Reviews

Extras, by Scott Westerfeld

mjfmjfmjf's review

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4.0

A little bit crazed, a little bit frantic. At least we are no longer following around in Tally's head. And following a new pov character, Aya, in a new city made the first section of Extras feel a bit rough. But definitely a worthwhile read. A society based on reputation ranking and merits earned is worth thinking about. Everyone having a feed is used to good effect. In the end the main plot twist was a bit too twisted, and somewhat fell apart from its own weight. But not in a bad way. 4.5 of 5.

afelder's review

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adventurous funny hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

3.0

dhilderbrand's review

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3.0

I enjoyed this very much but not nearly as much as the previous books in the series. Still a fascinating world to imagine

peepeepoopoo's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

This book started out on a much better note, and I had hope but it really just took a turn from the entire series and didn’t even have the main character until halfway through? I just don’t know if this book was necessary.

julia321's review

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

It was a alright book, definitely not necessary in the series. 
Was interesting to see how the world had turned out after the war that tally stopped.  
Tally was still annoying as fuck, just like she was in her three books lol 


Again very simple ending but was kinda expecting it this time. 

marilynmalloy's review

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4.0

First book of 2016!!!
A great end to the series, though not at all what I was expecting. Was incredibly nice to be completely surprised by the plot, and the end result - when you read 100+ books a year, a complete surprise doesn't happen often!

drakean8's review against another edition

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3.0

First half was the same old song, different verse. Second half, when Tally comes back into the picture, was a little more interesting.

missprint_'s review

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5.0

Extras is the fourth book in Scott Westerfeld's critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling series (originally it was a trilogy). The first three books Uglies, Pretties, and Specials follow Tally Youngblood, a fifteen-year-old girl living in a futuristic world so dominated by plastic surgery that anyone who looks normal is ugly. Extras is set three years after the events of the trilogy unfold, in a different city, with different main characters. The trilogy, however, sets the framework for everything that happens in Extras so while the book is great on its own it definitely assumes you know the story of the trilogy.

In this new world, where everything is changing, being pretty isn't enough to get by. Now it's fame that matters. The more famous you are, the higher your face rank is. A higher rank means more currency in a world where celebrity is everything.

Everyone is trying to get more attention somehow: "tech-heads" are obsessed with gadgets, "surge monkeys" are hooked on the newest trends in plastic surgery, and "kickers" use feeds (think blogs but techier and cooler because it's a Westerfeld idea) to spread the word on all the gossip and trends worth mentioning. But staying famous is a lot easier than getting famous. Just ask Aya Fuse. Fifteen-year-old Aya has had her own feed for a year, but her rank is still 451,369--so low that she's a definite nobody, someone her city calls an extra.

Aya has a plan to up her rank though. All she needs is a really big story to kick. Aya finds the perfect story when she meets the Sly Girls, a clique pulling crazy tricks in utter obscurity. As Aya follows her story she realizes it's much bigger than one clique: maybe the biggest story since Tally Youngblood changed everything.

Some sequels that bring in all new characters are annoying. Not this one. All of the "new" characters are original and, equally important, likable. The story is also utterly original covering very different territory than the rest of the series. It doesn't pick up right where the trilogy left off, but a lot of questions are answered by the end of this book.

Like the other books in the series, this one moves fast. The story has a lot of action and several twists and surprises (some old characters even turn up). The plot is never overly-confusing though. Westerfeld does a great job of creating (and explaining) the futuristic world he has created in these pages so that it truly comes to life on the page.

At the same time, Extras is a very timely book. In a world where everyone seems to have some kind of website and is trying to be more popular or more famous, it's fascinating to read about a city where everything literally depends on your reputation. Westerfeld raises a lot of interesting questions as Aya deals with the ethics of kicking her new story and tries to decide if honesty really is more important than fame.

You can find this review and more on my blog Miss Print

theshanda23's review

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4.0

It was good, but would I read it again? Probably not. It's a little on the young side of young adult for my tastes. Don't get me wrong though—I enjoyed it. It's an easy read.

claireadtea's review

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adventurous fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5