Extras

Summary [From book]: 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. Her only chance to escape extra-land is to find a big story to kick—something wild and unexpected.

Then Aya meets a clique of girls who pull crazy tricks, yet are deeply secretive of it. But the sly girls are hiding something bigger--an explosive discovery that may change the face of the brave new world forever. If Aya kicks this story, she’ll be propelled into the world of fame, celebrity…and extreme danger. A world she’s not prepared for.

Review: I have mixed feelings about Westerfeld fourth installment in the Uglies series. It did not bug me that it wasn’t about Tally Youngblood, in fact that made it more exciting. It was interesting to see the “mind-rain” through someone who experienced it. I had some problems with Aya’s personality, but that’s simply because of the way her character was. She was so obsessed with fame that she didn’t seem to care about anything else, and that bugged me. The idea of reputation economy is...interesting but also, in Tally’s words, so brain-missing!

I also got a kick out of Radical Honesty, mostly because I watch Lie To Me and it strikes me as familiar. Loker’s version of Radical Honesty didn’t work out, and in the end…Frizz’s didn’t either. Perhaps that is some world truth about honesty. The idea of this whole society, of kickers, tech-heads, and surge monkeys was really cool. The plot of Extras kept me hooked but at times I found myself bored with it.

Basically: It was good, not as good as the previous books though, I don’t think. Still think Westerfeld is a genius, but wasn’t the biggest fan of Extras.

Rating: 4/5 not amazing, but good.

Reviews from the pros:

Honestly...I couldn’t find any, I scoured the web and didn’t see anything. Unfortunately, I own the hardcover book of Extras so no reviews on there.

Now I’m off to finally read Nobody’s Prize!

~She Who Reads A Lot