The book Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld, is about In this futuristic society, young people believe they are ugly until, at age 16, they undergo an operation that changes them into ''pretties.'' Tally Youngblood looks forward to turning 16 until she meets another female named Shay who questions this way of life and urges Tally to defect to a distant settlement of living. When Shay disappears, Tally is coerced by cruel Dr. Cable to find Shay and her patriots or stay ''ugly'' forever.