The Uglies series starts with the obvious book, Uglies (this link includes an excerpt from the first book). There are three books to the series and a standalone. They go Uglies, Pretties, Specials and Extras. Here's a blurb from the author's website:
'Uglies is set in a world in which everyone has an operation when they turn sixteen, making them supermodel beautiful. Big eyes, full lips, no one fat or skinny. You might think this is a good thing, but it’s not. Especially if you’re one of the Smokies, a bunch of radical teens who’ve decided they want to keep their own faces. (How anti-social of them.)'
This series is rife with intrigue, manipulation, love, friendship and adversary. It has even become a part of the diction in those that have read the series. Things are icy or bubbly.
The stories take place after a catastrophic event that kills the majority of humanity. Tally is a confused girl that just wants to do the right thing by all and become a Pretty, like everyone else. She gets caught up in a plot to lead Uglies (those before the surgery and under the age of 16) out of town to start a new society where everyone can remain the way they naturally are. In the end, she is nothing but a pawn. I won't spoil this story anymore. Just read it! I assure you it is a fascinating read.
After that, I tried the Midnighter series. These books were extremely interesting as well, but not as great as Uglies. Here's a blurb:
'THE RULES
Okay, this is how it works:
There aren't really 24 hours in the day, there are 25. Got that? The extra one is rolled up too tight to see, and it flashes past most people in an instant. "Most people" means boring, normal, daylight people. But people born exactly at the instant of midnight (all together now: "midnighters") get to walk around while the rest of you suckers are frozen.
So check your birth certificate. If you were born at the stroke of midnight, you might be one of us. By the way, this is real midnight, not lame-time-zone- or daylight-savings-time-adusted midnight. Every spot on earth has its own exact moment when the sun is right under our feet. Suffice it to say that if you were born anytime between about 11:30PM and 1:30AM, you could be a midnighter. Confused? Read here.
Also, the secret hour doesn't seem to happen everywhere. Bixby is the only place that time freezes, as far as we know. Anyone out there notice something similiar? Email me.
Oh, and one more thing . . . midnight isn't empty. There are slithers, which are sort of like snakes (except they fly, sometimes) and darklings, which are pretty much any shape they want to be--as long as it's a big and scary shape. That's one thing you'll definitely notice about midnight: being number two on the food chain is a big change from being on top.
If you do find yourself walking around in the blue time, bring something made from stainless steel, and have a thirteen-letter word in mind. Darklings hate new alloys like steel, and have this epilepsy when it comes to 13s.'There are a group of teenagers that live in Bixby and are trying to eradicate the Darklings. Excellent series.
Then I got my hands on Peeps. This is a two book series but the second, The Last Days, is a standalone, which I haven't read yet. Here's a blurb about Peeps:
'A year ago, Cal Thompson was a college freshman more interested in meeting girls and partying than in attending biology class. Now, after a fateful encounter with a mysterious woman named Morgan, biology has become, literally, Cal's life.
Cal was infected by a parasite that has a truly horrifying effect on its host. Cal himself is a carrier, unchanged by the parasite, but he's infected the girlfriends he's had since Morgan. All three have turned into the ravening ghouls Cal calls Peeps. The rest of us know them as vampires. It's Cal's job to hunt them down before they can create more of their kind. . . .'
Filled with dark humor and many facts about various parasites, this was a wonderful read. I am an avid fan of vampire books and this had an interesting take on it. Vampires are people that are infected with a parasite that drives them to feed, seek the dark and yadda yadda. Exciting and suspenseful, this book keeps you engaged throughout. I am eager to get my hands on The Last Days!
I have also gotten my hands on, but have not read yet, Leviathan. Talk about a steam punk's wet dream!
So, look out for this author! If anything, please read the Uglies series. I promise you it is very much worth it!
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