Story+Elements

Author: //[|Scott Westerfeld]//
__**Setting:**__ The story is set in the future, where technology has been advanced and many people have never even heard of a roller coaster. In this future, the main characters live in a dorm in Uglyville. Across the river, is the city everyone dreams of: Pretty Town. Later in the book, the setting changes to the Smoke, a small town with runaways from the cities.

__**Conflict:**__ After Tally snuck into New Pretty Town, she meets another ugly, Shay. Tally and Shay are soon going to turn 16 and get the license to become pretty.

__**Genre:**__ The genre of this book is Science Fiction. Science Fiction books typically are set in the future, or have machines and science that we don't have today. We recognized this was Science Fiction because it included details that suggested the book took place in the future. Other devices and machines that we have never heard of – like the hoverboard – were mentioned, confirming our ideas.

__**Characters:**__ //Tally:// The main character. In the beginning, Tally lives in Uglyville and wants to join her best friend, Peris in New Pretty Town. As the book progresses, Tally becomes more aware of the world outside of the city.

//Shay:// A friend of Tally. She is mischievous and playful, but she doesn't want to become a pretty. She wants to live in the Smoke. Shay is in love with David.

//Peris:// He already had the operation to become a pretty. Peris lives in New Pretty Town, and used to be Tally's best friend. He wants to see Tally as a pretty, and makes her promise to stay out of trouble.

//David:// David lives in the smoke. David is serious, and isn't used to the outside world, or large population. David falls in love with Tally.

//Croy:// He lives at the smoke, and is very suspicious of Tally when she first arrives in the Smoke.

//Dr. Cable:// Dr. Cable is a cruel pretty, a special. She wants to find the Smoke and send all the runaways back to their original cities. She sends Tally to lead her to the Smoke.

Maddy and Az: They are David's parents and former doctors. They are very smart and serious.

__**Point of View:**__ The story is told from Tally's point of view. You are told the story as it is happening, Tally is not looking back on memories. You get her thoughts and words as they come in the present.

__**Theme:**__ This book has a lot to do with accepting who you are. Peris and Tally have trouble dealing with their appearance. All of the pretties saw themselves as ugly, so they jumped at the chance to be a pretty. However, everyone in the smoke was able see themselves as already beautiful. At the end, Tally can finally accept her looks. The main theme of the story is accepting your looks.