Specials, is the third book in the Uglies series and wraps up the story of Tally Youngblood. Mr. Westerfeld has done a wonderful job with this series and I was very pleased with all three of his books (Uglies, Pretties, Specials). For YA novels they possessed a depth that I haven't experienced with other newer authors. Mr. Westerfeld's commitment to his writing, characters and plot had me categorizing him with other great authors that I love as a child such as CS Lewis and Madeleine L'Engle. I mentioned in an earlier review of Uglies that Tally Youngblood wasn't so much a likable character as a respectable one, and she remains that way throughout the series. In Specials, Tally transforms from the bubbly pretty into a Cutter which takes her character from vapid to vicious. This transition is the hardest one that Tally has to face, but underneath it all she is still Tally and she has to fight against the gods. The book takes you on a break neck journey through Tally's world. It introduces you to new things that you only suspected were in existence, but the author never revealed. The Smokies take the game to a whole other level...and Tally finds herself facing off against people she once loved and called friends. With each twist of the plot Mr. Westerfeld led me down paths that I never expected, all the while entertaining me and making me question my beliefs and prejudices. I also do not feel that the conclusion of the Zane/David/Tally triangle was an easy way out, my opinion is that the author handled it very well - in a way that I did not expect. A wonderful conclusion to a great series. I recommend this for adults and their teenagers.

Tally Youngblood is now set on her most exhilarating adventure yet, because she has now been changed into an unbelievably beautiful special. Her nails and teeth filed down to sharp points and her bones are now made to be indestructible. She is build to kill anything that comes in her way of her plans. Now, Tally is ordered to find the new smoke, a camp for run away pretties. If she finds it, she is ordered to end it. The question now is will she find it, and if the opportunity arrives, will she listen to her past or destroy the smoke forever. The Specials deeply connects to me because of how many common themes there are that relate to any other normal teenage girl's life. It deals with the desire to belong, acceptance, and the measures people take to fit in. Tally only wants to belong to a group of people who will accept her for who she is, which is a similar trait I see in my everyday life. This book, without even realizing it relates to my daily life, which is why I think it appeals to me so much. One book that might also appeal to you if you enjoyed the specials, would be the Hunger Games. It deals with action, romance, and the government misusing its power just like in the Specials. If you enjoyed the suspenseful action sequences and the fight for survival in the Hunger games, you may also enjoy the Specials' invigorating liveliness of the intense chases and the following out of dangerous missions. They both will force you to fly through the pages because of the intensity and romance that is woven among them. Reading the Specials was defiantly one of the better decisions I've made in my life. It definitely has sparked my imagination, and given me a whole different perspective of clicks and the desire to belong. The only thing I didn't like about it was that it was told a bit too fast for my liking. Besides that, I loved the whole concept of the book, and plot was amazing, full of twists and unexpected turns. It's definetly a book that I would highly recommend for any teenage girl.

As a 28-year-old woman, I have been surprised and pleased to find myself as engaged by these books as I am. They are well-written, fast-moving and intriguing, and provide a lot of food for thought. The world is so different and vibrant that it feels real to me even after closing the books, which is somewhat rare for me. This stunning last book in the series features Tally and Shay being "rewarded" for their amazing skill in becoming clear-minded and escaping the shackles of pretty-hood, by being made into Specials, the police force that takes care of "Special Circumstances" in the city and beyond. Shay heads up an elite Special force which is charged with taking down the Smokies, the rebel community that lives from the wild and never turns pretty. The Smokies are infiltrating the city and curing large numbers of pretties, and only the Specials can stop humanity from reverting to the horrible ways of life previous to having Pretties - when humans burnt and chopped down forests, decimated the wild, killed animals and each other, and generally spoiled the land so badly that many parts are completely ruined. The Specials embark on a journey to find the New Smoke and destroy it, to preserve their way of life. They follow Tally's old boyfriend Zane, a revolting ordinary pretty, and the Crims, as they try to find the New Smoke. Even with Tally's Special brain, though, she hasn't forgotten what Zane meant to her, and her conflict between who she was and who she is helps drive the story to its ultimate conclusion. This was an extremely satisfying ending to the trilogy. I can't wait for the new book that is set in the future, with new characters - Extras. Do be sure and read all of these in order, though - they wouldn't make sense otherwise.

I loved this series. So glad I read this. The world the author makes is so unique and interesting. It made me cry and laugh and at times hold my breath!