Extras by Scott Westerfeld (Uglies series)Click on the cover to see which libraries own this book.
SUMMARY: It's a few years after rebel Tally Youngblood took down the uglies/pretties/specials regime. Without those strict roles and rules, the world is in a complete cultural renaissance. Tech-heads flaunt their latest gadgets, kickers spread gossip and trends, and surge monkeys are hooked on extreme plastic surgery. And it's all monitored on a bazillion different cameras. The world is like a gigantic game of American Idol. Whoever is getting the most buzz gets the most votes. Popularity rules. Aya Fuse's rank of 451,369 is so low, she's a total nobody. An extra. Then Aya meets a clique of girls who pull crazy tricks, yet are deeply secretive of it. Aya wants desperately to kick their story, to show everyone how intensely cool the Sly Girls are. But doing so would propel her out of extra-land and into the world of fame, celebrity...and extreme danger. A world she's not prepared for. (adapted from the inside flap)
OPINION: This book is a semi-sequel to the Uglies trilogy. The beginning of the story is very strong, with another richly imagined future society and a different cast of characters. The story is set in Japan, further separating it from the original three books. My favorite detail of this society was Westerfeld's inclusion of people who had surgery to look like their favorite manga characters! I was very disappointed when Tally and Shay entered the story in the middle and kind of took it over. I also thought the ending raised more questions than it answered. I think Westerfeld would have done better to make this an independent story in the same world as Tally's stories, and maybe expand it into another trilogy.
