A review by melissabejot
Extras by Scott Westerfeld
2.0
What a disappointment! I really loved the first three books in the Uglies series ([b:The Uglies Trilogy Uglies, Pretties, Specials|493455|The Uglies Trilogy Uglies, Pretties, Specials|Scott Westerfeld|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51y1I09pU-L._SL75_.jpg|2569547]) and I was curious about how there could be a fourth book when the story really seemed to end with [b:Specials|24765|Specials (Uglies, Book 3)|Scott Westerfeld|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51DGHTWT10L._SL75_.jpg|3278286].
[b:Extras|493456|Extras (Uglies, Book 4)|Scott Westerfeld|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51eZ85LAZfL._SL75_.jpg|3315797] follows a completely new character, Aya, who lives in a completely different city (it's in Japan!). The story picks up three years after [b:Specials|24765|Specials (Uglies, Book 3)|Scott Westerfeld|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51DGHTWT10L._SL75_.jpg|3278286] ended, and while the main characters from the original three books make an appearance in [b:Extras|493456|Extras (Uglies, Book 4)|Scott Westerfeld|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51eZ85LAZfL._SL75_.jpg|3315797], they play a pretty minor role. Aya's city (having been liberated from the Prettytime) has set up their new economy as a "reputation economy" in which being famous makes you rich. Aya is obsessed with becoming famous throughout the whole book and doesn't care who she has to hurt to accomplish this, which makes her a very unlikable character. She is really attached to her hovercam (a floating camera which she uses to capture news stories that may make her famous) and treats it almost like a pet puppy, calling it "Moggle." I think Moggle was supposed to be an endearing sidekick, but he/she was just annoying. No character in the book was interesting or likable. The romance wasn't even interesting or believable.
[b:Extras|493456|Extras (Uglies, Book 4)|Scott Westerfeld|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51eZ85LAZfL._SL75_.jpg|3315797] wasn't engrossing and thought-provoking like the other Uglies books, and overall it just felt pointless. I had to force myself to keep reading, believing it would get better by the end. It was like reading an 8th Harry Potter book in which Rowling decided to write about a wizard boy named Hiro who lived in Japan, and what his life was like in a post-Voldemort world. Who really cares?
This book seemed like a transparent attempt for the author to keep making money off of the popular Uglies series. The problem, though, is that this book taints the whole series. I wish I had never read it. I did want to spend more time in the Uglies world, but not like this.
[b:Extras|493456|Extras (Uglies, Book 4)|Scott Westerfeld|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51eZ85LAZfL._SL75_.jpg|3315797] follows a completely new character, Aya, who lives in a completely different city (it's in Japan!). The story picks up three years after [b:Specials|24765|Specials (Uglies, Book 3)|Scott Westerfeld|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51DGHTWT10L._SL75_.jpg|3278286] ended, and while the main characters from the original three books make an appearance in [b:Extras|493456|Extras (Uglies, Book 4)|Scott Westerfeld|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51eZ85LAZfL._SL75_.jpg|3315797], they play a pretty minor role. Aya's city (having been liberated from the Prettytime) has set up their new economy as a "reputation economy" in which being famous makes you rich. Aya is obsessed with becoming famous throughout the whole book and doesn't care who she has to hurt to accomplish this, which makes her a very unlikable character. She is really attached to her hovercam (a floating camera which she uses to capture news stories that may make her famous) and treats it almost like a pet puppy, calling it "Moggle." I think Moggle was supposed to be an endearing sidekick, but he/she was just annoying. No character in the book was interesting or likable. The romance wasn't even interesting or believable.
[b:Extras|493456|Extras (Uglies, Book 4)|Scott Westerfeld|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51eZ85LAZfL._SL75_.jpg|3315797] wasn't engrossing and thought-provoking like the other Uglies books, and overall it just felt pointless. I had to force myself to keep reading, believing it would get better by the end. It was like reading an 8th Harry Potter book in which Rowling decided to write about a wizard boy named Hiro who lived in Japan, and what his life was like in a post-Voldemort world. Who really cares?
This book seemed like a transparent attempt for the author to keep making money off of the popular Uglies series. The problem, though, is that this book taints the whole series. I wish I had never read it. I did want to spend more time in the Uglies world, but not like this.