Specials

Specials by Scott Westerfeld

There is nothing quite like a book proclaiming upon its cover, “the final volume,” when you have the next volume waiting at your desk. More of a surprise to me is the fact that readers clamored for more after this one. I find this entry in the series to be its weakest link. Perhaps that is why Westerfeld came back with another, final book. I can hope.

I recommend this book to junior high and high schoolers, primarily girls I am sure, who have read the first two books in the series and would like to know what happens to Miss Tally Youngblood next. I doubt I could sway them, but at this point, I’d suggest there are much better books out there. I am hoping that the “final” volume redeems the series. If not, this series will not make my dystopian literature list. Taking it right off!

See? I don’t love EVERY book. Just most of them.

When we left Tally at the conclusion of Pretties, she and her boyfriend Zane were captured yet again by Special Circumstances. When Specials opens, Tally has already been made into a Special Agent, or Cruel Pretty, herself. Tally is covered in flash tattoos that show the level of her pulse. Her eyes are so black they seem pupilless. Her teeth and nails are razor sharp weapons. And she has been indoctrinated into the sub agency of Special Circumstances – the clique known as the Cutters. Tally is covered in the scars of self-inflicted wounds given to keep her “icy” or focused.

In the first book, Tally was tricked into locating the Smoke so it could be destroyed. In book two, Tally no longer cared about the Smoke in her Pretty head, but tried to become Bubbly so that she could escape back to the Smoke and save the Pretties, or more importantly, her Pretty boyfriend. Book three is back to trying to discover the New Smoke so that it can be destroyed again, only this time, it is on purpose.

Problem is – I just don’t care anymore. There is nothing identifiable with this new Tally. She thinks she is better than everyone else. She feels superior. She is no longer just disgusted by David, the boy from the Smoke, because he is ugly. Now she is also disgusted by Zane, damaged but beautiful, because he is weak. Tally despises average.

Unfortunately, this is necessary. It is the point.

Tally hasn’t just been given unbreakable, ceramic bones and a self-healing, software-filled body. Her mind has been altered, yet again. These alterations give her sudden flashes of anger, euphoria, countersocial impulses and feelings of superiority. So you can imagine she is not very loveable anymore.

What makes Tally special is her ability to alter her own brain. She somehow fixes herself. She doesn’t need a miracle cure to change her back to her original character and personality. Her own unique form of stubbornness and perseverance keep her less changeable than her counterparts. But as Shay would say – Does the universe always have to revolve around her?

And there is the clincher. Tally is a normal American teenager. Hahaha.