Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Specials by Scott Westerfeld

14 reviews

ksbrooks98's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I think this series got worse with each book. I enjoyed Uglies, Pretties less so, and then Specials less than that. Tally got less likable through each book, also. It’s really hard to keep forgiving her. A good portion of the middle of the book is just her following a group of people. No dialogue, just her stalking this group. That was SO SLOW. when the action picked up, it was much better. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Self harm, Violence, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Eating disorder

Self harm is heavily featured, even more so than in Pretties.

ticklemetiff's review

adventurous challenging medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Self harm, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, and War

sweetchocolatez's review

adventurous emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm and Violence

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Medical content, Grief, Toxic friendship, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Death of parent

beltari's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

2.5

I felt like nothing happened.

It was the second book all over, but Tally is now special instead of pretty.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Death, Drug use, Violence, and War

Minor: Forced institutionalization and Kidnapping

the_wistful_word_witch's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

HOLY NEW SMOKE! This third book in the series is wilder than the tribes being studied in book 2! I thoroughly enjoyed it and feel like it's the best one of the series (so far). 

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed with how things started out in this book, but Westerfeld really pulled through and gave us a great ending. And while some of the things that happened towards the end were sad (RIP ZANE 😢), I think that was the only catalyst that would have worked to get Tally back on the track she really needs to be on. And I like knowing she's out there, guarding against a regression while still allowing people to really be free. 

I'm looking forward to the final book AND the spin-off series. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Medical content, Medical trauma, and War

applesaucecreachur's review

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Yet another dose of topical anesthetic to my aching brain, Specials was rife with action and drama, much of which was deliciously forgettable. Tally Youngblood is now a Special, which means that Young Adult's favorite narrator took an angry left onto the Dark Side. I'll allow that her character arc did hold my interest throughout the book. Westerfeld's decision to change the primary setting and narrator tone with each installment of the Uglies series is almost bold. But overall, it is difficult to maintain a connection to the main character when the supporting characters are constantly shifting.

Shay and David both, for example, seemed to hardly appear in the second book, while Zane was absent from this one while Shay took center stage and David swept in at the very end.

Adapting to a change in tone and setting is far more difficult without consistent characters. This was my second greatest gripe about the book, and it resulted in a lack of capacity to empathize with

Zane's death

. My greatest gripe?

The author's weird insistence on using self-mutilation and disordered eating as tools to get "bubbly" or "icy" or whatever the fuck.

Anyways. Extras, let's see what you've got. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Self harm, and Violence

Minor: Eating disorder and Racism

a_wren_that_reads's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Death, Fatphobia, Self harm, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction and Blood

Minor: Alcohol

cow_inthe_closet's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, and Self harm

Moderate: Violence, Medical content, and War

Minor: Death of parent

alicia_g's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I liked this book more then I thought I would. The start was pretty rocky but by the time I got into it was becoming much better!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Self harm, Violence, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

larvapuppy's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Violence, Medical content, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, and War

Minor: Body shaming