Tally has Always been a Special Circumstance

Specials by Scott Westerfeld

Special Circumstances is a rumor of a sect of humans that are placed to keep Pretties bubbleheads and absolve any problems with Uglies that don’t stay in line.  They are chosen, trained, and enhanced to be the strongest, humans alive.  Most pretties don’t ever see a Special during the course of their mediocre life, Tally  Youngblood has known about them since she was fifteen when she became a Special Circumstance and has many run ins with Dr. Cable.  With their bizarre looks, Tally has always been frightened of Specials, now she has become one.  As a Special she is engineered to find the New Smoke and destroy it and everyone who lives there.  During her journey as a Special all she really wants to do is have Zane join her new clique the Cutters so they can be together.  There’s only one problem, there is a part of her that remembers all of the times in the wild, times with David and Zane, she remembers and it triggers emotions that should have been removed from her with her Special surgery. 

Specials continues right where Pretties ends.  The audience has followed Tally through being an ugly longer than she bargained for, turned pretty, and now she is special.  Part of Special Circumstances, she acts just the way they want her to act.  She is a hunting, killing machine.  Special Circumstances just doesn’t think through her being herself.  She is trouble, it doesn’t matter if she is the ring leader or not, trouble will find Tally. 

I enjoyed how her inner-voice changed again.  While she was Pretty, she was Pretty headed and now that she’s Special, she has changed her tone again.  I also like how she changes throughout the story back to herself somewhat gradually.  Tally is a very interesting character.  I can’t wait to enjoy Extra’s, the last book of the series, thus far.

My mind has still not changed when it comes to the love triangle.  I love Zane and no matter what comes, I know that he was best for her.  I hope that things work out for her, and I truly wish that she could get her teeth fixed, I can’t imagine David looking at her every day with those gross sharp teeth.  You know what I’m saying, it’s gross to think about someone with razor sharp teeth filed into points.  I can get over the flashing tattoos that move with her heart beat, the scars that she cut on herself, but the sharp teeth and finger nails have got to go. 

Have you read this series?  What do you think?  My favorite book was Pretties, which one did you like best?  Keep reading my friends!