Extras (Uglies #4)Author: Scott Westerfeld
Publisher Simon Pulse
Source:Public Library
Challenges: Library Challenge
417 pages
"It's a few years after rebel Tally Youngblood took down the uglies/pretties/specials regime. Without those strict roles and rules, the world is in a complete cultural renaissance. "Tech-heads" flaunt their latest gadgets, "kickers" spread gossip and trends, and "surge monkeys" are hooked on extreme plastic surgery. And it's all monitored on a bazillion different cameras. The world is like a gigantic game of American Idol. Whoever is getting the most buzz gets the most votes. Popularity rules. As if being fifteen doesn't suck enough, Aya Fuse's rank of 451,369 is so low, she's a total nobody. An extra. But Aya doesn't care; she just wants to lie low with her drone, Moggle. And maybe kick a good story for herself.Then Aya meets a clique of girls who pull crazy tricks, yet are deeply secretive of it. Aya wants desperately to kick their story, to show everyone how intensely cool the Sly Girls are. But doing so would propel her out of extra-land and into the world of fame, celebrity...and extreme danger. A world she's not prepared for."- Goodreads
I'm so sad to say that my ride is over for the Uglies series. This was the last. Sigh. It was good though and I am glad that I decided to go for it and read the fourth. I was hesitating because I didn't really want to deviate from Tally's story but hey, the author did his job. It was a nice wrap up.
Aya I instantly liked. Maybe it's because we're the same age or cause I love her pet hovercam Moggle (awesome name right?) but I think it's her attitude. She is a very believable character in the way she acts, it doesn't feel superficial. I thought she was a sweet girl. Hiro her brother, I didn't really like him. He wasn't very nice towards her in the beginning but by the end he had that brotherly thing going on. Frizz (the romance part here) I liked but didn't love love. He was a'right, not the greatest but sweet enough to Aya. We also see Tally, Shay, Fautso, Andrew and of course David again. It was weird, for me at least because they are three years older. Tally and David are 19 verging on 20!! I know. Crazy stuff. I still liked their involvement and I enjoyed how the author portrayed them slightly different since we are seeing them through Aya's eyes. Overall, the characters weren't "brain-missing" as the book would call it but really made the story easy to read.
One thing that I found interesting was the culture switch in this book. Aya is Japanese and I found that so fun to read about. (She can speak English though). This aspect totally added to the whole picture and made it much more realistic-making. It was a very exciting book, the "big mystery" I had a hard time figuring out until it was revealed... I like that when a book can surprise me. This whole series is an excellent world to read about, I found myself so into it that I am catching onto all the "lingo" so to speak. Scott Westerfeld is quite the future-world building dude, I can't wait till hoverboards are invented!
I highly recommend this to those who have read the previous three, it is a great way to wrap up the whole story. It left me wanting more just because I was so attached to the characters but it tied up loose ends. If you haven't read this series, I suggest it. I really enjoyed them and I hope you can try them!
Excerpt:
"I think someone more famous than Nana Love just pinged me."
"But there isn't anyone who's... except..." Frizz let out a strangled sound. "You mean Tally Youngblood just pinged you?"
Aya nodded slowly. It was right there, painted in laser light on her eyeball. A ping from the world's most famous person - the girl who'd made the mind-rain fall. The name prayed to by Youngblood cults every morning, cursed by Toshi Banana as he slammed the latest mind-rain clique, repeated countless times whenever the story of the Diego War was taught to littlies....
"How could she know so fast?" Aya murmured. "Isn't she hiding in the wild somewhere?"
"The story went global two hours ago," Frizz said. "She must have friends checking the feeds for her."
"But since when does Tally Youngblood just ping people?" Saying the name made her throat dry again.
"Who cares? Open it!"
Aya twitched her finger, and the ping expanded. It was tagged by the global interface, guaranteed authentic. But as she read the message, Aya wondered if Tally's English was confusing her somehow.
"What does it say?" Frizz cried.
"It's only seven words."
"What words? 'Thanks'? 'Congradulations'? 'Hello'?"
"No, Frizz. It says, 'Run and hide. We're on our way."
