. The concept was wonderful and I really wanted to see how Julia combined teenage sexuality and media. And the things was: I didn't get any background noise. I like knowing the history behind why things happen, what made it come to that point, etcc. But I didn't get any of that, which didn't let me fully enjoy what I was reading. I liked the characters, especially Wei and Sal, and Nina was a good character to read about. The end of the book did lift itself up for me, getting a lot more action-packed but in the end, it was simply an enjoyable read.
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Simon Pulse
February 8th, 2005
Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. Not
for her license -- for turning pretty. In Tally's world, your sixteenth birthday
brings an operation that turns you from a repellent ugly into a stunningly
attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only
job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks Tally will be there.
But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to be pretty. She'd rather
risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new
side of the pretty world -- and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer
Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or
never turn pretty at all. The choice Tally makes changes her world forever.
This is the book that awakened my love for Scott's books! Another dystopian, Uglies is what happens when people become so obsessed with beauty and image that it tears society apart. In Tally Youngblood's world, at sixteen you have a surgery to cure any imperfections and you move to the other side of town. That's where all the "pretty" people live and you don't have to work, go to school, or really do anything besides be beautiful and go to parties. But because of her friend Shay, she gets thrown on a wild adventure into the Smokes, where Uglies who don't believe in the operation run from this crazy government! These books are amazing and the characters in it are as well. I liked how Tally's opinions changed over the course of the book, as well as what she wanted for herself!
The concept was beautiful and the development of not only the plot, but the characters throughout the books, really made the story for me. Pretties was the least favorite of the four but definitely don't let it make you quit because Specials is the best one!
Happy Reading!
-Harmony
-Harmony
