Monday, January 11, 2010

Contest...

I am giving away a copy of Uglies by Scott Westerfeld and The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti.
Here is the info for them(from Amazon):
Tally Youngblood lives in a futuristic society that acculturates its citizens to believe that they are ugly until age 16 when they'll undergo an operation that will change them into pleasure-seeking "pretties." Anticipating this happy transformation, Tally meets Shay, another female ugly, who shares her enjoyment of hoverboarding and risky pranks. But Shay also disdains the false values and programmed conformity of the society and urges Tally to defect with her to the Smoke, a distant settlement of simple-living conscientious objectors. Tally declines, yet when Shay is found missing by the authorities, Tally is coerced by the cruel Dr. Cable to find her and her compatriots–or remain forever "ugly." Tally's adventuresome spirit helps her locate Shay and the Smoke. It also attracts the eye of David, the aptly named youthful rebel leader to whose attentions Tally warms. However, she knows she is living a lie, for she is a spy who wears an eye-activated locator pendant that threatens to blow the rebels' cover. Ethical concerns will provide a good source of discussion as honesty, justice, and free will are all oppressed in this well-conceived dystopia. Characterization, which flirts so openly with the importance of teen self-concept, is strong, and although lengthy, the novel is highly readable with a convincing plot that incorporates futuristic technologies and a disturbing commentary on our current public policies. Fortunately, the cliff-hanger ending promises a sequel.

After Quinn’s mother makes a list of attributes that she thinks Quinn and her younger sister should seek out in guys, Quinn comments, “We’re not stupid.” Her love-worn mother replies: “You can be smart and not know. And you can know and not care.” Then Quinn’s boyfriend dumps her, and she is surprised by how hurt she is, despite her ambivalence about him. As Quinn tries to sort out her tumultuous feelings, she embarks on a road trip with karmic intentions: by returning objects that her father stole from his former wives and girlfriends, she hopes that her own luck will change. Along the way, Quinn finds a new romance, lots of fabulous kisses, and a 10-foot Big Boy mascot statue, which all add to the story’s fun. Interwoven with Quinn’s story are vignettes with women who share their experiences with her and deliver lessons about men: “If a guy seems to need saving, call the Coast Guard.” Sporadic strong language might offend some younger readers; otherwise, this is a sure hit with both Caletti’s and Sarah Dessen’s legions of fans.



3 comments:

  1. thanks, I filled out the entry form, I love Deb Caletti

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nice contest! I wasn't sure if this contest was international or not, but I've entered any way ;)

    ReplyDelete

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