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Uglies
Mind-Rain: Your Favorite Authors on Scott Westerfeld's Uglies Series
Set in a future where cosmetic surgery is a requirement at age 16 and attractiveness is mandated, Scott Westerfeld’s popular Uglies series has received critical acclaim from the press and public alike. Chock-full of action, adventure and teenage rebellion, there’s no question why Uglies has attracted thousands of fans. In Mind-Rain, popular authors examine the series and delve into the underlying themes. What sort of critiques are Uglies, Pretties, Specials and Extras making about the real world? Is there more behind Tally, David and Shay?Mind-Rain is a collection of smart, analytical and completely unauthorized eessays on Scott Westerfeld’s wildly popular Uglies series. Westerfeld’s written introduction gives readers insight from the person who knows the series best!
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 31, 2007
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1691 people want to read
About the author
Scott Westerfeld
89 books21.3k followersScott Westerfeld is a New York Times bestselling author of YA. He is best known for the Uglies and Leviathan series. His current series, IMPOSTORS, returns to the world of Uglies.
The next book in that series, MIRROR'S EDGE, comes out April 6, 2021.
The next book in that series, MIRROR'S EDGE, comes out April 6, 2021.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
January 30, 2010
What a great collection of essays! I was going to read for a bit over coffee then finally go see Downey’s Sherlock Holmes, but I ended up ditching the entertaining movie to spend my day off with a book of literary criticism. Among the mix are essays that go into the psychology of the characters, ones that look at cultural, scientific, and literary predecessors and themes, and two influential short stories, each with a short introduction by Westerfeld. Some of the essays argue that Tally is a mostly passive protagonist and others argue that she is all “chutzpah! Guts! Cunning! Daring!” (Sobat) One makes the case that Shay is a much more intelligent, capable hero than Tally and another that the main motivating force behind the action in the story is Shay’s hidden romantic love for her. A couple draw interesting parallels between Tally and Dr. Cable. And much more.
Although each had its own voice and style, I generally found them to be accessible yet thoughtful, what I would consider prime examples of critical analysis. The variety of different reactions among the essayists makes the collection a model for book discussions, and I could easily see it incorporated into classrooms. Those reactions also accentuated the fact that a book’s meaning is determined in the interplay between the writer and reader. Perhaps most importantly, this book deepened my appreciation of Westerfeld’s books and their complexity of theme, character, and story. An added bonus is that it introduced me to a number of new authors. I love that the bio info for each is at the end of the essay instead of the beginning so that I had context and curiosity about the authors by the time I read them.
Some bits that I especially liked:
From “Two Princes” by Sarah Beth Durst
Shay is about as emotionally mature as my cat. (I adore my cat, but her favorite pastime is to roll onto her back as if she’s inviting you to pet her fuzzy belly and then attempt to gnaw your hand off at the wrist.)
-----
She’s the one that he pushes to take calorie-purging pills because, he says, hunger sharpens the mind. (For the record, it doesn’t sharpen my mind. When I’m hungry, all I think is “food, food, food” like the dog in that fake-bacon commercial. But hey, if it works for them, great.)
From “Challenging the Gods” by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Human beings are strange creatures. We don’t just like conformity, we’re engineered for it. As a species and a society, we tend to ostracize those who are too different. From an evolutionary perspective, this makes sense, but sociologically it can lead to the equivalent of inbreeding: cultural stagnation and complacency.
Maybe that’s why people around the world have legends of disobedient characters who bring needed change to the world. There are gods like Loki in Scandinavia, the Monkey-King in China, and Coyote in the traditions of the Native American Southwest. Other tales feature animals, like Anansi the spider, in Eastern African stories, and Br’er Rabbit, a combination of Native and African-American folktales.
These trickster characters are always wily and clever (even though their vanity or pride can make them rash or foolish), and their actions are often not very heroic in the traditional sense. They hoax and manipulate, they break rules, and they always shake up the status quo. The trickster is a character who makes things happen and challenges the system. . . .
The freedom to think for oneself is exactly what Tally Youngblood brought to the pretties. This is the metaphorical fire from the gods that Prometheus gave to humankind. And here is the big difference between Tally and Dr. Cable. Tricksters do in myth and story what these outside-edges-of-the-bell-curve people have done throughout history. They make things happen. They make change happen.
From “Beauty Smackdown” by Janette Rallison
We can claim we aren’t affected by looks, but the way we spend our money says differently. So have several clinical studies too boring to quote. In summary they basically say that good-looking people get more attention, more dates, better jobs, and even increased leniency in criminal sentences. I would put footnotes here, but really, does anyone out there doubt this information?
-----
But here’s one of those book club questions that will carry you through several chocolate chip cookies: Is the beautiful-but-stupid person a valid stereotype or just a bunch of sour grapes from the less-gorgeous masses? And if there is a correlation between beauty and stupidity, is it something people are born with or just a byproduct of the way good-looking people are treated? . . .
So how is it possible that we as a society want to be attractive, yet at the same time look down on beautiful people?
-----
Love no longer has the power to make ugly things, like Zane’s shaky movements, desirable in Tally’s eyes. She asks, “What did Dr. Cable do to us, Shay? Do we have some kind of special lesions in our brains? Something that makes everyone else look pathetic? Like we’re better than them?” (Specials)
Shay’s answer--that they are better, and that everyone else looks confused and pitiful because they are--is good evidence that Shay either has brain lesions or has just been voted homecoming queen, one of the two.
From “Conformity by Design” by Linda Gerber
In the United States, we have an old adage that says, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” Japan has a similar saying with a much different take on things: “The nail that stands up gets beaten down.” . . .
Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. We all saw what enforced conformity did to Tally’s society. But that’s the point. Not all societies and cultures are the same. In our Western world, we are taught to value individuality, but many Asian cultures such as Japan value sameness in pursuit of social harmony.
Which philosophy is better? With conformity, a society runs more efficiently and maintains its current state, but with individuality, the encouragement of new ideas advances society (or pulls it back, depending on the idea). With conformity comes peaceful living and with individualism comes cultural productivity. Both offer desirable--though different--outcomes. In the words of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, “You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.” Perhaps the best we can hope for is to appreciate the value of each point of view.
-----
In the end, that might be the important distinction, not conformity versus individuality, but choice versus no choice.
From “Liking What You See: A Documentary” by Ted Chiang
Brain damage is never a good idea, no matter what your friends say.
From “Naturally Unnatural” by Will Shetterly
We have never been content with our natural selves. Before recorded history, we began changing our looks by cutting our hair; tattooing, piercing, and scarring our skin; filing our teeth, binding our feet; elongating our necks; and reshaping our skulls. Modifying ourselves must be a basic human instinct. We do it for social reasons, to identify with a group. We do it for sexual reasons, to be more attractive to people within a group. We do it for spiritual reasons: shaven heads and unshorn hair are ways to show that we’ve taken a religious path. We change ourselves so naturally that we often fail to notice we are doing it: Conservative Jewish, Christian, and Muslim teachers agree that people should not alter the natural bodies that God gave us—and to show we believe our God-given bodies are perfect, men should be circumcised and women should cover their hair.
From “The S-Word” by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Maybe the people in charge didn’t realize that they were only telling half the story. Maybe they weren’t hoarding scientific knowledge as a means of wielding power over the rest of the population. Maybe, deep down, Dr. Cable is made of lollipops and pixie dust.
But I doubt it.
Hoarding scientific knowledge gives you a certain kind of power--the kind that allows you to endorse whatever “truth” best suits your needs. From the perspective of the people in charge, full scientific disclosure would be a nightmare. Far better for them to just legitimize their own views by giving the world a taste of science than to allow the populace to think scientifically about things themselves.
-----
Dr. Cable goes so far as to specifically seek out as her subjects people who oppose her at every turn. It takes a very special kind of genius to think that it is a good idea to make one’s own enemies faster, stronger, crueler, and harder to defeat than they otherwise would be. Personally, no matter how tempting it might be, I make it a policy not to surgically bestow near invincibility upon the people who would most like to see me dead.
From “Lies and Consequences” by Delia Sherman
History suggests that most people don’t mind being manipulated as much as you might think.
Although each had its own voice and style, I generally found them to be accessible yet thoughtful, what I would consider prime examples of critical analysis. The variety of different reactions among the essayists makes the collection a model for book discussions, and I could easily see it incorporated into classrooms. Those reactions also accentuated the fact that a book’s meaning is determined in the interplay between the writer and reader. Perhaps most importantly, this book deepened my appreciation of Westerfeld’s books and their complexity of theme, character, and story. An added bonus is that it introduced me to a number of new authors. I love that the bio info for each is at the end of the essay instead of the beginning so that I had context and curiosity about the authors by the time I read them.
Some bits that I especially liked:
From “Two Princes” by Sarah Beth Durst
Shay is about as emotionally mature as my cat. (I adore my cat, but her favorite pastime is to roll onto her back as if she’s inviting you to pet her fuzzy belly and then attempt to gnaw your hand off at the wrist.)
-----
She’s the one that he pushes to take calorie-purging pills because, he says, hunger sharpens the mind. (For the record, it doesn’t sharpen my mind. When I’m hungry, all I think is “food, food, food” like the dog in that fake-bacon commercial. But hey, if it works for them, great.)
From “Challenging the Gods” by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Human beings are strange creatures. We don’t just like conformity, we’re engineered for it. As a species and a society, we tend to ostracize those who are too different. From an evolutionary perspective, this makes sense, but sociologically it can lead to the equivalent of inbreeding: cultural stagnation and complacency.
Maybe that’s why people around the world have legends of disobedient characters who bring needed change to the world. There are gods like Loki in Scandinavia, the Monkey-King in China, and Coyote in the traditions of the Native American Southwest. Other tales feature animals, like Anansi the spider, in Eastern African stories, and Br’er Rabbit, a combination of Native and African-American folktales.
These trickster characters are always wily and clever (even though their vanity or pride can make them rash or foolish), and their actions are often not very heroic in the traditional sense. They hoax and manipulate, they break rules, and they always shake up the status quo. The trickster is a character who makes things happen and challenges the system. . . .
The freedom to think for oneself is exactly what Tally Youngblood brought to the pretties. This is the metaphorical fire from the gods that Prometheus gave to humankind. And here is the big difference between Tally and Dr. Cable. Tricksters do in myth and story what these outside-edges-of-the-bell-curve people have done throughout history. They make things happen. They make change happen.
From “Beauty Smackdown” by Janette Rallison
We can claim we aren’t affected by looks, but the way we spend our money says differently. So have several clinical studies too boring to quote. In summary they basically say that good-looking people get more attention, more dates, better jobs, and even increased leniency in criminal sentences. I would put footnotes here, but really, does anyone out there doubt this information?
-----
But here’s one of those book club questions that will carry you through several chocolate chip cookies: Is the beautiful-but-stupid person a valid stereotype or just a bunch of sour grapes from the less-gorgeous masses? And if there is a correlation between beauty and stupidity, is it something people are born with or just a byproduct of the way good-looking people are treated? . . .
So how is it possible that we as a society want to be attractive, yet at the same time look down on beautiful people?
-----
Love no longer has the power to make ugly things, like Zane’s shaky movements, desirable in Tally’s eyes. She asks, “What did Dr. Cable do to us, Shay? Do we have some kind of special lesions in our brains? Something that makes everyone else look pathetic? Like we’re better than them?” (Specials)
Shay’s answer--that they are better, and that everyone else looks confused and pitiful because they are--is good evidence that Shay either has brain lesions or has just been voted homecoming queen, one of the two.
From “Conformity by Design” by Linda Gerber
In the United States, we have an old adage that says, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” Japan has a similar saying with a much different take on things: “The nail that stands up gets beaten down.” . . .
Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. We all saw what enforced conformity did to Tally’s society. But that’s the point. Not all societies and cultures are the same. In our Western world, we are taught to value individuality, but many Asian cultures such as Japan value sameness in pursuit of social harmony.
Which philosophy is better? With conformity, a society runs more efficiently and maintains its current state, but with individuality, the encouragement of new ideas advances society (or pulls it back, depending on the idea). With conformity comes peaceful living and with individualism comes cultural productivity. Both offer desirable--though different--outcomes. In the words of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, “You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.” Perhaps the best we can hope for is to appreciate the value of each point of view.
-----
In the end, that might be the important distinction, not conformity versus individuality, but choice versus no choice.
From “Liking What You See: A Documentary” by Ted Chiang
Brain damage is never a good idea, no matter what your friends say.
From “Naturally Unnatural” by Will Shetterly
We have never been content with our natural selves. Before recorded history, we began changing our looks by cutting our hair; tattooing, piercing, and scarring our skin; filing our teeth, binding our feet; elongating our necks; and reshaping our skulls. Modifying ourselves must be a basic human instinct. We do it for social reasons, to identify with a group. We do it for sexual reasons, to be more attractive to people within a group. We do it for spiritual reasons: shaven heads and unshorn hair are ways to show that we’ve taken a religious path. We change ourselves so naturally that we often fail to notice we are doing it: Conservative Jewish, Christian, and Muslim teachers agree that people should not alter the natural bodies that God gave us—and to show we believe our God-given bodies are perfect, men should be circumcised and women should cover their hair.
From “The S-Word” by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Maybe the people in charge didn’t realize that they were only telling half the story. Maybe they weren’t hoarding scientific knowledge as a means of wielding power over the rest of the population. Maybe, deep down, Dr. Cable is made of lollipops and pixie dust.
But I doubt it.
Hoarding scientific knowledge gives you a certain kind of power--the kind that allows you to endorse whatever “truth” best suits your needs. From the perspective of the people in charge, full scientific disclosure would be a nightmare. Far better for them to just legitimize their own views by giving the world a taste of science than to allow the populace to think scientifically about things themselves.
-----
Dr. Cable goes so far as to specifically seek out as her subjects people who oppose her at every turn. It takes a very special kind of genius to think that it is a good idea to make one’s own enemies faster, stronger, crueler, and harder to defeat than they otherwise would be. Personally, no matter how tempting it might be, I make it a policy not to surgically bestow near invincibility upon the people who would most like to see me dead.
From “Lies and Consequences” by Delia Sherman
History suggests that most people don’t mind being manipulated as much as you might think.
July 10, 2009
a collection of essays on the uglies series, with the addition of a couple of short stories that inspired westerfeld in the first place.
if you like the series, i would really recommend this. i loved the essays, and seeing how different people reacted to the same books. i liked disagreeing with some, and being like, YES! EXACTLY! with others.
robin wasserman's essay is my favorite, about how shay is a heroine trapped in the role of the sidekick. an interesting pairing is the essay on why tally matches the classic "hero" trope. diana peterfreund's essay on "team shay" is genius - even if i don't agree entirely.
i also loved the essay comparing tally and dr. cable, who really aren't as different as they think - i especially liked it since it reminded me of why Extras just didn't fit into the series for me.
really quite lovely. (and i didn't read the kindle edition, btw.)
if you like the series, i would really recommend this. i loved the essays, and seeing how different people reacted to the same books. i liked disagreeing with some, and being like, YES! EXACTLY! with others.
robin wasserman's essay is my favorite, about how shay is a heroine trapped in the role of the sidekick. an interesting pairing is the essay on why tally matches the classic "hero" trope. diana peterfreund's essay on "team shay" is genius - even if i don't agree entirely.
i also loved the essay comparing tally and dr. cable, who really aren't as different as they think - i especially liked it since it reminded me of why Extras just didn't fit into the series for me.
really quite lovely. (and i didn't read the kindle edition, btw.)
February 5, 2008
I didn't find this book a great read. It seemed repetitive in some parts. He did have some interesting views of the characters and how their names related to their personalities/families. I found myself wondering how much longer until the end or at least until something else interesting would be brought up. There were some good points brought up in this book...just not enough to have made it worth the read.
February 17, 2022
i felt like that first bonus book was kind of a waste but THIS is interesting i would love to read essays about a book series i loved more than this one (i did love it once upon a time but on reread not as much) even though there were takes some of these authors had that i heavily disagree with which i'm gonna complain about here :)
all the glitters is not hovery: the defense of teens! yes! thank you! people really criticize teens for the dumbest shit and act like they weren't once the same way ANYWAY i like discussion of language too even though in actually rereading the series i got a little sick of the same words over and over haha
best friends for never: oh my god this person's opinions were soooo annoying and wrong and ignored the actual plot and nuance i have to vent about it. "tally needs zane to stay bubbly; shay needs only herself" mm does tally NEED zane, they literally say she rewired her brain her damn self BECAUSE she didn't have the second pill that was supposed to do that or whatever. not to mention, shay was literally using self harm which is NOT A GOOD THING, robin. honestly, sure, you can be mad at tally for the original betrayal plan in uglies, but she didn't steal david, it didn't even seem like he and shay were actually dating and a person can't be stolen anyway. shay is just a brat a lot of the time when tally goes against her and this whole "tally is selfish and whiny" narrative that readers have just does not ever ring true for me, but i swear people do this with every main character, ESPECIALLY teen main characters. the person who wrote this essay is just making things up in my opinion. she's basically saying tally made the choice to betray the smoke when i the end, she decided NOT to betray them, only did so inadvertently when she threw the necklace into the fire thinking that would be the end and she could stay in this new life, she didn't know doing so would bring special circumstances down on them DID YOU EVEN READ THE BOOKS. some of their defenses of shay are like, sure, valid, she doesn't deserve to be criticized for that thing but uh, is anyone anywhere criticizing her for said things? i don't think so. and why should tally be blamed for choosing zane over shay and the others, he was DYING, was she just supposed to abandon him like jesus christ i don't understand this person's opinions. they think tally should've been psychic, or really, act as if she was, as if she KNEW what would happen with each choice she made, and decided she just didn't care about negative consequences, when she didn't know any of those things would happen! obviously authors understand that sometimes readers see things in a different light, but i can't fathom how scott westerfeld included this shit in this book, they completely misunderstand his plot and main character, i hate it
team shay: not AS bad as the previous one, but they do act like tally is bad for believing the things she's been conditioned to believe since birth like hellooooo without her friends and the smoke would their precious shay have started questioning these things? maybe but maybe not. we really can't know that. AND okay, i absolutely get seeing the vibes that shay is obsessed with tally, that's definitely true, but they interpret her actions in a really creepy way (which is valid, and i hadn't considered some of them so creepy before, just Awful, like forcing tally into becoming a special), but they're a fan of her? and think somehow SHE'S the better choice of love interest than david or zane? they literally acknowledge the similarities between things shay does and what abusers do kjdfkjs i do not understand this POV at all
two princes: this was a relief after the last two essays, this person was MUCH kinder to tally and much more understanding of the actual narrative instead of just making things up to fit their opinion. and i do think it's accurate, though i really wasn't particularly invested in either relationship - i do imagine the one with zane had a LITTLE more depth to it - it definitely feels true that either one could've been right for her and it was all about that person being right at a certain time in her life
why the prince bites it: god not someone whining about fairytale heroines i can't do it. y'all sound like the people on the internet saying ariel gave up her life for a dude when she was interested in humanity long before eric! could go on about the other dumb arguments i see about disney/fairytale princesses but i won't bc that's not relevant. i get that there's a certain amount of misogyny in how some of these stories are written and that's fair to talk about, but this whole "she doesn't do anything to help herself" narrative doesn't apply to MOST of them and like, damn, sometimes people get in situations where they really can't do anything okay. i just feel they could've made points about how awesome tally is without sounding so pretentious
a special hero: yesss i generally am not interested in villains, i rarely find ones that are compellingly written, but i do like the discussion of similarities between cable and tally because yes, even though they're there (and those tally haters from previous essays would have you believe tally IS the villain herself) the important thing is how differently tally handles things THOUGH i don't necessarily like where tally ended up at the end of the trilogy, and even with the beginning of extras, i'm not sure it all totally vibed. like i understand her choosing not to undergo any more surgery or having her brain messed with because twice was enough - especially since one of the times it was not her choice, and becoming pretty was more of a sacrifice to help others but anyway - but idk, i do see how where tally ends up, she could end up trying to control things as cable did. BUT i didn't like how this person used real life comparisons. cable is evil for sure, but would you really compare her to HITLER?
challenging the gods: exactly exactly tally did things her damn self! again, those other essays acted like everything was because of shay, like sure, sometimes she was a catalyst, sometimes she did rescue tally but a lot of the time tally rescued herself! oh god another thing about those essays was how much they made it as if tally's narrative was centered around zane and david when it literally wasn't.
beauty smackdown: oh god the bit at the end where she said it's a trick question and we essentially spend five years of our lives trying to look pretty...it's so so so true, that hit hard. but the use of the mlk quote....i don't think apologizing for changing his quote like that really makes up for it!
conformity by design: always find it interesting to hear about how other cultures do things and how sometimes there's no one way that's necessarily better, it's just different. and i do think to an extent here in america there is pressure to conform. pressure to go to college, pressure to get married and have kids, etc, just because they're The Things To Do, but they're not right for everyone and that's okay!
the beautiful people: omg i remember that episode of the twilight zone, i must have made the connection to this series when i watched but i don't remember. is westerfeld acknowledging that he was inspired by this short story - which is brilliant - because uh, he has to have been right?
liking what you see: oh man i would so read this as a whole book too (though as a short story it managed to give a LOT), it sounds so interesting because there really are points on both sides on the postives and negatives of being able or not being able to tell who's beautiful
naturally unnatural: once again, the last paragraph thank you!! she is trying to do the right thing! always! also yes, always important to acknowledge that there different standards for beauty in different places and times. it's all made up, not based on fact
the s word: in these trying times, it IS important to believe science, but generally it really is important to acknowledge that it's not infallible and yes, like everything, there are agendas there, especially in the case of uglies - though how much is using actual science and how much is purely propaganda merely TELLING people that's what science says. also i hadn't thought about extras making science more accessible to the world but it really does and that is one thing in this series that would be nice to see irl
lies and consequences: tally could be self centered, yes (though that's not always a bad thing, again, choosing zane over the specials was NOT a bad thing) but bossy? i'm not sure i see that so much, especially when she's literally being bossed around by others the entire time or at the very least forced into decisions that she'd prefer not to make. and i think being a show off is more closely applicable to shay than to tally
ANYWAY i just really wanted to vent and defend tally because i know i saw similar takes on the reviews of each book and i just think people are saying things that are wildly inaccurate. of course there are valid criticisms there, but i feel like people just choose to make things up instead
all the glitters is not hovery: the defense of teens! yes! thank you! people really criticize teens for the dumbest shit and act like they weren't once the same way ANYWAY i like discussion of language too even though in actually rereading the series i got a little sick of the same words over and over haha
best friends for never: oh my god this person's opinions were soooo annoying and wrong and ignored the actual plot and nuance i have to vent about it. "tally needs zane to stay bubbly; shay needs only herself" mm does tally NEED zane, they literally say she rewired her brain her damn self BECAUSE she didn't have the second pill that was supposed to do that or whatever. not to mention, shay was literally using self harm which is NOT A GOOD THING, robin. honestly, sure, you can be mad at tally for the original betrayal plan in uglies, but she didn't steal david, it didn't even seem like he and shay were actually dating and a person can't be stolen anyway. shay is just a brat a lot of the time when tally goes against her and this whole "tally is selfish and whiny" narrative that readers have just does not ever ring true for me, but i swear people do this with every main character, ESPECIALLY teen main characters. the person who wrote this essay is just making things up in my opinion. she's basically saying tally made the choice to betray the smoke when i the end, she decided NOT to betray them, only did so inadvertently when she threw the necklace into the fire thinking that would be the end and she could stay in this new life, she didn't know doing so would bring special circumstances down on them DID YOU EVEN READ THE BOOKS. some of their defenses of shay are like, sure, valid, she doesn't deserve to be criticized for that thing but uh, is anyone anywhere criticizing her for said things? i don't think so. and why should tally be blamed for choosing zane over shay and the others, he was DYING, was she just supposed to abandon him like jesus christ i don't understand this person's opinions. they think tally should've been psychic, or really, act as if she was, as if she KNEW what would happen with each choice she made, and decided she just didn't care about negative consequences, when she didn't know any of those things would happen! obviously authors understand that sometimes readers see things in a different light, but i can't fathom how scott westerfeld included this shit in this book, they completely misunderstand his plot and main character, i hate it
team shay: not AS bad as the previous one, but they do act like tally is bad for believing the things she's been conditioned to believe since birth like hellooooo without her friends and the smoke would their precious shay have started questioning these things? maybe but maybe not. we really can't know that. AND okay, i absolutely get seeing the vibes that shay is obsessed with tally, that's definitely true, but they interpret her actions in a really creepy way (which is valid, and i hadn't considered some of them so creepy before, just Awful, like forcing tally into becoming a special), but they're a fan of her? and think somehow SHE'S the better choice of love interest than david or zane? they literally acknowledge the similarities between things shay does and what abusers do kjdfkjs i do not understand this POV at all
two princes: this was a relief after the last two essays, this person was MUCH kinder to tally and much more understanding of the actual narrative instead of just making things up to fit their opinion. and i do think it's accurate, though i really wasn't particularly invested in either relationship - i do imagine the one with zane had a LITTLE more depth to it - it definitely feels true that either one could've been right for her and it was all about that person being right at a certain time in her life
why the prince bites it: god not someone whining about fairytale heroines i can't do it. y'all sound like the people on the internet saying ariel gave up her life for a dude when she was interested in humanity long before eric! could go on about the other dumb arguments i see about disney/fairytale princesses but i won't bc that's not relevant. i get that there's a certain amount of misogyny in how some of these stories are written and that's fair to talk about, but this whole "she doesn't do anything to help herself" narrative doesn't apply to MOST of them and like, damn, sometimes people get in situations where they really can't do anything okay. i just feel they could've made points about how awesome tally is without sounding so pretentious
a special hero: yesss i generally am not interested in villains, i rarely find ones that are compellingly written, but i do like the discussion of similarities between cable and tally because yes, even though they're there (and those tally haters from previous essays would have you believe tally IS the villain herself) the important thing is how differently tally handles things THOUGH i don't necessarily like where tally ended up at the end of the trilogy, and even with the beginning of extras, i'm not sure it all totally vibed. like i understand her choosing not to undergo any more surgery or having her brain messed with because twice was enough - especially since one of the times it was not her choice, and becoming pretty was more of a sacrifice to help others but anyway - but idk, i do see how where tally ends up, she could end up trying to control things as cable did. BUT i didn't like how this person used real life comparisons. cable is evil for sure, but would you really compare her to HITLER?
challenging the gods: exactly exactly tally did things her damn self! again, those other essays acted like everything was because of shay, like sure, sometimes she was a catalyst, sometimes she did rescue tally but a lot of the time tally rescued herself! oh god another thing about those essays was how much they made it as if tally's narrative was centered around zane and david when it literally wasn't.
beauty smackdown: oh god the bit at the end where she said it's a trick question and we essentially spend five years of our lives trying to look pretty...it's so so so true, that hit hard. but the use of the mlk quote....i don't think apologizing for changing his quote like that really makes up for it!
conformity by design: always find it interesting to hear about how other cultures do things and how sometimes there's no one way that's necessarily better, it's just different. and i do think to an extent here in america there is pressure to conform. pressure to go to college, pressure to get married and have kids, etc, just because they're The Things To Do, but they're not right for everyone and that's okay!
the beautiful people: omg i remember that episode of the twilight zone, i must have made the connection to this series when i watched but i don't remember. is westerfeld acknowledging that he was inspired by this short story - which is brilliant - because uh, he has to have been right?
liking what you see: oh man i would so read this as a whole book too (though as a short story it managed to give a LOT), it sounds so interesting because there really are points on both sides on the postives and negatives of being able or not being able to tell who's beautiful
naturally unnatural: once again, the last paragraph thank you!! she is trying to do the right thing! always! also yes, always important to acknowledge that there different standards for beauty in different places and times. it's all made up, not based on fact
the s word: in these trying times, it IS important to believe science, but generally it really is important to acknowledge that it's not infallible and yes, like everything, there are agendas there, especially in the case of uglies - though how much is using actual science and how much is purely propaganda merely TELLING people that's what science says. also i hadn't thought about extras making science more accessible to the world but it really does and that is one thing in this series that would be nice to see irl
lies and consequences: tally could be self centered, yes (though that's not always a bad thing, again, choosing zane over the specials was NOT a bad thing) but bossy? i'm not sure i see that so much, especially when she's literally being bossed around by others the entire time or at the very least forced into decisions that she'd prefer not to make. and i think being a show off is more closely applicable to shay than to tally
ANYWAY i just really wanted to vent and defend tally because i know i saw similar takes on the reviews of each book and i just think people are saying things that are wildly inaccurate. of course there are valid criticisms there, but i feel like people just choose to make things up instead
September 9, 2018
It was ok. Not bad by any means just ok.
December 30, 2021
Bogus and bubbly - from the slang the characters in the Uglies use to the complicated romantic relationships and friendships, these authors help us make sense of it all.
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April 26, 2023Robin Wasserman's diss on Tally and David might just be my favorite piece of writing in this series 🙌
January 30, 2024
3.5⭐️ verging on 4 with some of the essays!
Interesting compilation of essays that dig deeper into the politics and themes in the ugliest series.
Interesting compilation of essays that dig deeper into the politics and themes in the ugliest series.
July 18, 2009
Scott Westerfeld starts the introduction to MIND RAIN with a spin on the classic quote "it takes a village to raise a child": "it takes a village to read a book." In other words, the author is not the definitive authority on the interpretation of a piece of literature. Just as every person in the proverbial village teaches the child something new, every reader brings their own unique perspective on the book to the table, and it is the discussion of these personal takes and ideas that prolongs the life of a book past the moment when the last page is turned, and moves the embedded themes from the realm of imagination to that of reality. Capitalizing on this idea, MIND RAIN is a collection of essays by contemporary Young Adult authors that continues that discourse on many of the issues that were raised by Westerfeld in his science fiction UGLIES series.
In a series of short essays that are interesting, if occasionally single-minded, YA authors weigh in on topics as diverse as identity, power, slang, and the teenage remix culture; why Shay is actually a better hero than Tally; whether David and Zane had competition in Shay; which of the two boys was better boyfriend material; how Tally measures up to heroines of fairytales past; whether Tally and Dr. Cable have more in common than meets the eye; how Tally's trickster character makes her the perfect catalyst for social change; conformity, individuality, and the similarities between Tally's society and modern Japan; the role of science and science propaganda in the UGLIES series; and the role of propaganda in general, both in the Prettytime and today. Even on the topics that are covered by several authors, there is a rather wide range of perspectives covered, and a real diversity of opinion. Take Tally's on-again off-again boyfriend David: one author's essay revealed a seething hatred for him, another thought him a bit of a sucker, and a third gave him the (by comparison) overwhelming positive compliment that he was "a decent guy."
Though several of the essay seemed a bit common sense to me, I thought that the two essays that focused on Shay (the series' sidekick figure) were incredibly insightful and well-done. "Best Friends for Never" by Robin Wasserman in particular was eye-opening. If you are anything like me, you probably didn't question too much the assumption that Tally was the hero of Westerfeld's trilogy. After reading Wasserman's essay, however, I wasn't so sure. And that is the main point of this collection: to get you thinking about aspects of the series that hadn't crossed your mind before, or else to take a closer look at those issues that had.
In addition, Westerfeld includes two short stories that were the fundamental inspiration for the series: "The Beautiful People" by Charles Beaumont, and "Liking What You See: A Documentary" by Ted Chiang. It was cool to see the translation of certain elements of these stories into the backbone for an entire best-selling series. Chiang's story in particular gave a really comprehensive look at the different sides of the issue of perceiving beauty, which is one of the fundamental themes of the series.
A note to Kindle readers: I'm not sure if this was only on the Kindle, but the footnote system that was used for this book resulted in an annoying underlining of all of the phrases that were footnoted. Also, because these footnotes were at the back of the book, it was a pain to try to read them while reading the essays they referred to. This might just be because I haven't figured out the Locations function on the Kindle yet, but I imagine it would still be annoying for people reading the book version to constantly have to flip back and forth to read the footnotes, some of which are rather funny. Thankfully the volume of footnotes drops off quite a bit after the beginning few essays.
Recommendation: I would recommend this book for anyone who is interested in continuing the discussion surrounding the much talked about UGLIES series. Though some essays were perhaps overly simplistic, there are some definite gems in here and some very thought-provoking insights.
In a series of short essays that are interesting, if occasionally single-minded, YA authors weigh in on topics as diverse as identity, power, slang, and the teenage remix culture; why Shay is actually a better hero than Tally; whether David and Zane had competition in Shay; which of the two boys was better boyfriend material; how Tally measures up to heroines of fairytales past; whether Tally and Dr. Cable have more in common than meets the eye; how Tally's trickster character makes her the perfect catalyst for social change; conformity, individuality, and the similarities between Tally's society and modern Japan; the role of science and science propaganda in the UGLIES series; and the role of propaganda in general, both in the Prettytime and today. Even on the topics that are covered by several authors, there is a rather wide range of perspectives covered, and a real diversity of opinion. Take Tally's on-again off-again boyfriend David: one author's essay revealed a seething hatred for him, another thought him a bit of a sucker, and a third gave him the (by comparison) overwhelming positive compliment that he was "a decent guy."
Though several of the essay seemed a bit common sense to me, I thought that the two essays that focused on Shay (the series' sidekick figure) were incredibly insightful and well-done. "Best Friends for Never" by Robin Wasserman in particular was eye-opening. If you are anything like me, you probably didn't question too much the assumption that Tally was the hero of Westerfeld's trilogy. After reading Wasserman's essay, however, I wasn't so sure. And that is the main point of this collection: to get you thinking about aspects of the series that hadn't crossed your mind before, or else to take a closer look at those issues that had.
In addition, Westerfeld includes two short stories that were the fundamental inspiration for the series: "The Beautiful People" by Charles Beaumont, and "Liking What You See: A Documentary" by Ted Chiang. It was cool to see the translation of certain elements of these stories into the backbone for an entire best-selling series. Chiang's story in particular gave a really comprehensive look at the different sides of the issue of perceiving beauty, which is one of the fundamental themes of the series.
A note to Kindle readers: I'm not sure if this was only on the Kindle, but the footnote system that was used for this book resulted in an annoying underlining of all of the phrases that were footnoted. Also, because these footnotes were at the back of the book, it was a pain to try to read them while reading the essays they referred to. This might just be because I haven't figured out the Locations function on the Kindle yet, but I imagine it would still be annoying for people reading the book version to constantly have to flip back and forth to read the footnotes, some of which are rather funny. Thankfully the volume of footnotes drops off quite a bit after the beginning few essays.
Recommendation: I would recommend this book for anyone who is interested in continuing the discussion surrounding the much talked about UGLIES series. Though some essays were perhaps overly simplistic, there are some definite gems in here and some very thought-provoking insights.
May 19, 2021
Mind-Rain by Scott Westerfeld is a non-fiction book about people who changed a lot in the world. This book is full of different stories and characters in many chapters that makes it more interesting. I found this book while looking at the library. It was eye-catching from the book cover because I thought it was interesting and had never seen it before.
This book explains many things that occur in the world. It shows countless hints of the books bigger themes like being obsessed with beauty in society or brainwashing someone to make them fall in love with another person.Like Zane he's a character from the book who brainwashed tally into falling in love with him but i didn’t work out.Tally and many more characters changed a lot in each chapter.
I loved how the book ended because it explained stuff like learning that disagreements don’t mean always need to end in war or Making decisions that could lead to bad consequences for you and for the world.I could image many scenarios as i read each chapter.A lot of parts from the book lead up to another chapter in the book which i thought was cool.My Favorite part would definitely be the ending i really like how they speak on looking and the bigger picture but the little things in life too.
I personally think that this book was great. I don’t usually like reading non-fiction but I could picture so much reading most of the chapters. I think people who like looking at world problems would really enjoy reading this book as it brings up beauty being “important” or Brainwashing will make you fall “in love”.
This book explains many things that occur in the world. It shows countless hints of the books bigger themes like being obsessed with beauty in society or brainwashing someone to make them fall in love with another person.Like Zane he's a character from the book who brainwashed tally into falling in love with him but i didn’t work out.Tally and many more characters changed a lot in each chapter.
I loved how the book ended because it explained stuff like learning that disagreements don’t mean always need to end in war or Making decisions that could lead to bad consequences for you and for the world.I could image many scenarios as i read each chapter.A lot of parts from the book lead up to another chapter in the book which i thought was cool.My Favorite part would definitely be the ending i really like how they speak on looking and the bigger picture but the little things in life too.
I personally think that this book was great. I don’t usually like reading non-fiction but I could picture so much reading most of the chapters. I think people who like looking at world problems would really enjoy reading this book as it brings up beauty being “important” or Brainwashing will make you fall “in love”.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2011
This book is absolutely wonderful. I don't normally enjoy reading essays, but the non-fiction arguments and beauty-oriented short stories in this book were wonderful. This review is going to be a bit different than normal, 'cause I don't have a plot or main character to rant on, but here we go.
Here's a description of the book pulled from Scott Westerfeld's blog:
In Extras, the last book in Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies series, Aya tells us that when Tally Youngblood made the mind-rain fall, it cured all the pretties and changed the world forever. But Tally and her friends did more than change their world; they changed ours too.
Mind-Rain continues what Tally started, with startling, funny and insightful essays on the world, characters and ideas of the Uglies series, plus the short story that inspired Westerfeld to write the books in the first place.
Think you know everything about Tally’s world? After Mind-Rain, you’ll never look at the Uglies series the same way again.
With essays by Lili Wilkinson, Robin Wasserman, Diana Peterfreund, Sarah Beth Durst, Gail Sidonie Sobat, Rosemary Clement-Moore, J. Fitzgerald McCurdy, Janette Rallison, Linda Gerber, Charles Beaumont, Ted Chiang, Will Shetterly, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, and Delia Sherman.
If you like Uglies,you should read this book. It's full of arguments about characters in the Uglies series (Was Tally like Dr. Cable? Was Shay really more-hero like than Tally? Was Zane or David a better boyfriend? Did Shay want to be more than friends?), connections between the bubble-time and today's society, and also has a few short stories that inspired Mr. Westerfeld.
I'm not sure how I should review this - it isn't a novel where I can critique the plot and the characters and so forth. It's not fiction or comedy or even creative writing for the most part, but I defiantly found the book entertaining and interesting. The essay-ists create reasonable arguments and back them up with quotes, facts, and their own experience. The short stories were fascinating and terrifying. I did have to skim through some of the essays, but that was mostly because I skipped forward and back in the book so I was rereading bits when I finally read the book all the way through. It wasn't a light, read when you're tired or in a bad mood read, but it wasn't heavy and boring like something you'd have to read in English.
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for entertainment and informative content.
Here's a description of the book pulled from Scott Westerfeld's blog:
In Extras, the last book in Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies series, Aya tells us that when Tally Youngblood made the mind-rain fall, it cured all the pretties and changed the world forever. But Tally and her friends did more than change their world; they changed ours too.
Mind-Rain continues what Tally started, with startling, funny and insightful essays on the world, characters and ideas of the Uglies series, plus the short story that inspired Westerfeld to write the books in the first place.
Think you know everything about Tally’s world? After Mind-Rain, you’ll never look at the Uglies series the same way again.
With essays by Lili Wilkinson, Robin Wasserman, Diana Peterfreund, Sarah Beth Durst, Gail Sidonie Sobat, Rosemary Clement-Moore, J. Fitzgerald McCurdy, Janette Rallison, Linda Gerber, Charles Beaumont, Ted Chiang, Will Shetterly, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, and Delia Sherman.
If you like Uglies,you should read this book. It's full of arguments about characters in the Uglies series (Was Tally like Dr. Cable? Was Shay really more-hero like than Tally? Was Zane or David a better boyfriend? Did Shay want to be more than friends?), connections between the bubble-time and today's society, and also has a few short stories that inspired Mr. Westerfeld.
I'm not sure how I should review this - it isn't a novel where I can critique the plot and the characters and so forth. It's not fiction or comedy or even creative writing for the most part, but I defiantly found the book entertaining and interesting. The essay-ists create reasonable arguments and back them up with quotes, facts, and their own experience. The short stories were fascinating and terrifying. I did have to skim through some of the essays, but that was mostly because I skipped forward and back in the book so I was rereading bits when I finally read the book all the way through. It wasn't a light, read when you're tired or in a bad mood read, but it wasn't heavy and boring like something you'd have to read in English.
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for entertainment and informative content.
February 14, 2011
I love pretty much anything that Scott Westerfeld writes, so reading something by what OTHERS thought of his books was really fascinating. Mind-rain gave me entirely new views on a book series that I adore.
I really enjoy all of the essays on Shay. She's a character that you don't really like, one that you're NOT really supposed to like until you get to Extras. That's the first place and she and Tally aren't fighting or trying to one up each other. But the essays make you realize that maybe Shay is just misunderstood. A lot of times she's there to support Tally and Tally really dismisses her.
I also like the idea that Tally stumbles into her hero role. Most of the good things that happen to her is by accident. It's a lot of guess work and even then, it doesn't always end well. It was Tally's actions that caused David's father to be killed; as guilty as she may feel about that act, as noble as she was trying to be, it doesn't change the fact that it was her fault. There were really a lot of deaths due to Tally but no one ever really holds her accountable for any of it. At the end of the day, everyone thinks Tally is great and wonderful and can do no wrong.
I'm not saying that Tally didn't do great things for her city but these essays really give you some new insights on Tally and her personality. It also gives you background on Tally's world. You get to see where she came from, what happened to the "rusty" age and how Tally's world came to be.
I also like that they're essays not by Westerfeld, but people that just enjoy his books as much as mine. They're by people with their own opinions that often differ from mine on the books. It was fascinating and eye-opening to read all the different things that people thought about the books and also thought about things that I didn't think of. It really allowed me to think of the series in a new way.
If you're a fan of the Uglies series, I recommend this book highly. It will really give you new insight to the books that you adore so much. However, if you've never read the series, the book will make little or no sense to you.
I really enjoy all of the essays on Shay. She's a character that you don't really like, one that you're NOT really supposed to like until you get to Extras. That's the first place and she and Tally aren't fighting or trying to one up each other. But the essays make you realize that maybe Shay is just misunderstood. A lot of times she's there to support Tally and Tally really dismisses her.
I also like the idea that Tally stumbles into her hero role. Most of the good things that happen to her is by accident. It's a lot of guess work and even then, it doesn't always end well. It was Tally's actions that caused David's father to be killed; as guilty as she may feel about that act, as noble as she was trying to be, it doesn't change the fact that it was her fault. There were really a lot of deaths due to Tally but no one ever really holds her accountable for any of it. At the end of the day, everyone thinks Tally is great and wonderful and can do no wrong.
I'm not saying that Tally didn't do great things for her city but these essays really give you some new insights on Tally and her personality. It also gives you background on Tally's world. You get to see where she came from, what happened to the "rusty" age and how Tally's world came to be.
I also like that they're essays not by Westerfeld, but people that just enjoy his books as much as mine. They're by people with their own opinions that often differ from mine on the books. It was fascinating and eye-opening to read all the different things that people thought about the books and also thought about things that I didn't think of. It really allowed me to think of the series in a new way.
If you're a fan of the Uglies series, I recommend this book highly. It will really give you new insight to the books that you adore so much. However, if you've never read the series, the book will make little or no sense to you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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August 10, 2011Read the original review on Pica Reads.
Note: Minor Spoilers for the Uglies series, although you might be a little lost anyway if you haven't read Uglies.
I loved reading this book. Like The Girl Who Was On Fire (click for my review), Mind Rain presents a new way to look at a fantastic YA series - in this case, the Uglies series, by Scott Westerfeld. The essays were insightful, eye-opening, and often funny as well. Each essay took the series to a completely new place, addressing such issues as the role of beauty in our society (and how that is reflected in Tally's), how propaganda is used to prolong the values set by Dr. Cable and the Specials to attempt to prevent an uprising, why Shay is the true hero of the series, and of course, whether David or Zane is the better choice for Tally. To quote Sarah Beth Durst in the essay Two Princes, "I think one of the most awesome things about Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series is that it's not obvious which guy is best for Tally. Okay, yeah, in the end Tally's best choice is the not-dead guy, but ignoring that tiny detail..." (Westerfeld 56).
In addition, two short stories, The Beautiful People and Liking What You See: A Documentary are included. Both inspired Westerfeld when he wrote Uglies, and when they are combined with the Uglies books and the other essays in Mind Rain, they are amazing to read. More than two weeks later, I still can't get them out of my head.
Overall, this book is definitely worth the time of anyone who has read Uglies. And if you haven't read Uglies, you should. Scott Westerfeld is a genius.
Note: Minor Spoilers for the Uglies series, although you might be a little lost anyway if you haven't read Uglies.
I loved reading this book. Like The Girl Who Was On Fire (click for my review), Mind Rain presents a new way to look at a fantastic YA series - in this case, the Uglies series, by Scott Westerfeld. The essays were insightful, eye-opening, and often funny as well. Each essay took the series to a completely new place, addressing such issues as the role of beauty in our society (and how that is reflected in Tally's), how propaganda is used to prolong the values set by Dr. Cable and the Specials to attempt to prevent an uprising, why Shay is the true hero of the series, and of course, whether David or Zane is the better choice for Tally. To quote Sarah Beth Durst in the essay Two Princes, "I think one of the most awesome things about Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series is that it's not obvious which guy is best for Tally. Okay, yeah, in the end Tally's best choice is the not-dead guy, but ignoring that tiny detail..." (Westerfeld 56).
In addition, two short stories, The Beautiful People and Liking What You See: A Documentary are included. Both inspired Westerfeld when he wrote Uglies, and when they are combined with the Uglies books and the other essays in Mind Rain, they are amazing to read. More than two weeks later, I still can't get them out of my head.
Overall, this book is definitely worth the time of anyone who has read Uglies. And if you haven't read Uglies, you should. Scott Westerfeld is a genius.
August 5, 2010
This book is a collection of great essays about the Uglies series written by tons of different authors, but probably wouldn't be interesting for most people who haven't read the series. Still, I loved this book. It covers everything, from the slang to the romance to beauty. It was thought-provoking and made me think of the series in lots of new ways. Honestly, I never thought of Shay as a cunning, cool character and this book completely changed my mind a I'm starting to think that she isn't all that bad. My two favorites are Beauty Smackdown and Liking What You See: A Documentary.
The first talked about how we view beautiful people. I especially liked one question the essay brought up(I'm not sure I quoted it entirely correctly): Would you trade five years of your life to be beautiful? But it really is a trick question, because between makeup, doing your hair, and all that, you probably spend way more than five years of your life on beauty.
Liking What You See is about a surgery in the future that would stop the brain from distinguishing between beautiful people and ugly people. Some students were trying to get the college to make this surgery a requirement. I could understand both sides and it made my heard hurt in a good way. Should the surgery be required so everyone can have a fair chance? Or should people learn to mature and overcome it themselves? If there were a few people who didn't have the surge, would they take advantage of the people who do? And a ton of other questions.
The first talked about how we view beautiful people. I especially liked one question the essay brought up(I'm not sure I quoted it entirely correctly): Would you trade five years of your life to be beautiful? But it really is a trick question, because between makeup, doing your hair, and all that, you probably spend way more than five years of your life on beauty.
Liking What You See is about a surgery in the future that would stop the brain from distinguishing between beautiful people and ugly people. Some students were trying to get the college to make this surgery a requirement. I could understand both sides and it made my heard hurt in a good way. Should the surgery be required so everyone can have a fair chance? Or should people learn to mature and overcome it themselves? If there were a few people who didn't have the surge, would they take advantage of the people who do? And a ton of other questions.
July 7, 2021
This book discusses different aspects of the Uglies series and how it is similar to other past and current societies. Each section was written by a different author and they all had varying views. I liked how all sides were looked at and there were no true biases. There is a section that discusses how Shay is the true hero and I had never considered this before. Another section talks about how Tally and Dr. Cable are extremely similar. Another section discusses how Tally is the ultimate hero because of her rebel characteristics. While reading this book I felt my opinions jump around and change after each chapter. I thought the ideas presented were extremely though-provoking and I really enjoyed reading about opinions I had never even before considered. I would recommend this book to anyone who was a fan of the Uglies series.
June 5, 2010
This was a really interesting book. I liked how each essay took a different stance on a particular part of the series and gave thoughtful insights into the books. I enjoyed the fiction pieces, especially the short story that inspired Uglies. I also liked how Scott would give a short introduction to each piece and give you his thoughts. I got something out of each essay and there were even a couple that brought up points I had never even thought of. This is a good book for someone who is a devoted fan of the Uglies series, but if you haven't read the books this would contain some major spoilers.
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2010...
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2010...
March 30, 2010
One of the reason I love Scott Westerfeld's books so much is due to great world he is able to create in a story. My favorite of these places is the city created in his "Uglies" series. I jumped at this opportunity to revisit that great world!
It was very interesting to read what other authors thought of the world Westerfeld created. I loved reading the authors insight into the different characters. My favorite of the essays was "Best Friends for Never" by Robin Wasserman. This essay made me look at the characters of Shay and Tally in an eye opening way.
These essays allowed me to rediscover a series that i have read many times before. It is not often that this happens, so I was really glad that I picked up this book.
It was very interesting to read what other authors thought of the world Westerfeld created. I loved reading the authors insight into the different characters. My favorite of the essays was "Best Friends for Never" by Robin Wasserman. This essay made me look at the characters of Shay and Tally in an eye opening way.
These essays allowed me to rediscover a series that i have read many times before. It is not often that this happens, so I was really glad that I picked up this book.
December 12, 2011
I bought this book off Amazon because I'm going to be coaching a book club over Uglies beginning in January. I was fascinated to learn that the fan-base had grown so much that books were being written about the series and Tally's universe.
The majority of the essays were provocative and good to read. They provided interesting perspectives which I may modify to use with the students. One of the essays was over my head! I would be uncomfortable teaching another one of the essays.
I really don't think this book was intended for the under-16 crowd. I think anyone interested in a deeper understanding of the Pretty-verse would find Mindrain an interesting read.
The majority of the essays were provocative and good to read. They provided interesting perspectives which I may modify to use with the students. One of the essays was over my head! I would be uncomfortable teaching another one of the essays.
I really don't think this book was intended for the under-16 crowd. I think anyone interested in a deeper understanding of the Pretty-verse would find Mindrain an interesting read.
October 20, 2012
This book had some great essays, some better than others. But for any fan of the Uglies series, this makes you look at the books a little differently. It was especially an eye-opener regarding the character of Shay. When you read the books, you get caught up with the rapid-fire ventures of Tally Youngblood, that you don't stop to really ponder the ethics behind what she does. Several of the essays challenge her role as heroine. I especially enjoyed the essay that predicted that she was destined to become another Doctor Cable. Also, Ted Chiang's Liking What you See: A Documentary also left an impression. The premise of that short story is intriguing, though I can see why Chiang didn't want the Hugo for it. The ending is way glossed over.
February 26, 2016
This is a book that is based on the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld. It's a series of both articles and stories that pre-date the Uglies series. The authors of the items analyze the Uglies series from a wide variety of approaches.
The book is interesting only to those people who have already read the Uglies series, and would have almost no interest for other readers. The articles vary from interesting to far too academic sounding. There is one single article, though, and that's the last one, that is excellent and could easily be used in a school course that deals with propaganda. The article has perhaps the most excellent examination of what propaganda is and what its purposes are that I have read anywhere.
The book is interesting only to those people who have already read the Uglies series, and would have almost no interest for other readers. The articles vary from interesting to far too academic sounding. There is one single article, though, and that's the last one, that is excellent and could easily be used in a school course that deals with propaganda. The article has perhaps the most excellent examination of what propaganda is and what its purposes are that I have read anywhere.
November 3, 2008
I was disappointed by this book at first because I realize that it had been written after the sixth book and before the final Harry Potter book had come out. I already knew the answers to a lot of the questions posed by the author.
That being said, this book was a fun read. Nothing too challenging (similar to the HP series) but a few good questions raised about the author's choices in the book and some of the character's motives as well. It was mostly a fun recap of the highlights of the first six books, so worth the time in the end. I also enjoyed the sense of the fun the author had and referenced himself as "Your Friendly Host" which was cute.
That being said, this book was a fun read. Nothing too challenging (similar to the HP series) but a few good questions raised about the author's choices in the book and some of the character's motives as well. It was mostly a fun recap of the highlights of the first six books, so worth the time in the end. I also enjoyed the sense of the fun the author had and referenced himself as "Your Friendly Host" which was cute.
Want to read
July 15, 2011I quite enjoyed "The Girl Who Was On Fire", a compilation of essays about the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. I discover many things from reading the book, things that I wasn't able to pick up at first look. The essays are so analytical and informative, especially when they're to connect the scenes in the book as metaphors for real-life scenario. "Reading is conversing in pages", they said, and I always like a good convo partner. Found them here. XD
Anyway, that's why I'll put this one on to-read. There is so much to love about Westy's Uglies, but there's so much to dislike as well. :P I wanted to know how other authors will show that here.
Anyway, that's why I'll put this one on to-read. There is so much to love about Westy's Uglies, but there's so much to dislike as well. :P I wanted to know how other authors will show that here.
April 21, 2009
This book was written before Deathly Hallows came out, so some of the questions were non-starters. I did enjoy the way Castro raised questions about pieces of the plot or characterisations without trying to damage the fun of the series. (See Chapter 20)
The worst part of the whole book was the slight smarmy tone taken by the author--who often refers to himself as Your Friendly Host, sort of reminiscent of Series of Unfortunate Events. I am not exactly sure what age group Castro envisioned this book for.
The worst part of the whole book was the slight smarmy tone taken by the author--who often refers to himself as Your Friendly Host, sort of reminiscent of Series of Unfortunate Events. I am not exactly sure what age group Castro envisioned this book for.
July 4, 2010
This book wouldn't really be enjoyable to anyone who didn't read the Uglies series or anyone who isn't a literary analysis geek. It's full of essays by other YA authors about topics in the Uglies series, and it was pretty interesting, but a lot of the essays have similar topics, and I didn't even read the whole thing because I got bored with it. It did provide some insightful analysis, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you're an English major and into that stuff.
July 6, 2011
Despite some of the essays saying essentially the same things, this wasn't a bad compilation of essays about the 'Uglies' world. The analysis was pretty good, and some had interesting interpretations that I wouldn't have picked up on myself. It's been awhile since I read any of the series, so it's possible that impacted my enjoyment of this book and its essays.
If you're an Uglies fan AND enjoy low-key analysis written by authors of mediocre YA fantasy, this is for you!
If you're an Uglies fan AND enjoy low-key analysis written by authors of mediocre YA fantasy, this is for you!
September 11, 2013
It never ends. I'm getting too much done that I could never do before, and believe me, the bubbleheads are having such fun watching it on the newsfeeds. And all it took was war, Tally. I should have thought of this years ago... Don't you see, we've entered a new era. From now on, every day is a Special Circumstance. (Specials)
Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"
The Beautiful People by Charles Beaumont
Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"
The Beautiful People by Charles Beaumont
April 5, 2010
Not my usual cup of tea, but this was a really insightful collection of essays into the nature of Westerfeld's Uglies series. I didn't care too much for the fluffy nature of the "which boyfriend is better" debate, but the Team Shay essay made me think again about a dynamic I'd seen, but hadn't really considered. Any book that can really make me think is—by my definition—a winner.
February 6, 2013
Not impressed by the "scholarship" herein...
"It was Galileo who refined the compass, which allowed Magellan to sail all the way around the world and proved the Earth is not flat, which led to Christopher Columbus climbing on a boar and heading to the New World." Where is this from, the Dan Brown Chair of History?
As a slight compensation,it reprints Ted Chiang's "Liking What You See".
"It was Galileo who refined the compass, which allowed Magellan to sail all the way around the world and proved the Earth is not flat, which led to Christopher Columbus climbing on a boar and heading to the New World." Where is this from, the Dan Brown Chair of History?
As a slight compensation,it reprints Ted Chiang's "Liking What You See".
March 18, 2014
I read this book as part of the research I am doing for my master thesis, which is about the current popularity of the dystopian genre amongst adolescents.
I loved the Uglies Series, so i was really interested in reading the essays in Mind-Rain. I enjoyed reading what other people thought about Uglies :D
I loved the Uglies Series, so i was really interested in reading the essays in Mind-Rain. I enjoyed reading what other people thought about Uglies :D
July 9, 2009
This isn't something I normally would have picked up off of the shelf, but I won it in a contest and really enjoyed reading most of it. Some of these essays were better than others, but overall it was an engrossing read. Assuming, of course, that you've read the series.
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