Rachel Z's blog post #5 pg. 406

"“What are you two…?” The warden's voice stumbled. Didn't this beat everything? A pretty and an ugly taking a stroll together. The Warden came closer, confusion all over his middle-pretty face. 
     Tally smiled. At least she was causing trouble to the end. “I'm Tally Youngblood,” she said. “Make me pretty.”

…......….....……… This is the last page of Uglies and it ends at a cliffhanger ending.  It ends with the telling of her betrayal & still with the futuristic setting.

Blog post #4 pg. 250-251

"“I found that there were complications from the anesthetic used in the operation. Tiny lesions in the brain. Barely visible, even with the best machines.”
Tally decided to take a risk sounding stupid. “What's a lesion?”
“Basically it's a bunch of cells that don't look right,” Az said, “Like a wound or a cancer or just something that doesn't belong there.”
“But you couldn't just say that,” David said. He rolled his eyes toward Tally. “Doctors.”
Maddy ignored her son. “When Az showed me his results, I started investigating. The local committee had millions of scans in it's database. Not the stuff they put in medical textbooks, but raw data from pretties all over the world. The lesions turned up everywhere.”
…….............…………................…………........  Maddie obliged him, then continued. “Most importantly, almost everyone all over the world had these lesions. If they were a health hazard, 99% of the population would show some kind of symptoms.” “But they weren't natural?” Tally asked. “No. Only post ops - pretties, I mean – had them,” Az said. "No uglies did. They were definitely a result of the operation. "

This section of the book shows how the people that lived in new Petty town are changed to make them pretty and they change more than just their looks they change the way they act… This part says that the people that become pretty also become brainwashed by the “specials” & don't even know it. It also shows that this author is writing this story in a futuristic setting, again, because that would not be allowed right even if we could do that.

Madison R- Blog Post #5 Pg 254

'"Maybe it's not so complicated. Maybe the reason war and all the other stuff went away is that there are no more controversies, no disagreements, no people demanding change. Just masses of smiling pretties, and a few people left to run things." Tally remembered crossing the river to New Pretty Town, watching them have their endless fun. She and Peris used to boast they'd never wind up so idiotic, so shallow. But when she'd seen him... "Becoming pretty doesn't change the way you look, No, It changed the way you think"

This book is very good, it always made you leave wanting more. You're on the edge of your seat from the very start of the book. It's interesting and a very unique, clever, idea that you never would've thought of without reading the book, which makes it very intriguing to read since you have no clue what's going to happen next since it's an idea that never had been thought of. There are many different elements that make up this book. There is the choice of being pretty, a new city, wanting to be back with Perid, choosing what to do, and many more conflicts that Tally faces in this book. I can't wait to read the next one.

Madison R- Blog Post #4

"In the front room of the house, four antique cups were set out on little saucers. Soon a kettle began to whistle softly on an electric heater, and Az poured the boiling water into an antique pot, releasing a floral scent into the room. The house was unlike any other in Smoke, it was a crumbly home, filled with impractical objects."

The author describes the house exactly with lots of detail and shows exactly the little things around the house.

Grace's Blog Post #5 - Page 425

     "What are you two . . . ?" The warden's voice stumbled. Didn't this beat everything? A pretty and an ugly taking a stroll together. The warden came closer, confusion all over his middle-pretty face.
     Tally smiled. At least she was causing trouble to the end. "I'm Tally Youngnlood." she said. "make me pretty."

     I decided to use the cliche cliff-hanger. But I thought what Scott Westerfeld did here was genius. These are the last couple sentences of the book, where the main character gives herself up to the government, and he makes it so it's impossible not to want to read the next book. It shows that through out everything that's happened to Tally in the book, she has remained what she was in the beginning, a trouble maker. And now the reader is practically forced to read the next book to find out what happends to her.

Grace's Blog Post #4 - Page 172

     "At first there was a sound like a roaring wind in her dreams. 
     Then a tearing noise filled the air, the crackle of dry brush inflamed, and the smell of smoke swept over Tally, bringing her suddenly and completly awake.
     Billowing clouds of smoke surrounded her, blotting out the sky. A ragged wall of flame moved through the flowers, giving off a wave of blistering heat. She grabbed her knapsack and stumbled down the hill away from the fire.
     Tally had no idea which direction the river lay. Nothing was visible through the dense clouds. Her lungs fought for air in the foul brown smoke. 
     Then she spotted a few rays from the setting sun breaching the billows, and she oriented herself. The river was back toward the flame, on the other side of the hill. 
     Tally retraced her path to the top of the hill and peered down through the smoke. the fire was growing stronger. Fingers of it shot up the hill, leaping from one beautiful flower to another, leaving them scorched and black. Tally caught a glimmer of the river through the smoke, but the heat pushed her back."



      This section of the book has been my favorite so far, I loved the descrition of the adventure in Tally's journey. But the "fire-bug eyes" part was my favrorite out of the journey. He uses beautiful descriptions and figurative laguage in this part and in the next couple paragraphs when the "bug eyes" come into the story. I like how he personified the fire to have fingers, and how he intertwines her dream with the fire that was actually happening. And i really like the use of the word blotting, while talking about the smoke covering up the sky.

Grace's Blog Post #3 - Page 141

     "But the lights stayed on, and Tally's nerves were soothed by the roar of white water, the cold slap of spray in her face, the thrill of bending her body through curve after curve in the moon-speckled darkness. The board was smarter then her old one, learning her moves in a matter of minutes. It was like graduating from a tricycle to a motorbike: scary, but thrilling. 
      Tally wondered if the route to the smoke had a lot of rapids to ride. Maybe this really would be an adventure. Of course, at the end of the journey there would only be betrayal. Or worse, she would discover that Shay's trust in David had been misplaced, which could mean . . . anything. Probably something horrible."

     I think the use of figuritive language in this section is very good. It is used in many places but I like the first sentence: "But the lights stayed on, and Tally's nerves were soothed by the roar of white water, the cold slap of spray in her face, the thrill of bending her body through curve after curve in the moon-speckled darkness." I think it uses great descriptions, also, the personification of the water slapping her face.  and I LOVE the line describing the night or darkness as moon-speckled darkness.

Grace's Blog Post #2 - Page 80

     "A second later the bungee jacket activated, and Shay bobbed back up in midair, laughing maniacally at the top of her lungs. Tally waited another moment, watching the uglies' horror dissolve into confusion as Shay bounced again, then righted herself on one of the tables and headed out of the door.
      Tally dropped the book and dashed for the stairs, leaping a flight at a time until she reached the back exit of the dorm." 

      I think that in Uglies, Scott Westerfeld uses really good descriptive language, he shows each scene from the book in perfectly clear pictures like this one, making the book practically a movie in your mind. He also uses figurative laguage. For example, he says "Shay bobbed back up in midair" which is comparing shay to the action of something floating in water. Also in the sentence "watching the uglies' horror dissolve into confusion" he personifies the horror to 'dissolve' into confusion, which isn't possible, but descibes this situation perfectly.

Sorry these are all late, the blogs slipped my mind.

Jessi's Blog Post #5 Page 297

"Just get whatever Dr. Cable wants. And don't you dare touch one of those hoverboards."

"Don't worry, I won't have to," she said, and snapped the fingers of both hands as loudly as she could.

Croy's hoverboard jumped into the air, knocking the Special's feet out from under him. The man rolled off the roof again, and Tally leaped onto the board.

____________

I chose this passage not for the quality  of the writing, but for what  it shows about Tally's character development  She is very conflicted throughout (almost) the entire book, right up until she talks to David's parents. She throws the pendant into the fire, which seems to be the moment she truly decides she wants to stay. But, then Dr. Cable shows up. Tally knows she can turn pretty now, once more she has the power of choice in her hands. And, it almost seems she's going along with Cable, right up until she says the necklace is on the roof. And, the minute she chooses to oppose the specials and the privilege to turn pretty, we see how far Tally has come. She knows the city secrets and wants to escape them. At this point, Tally is deciding for herself, without the overpowering influences and threats of the city.

 Tally Youngblood lives in a world where the best day of your life is your sixteenth birthday. And, that's because on this day, a surgery turns them from Ugly, to Pretty. But some last minute complications come up, and Tally's future twists. And suddenly she's tumbling through things she never wanted to happen...This book is a journey through the future in a world much different than we know it today. The fate of others seems to fall in Tally's hands throughout the risky page-turner. And quite the page turner it is. The story encases you, drags you in and pulls you along as Tally fights her way to find herself through a world that's beautifully known to her. Folded within the pages lies an adventure-packed story full of discovery. This is definitely a good book for those who enjoyed the Matched Trilogy, or for anyone who wants a good adventure story to hang onto.

Madison R.- Blog Post #3

"At first there was a sound like a roaring wind in her dreams. Then a tearing noise filled the air, the crackle of dry brush inflamed, and the smell of smoke swept over Tally bringing her suddenly and completely awake. Billowing clouds of smoke surround her, blotting out the sky. A ragged wall of flame moved through the flowers, giving off a wave of blistering heat."

It makes a clear picture of what's going on and the heat and the shrubs up in flame. It pictures what exactly is going on around Tally and you can just imagine how she would be feeling surrounded by the wall of flame.

Rachel Z's blog post #3 pg. 146

"A band of orange and yellow ignited the sky,  glorious and unexpected, as spectacular as fireworks, but changing at a stately, barely perceptible pace.  That's how things were out here in the wild, she was learning. Dangerous or beautiful.  Or both."

This exert shows how the people in this town weren't raised like we are raised today.  The author has awesome writing techniques like, " A band of orange and yellow ignited the sky,  glorious and unexpected, as spectacular as fireworks", and uses them all the time.

Rachel P.'s Blog Post #5 Page 27

                 "The figure let out a sigh "Oh, phew. Hey that's okay. I must have scared you, too." The girl leaned forward, grimacing as if she was also sore from remaining still so long. Her face caught the light.

                   She was an ugly too.

                    Her name was Shay. She had long dark hair in pigtails, and her eyes were too wide apart. Her lips were full enough, but she was even skinnier than a new pretty. She'd come over to New Pretty Town on her own expedition, and had been hiding here by this river for an hour. "I've never seen anything like this," she whispered. "

                  This book tells the captivating story of Tally Youngblood. She is an ugly and is about to turn sixteen which means that in a few weeks she'll have an operation that will turn her into a pretty which means that she will have a life fit for royalty. But, before that Tally meets a new friend named Shay. When Shay runs away Tally is given a choice by the authorities to find her friend or not turn pretty. But as she joins Shay, she learns that being pretty isn't actual a pretty thing. This story is filled with adventure, heartfelt moments and will surely keep you hooked until the end.  Overall, I would give this book 4 stars out of 5. It is the PERFECT book for anyone who loves adventure or books about futuristic societies. My only concerns with the book would be that it can get a little wordy and that the timing is hard to follow. Other than that, this book is one of the best books anyone could ever read!
               

Blog Post #5 (FINAL BLOG)

1.  Always title your blog post with the PAGE # (this will help others avoid reading spoilers).

2.  For your FINAL blog- you can choose ANY section from the book.

3.  Blogs will have 2 parts- Part 1:  passage from the book  Part 2:  commentary

4.  Don't forget to comment/interact with your peer's posts!

5.  You CANNOT choose the same passage as someone else- the first one to post claims it!

For your final blog, you can choose from ANY WHERE in the book.  You are going to do a sort of book review.  Your first paragraph should still be a passage from the book but your FAVORITE passage.  It might be a particularly well written section, or the most exciting part, or a great cliffhanger.  For your second paragraph you do not have to analyze this passage but rather write a paragraph long book review.  Let us know what this book is like and pitch it! If you weren't a huge fan, think about what kind of person might like to read this book.  This should be a STRONG paragraph- not a sentence or two!  

--
Ms. Melin

https://sites.google.com/site/mselmer114/

Jessi's Blog Post #4 Page 292

"We still would have come for you. If the pendant had been damaged, it would have sent a signal automatically."

The words sunk in slowly: If the pendant had been damaged . . . Tally gripped the edge of the table, trying not to show any emotion.
_________________________

I can't even imagine myself in a moment like this. The excerpt is small but it holds strong emotions. (Before I talk about these lines though, I think it would be a good idea to review what happened before this: Tally is on the fence about her feelings about the Smokies. She wants very badly to become pretty, but she's beginning to get accustomed to life in the Smoke. Then when Shay gets upset about the attention David is giving Tally, Tally goes to make things ok with him. This however turns out with a completely different outcome than intended because Tally finds she loves him. He takes her to meet his parents where she learns about what the operation does to your brain, and decides to give up turning in the Smokies, and on her way home she throws the tracking necklace in the fire. The Specials arrive the next morning.) Dr. Cable has won it seems, by hiding software in the tracker so it would alert them if it were damaged, because she knew activating the necklace manually may never happen. And, because of this, Tally has turned the Smoke over trying to do the exact opposite. You can tell from " Tally gripped the edge of the table" how guilty she feels and how its crushing her, the fact that she ruined all these peoples lives. Yet, Tally must look as if she's emotionless. As if these words mean nothing to her. As if she hadn't caused the very thing she was trying to prevent.

Rachel P's Blog Post #4 Page 254

                    "Tally remembered crossing the river to New Pretty Town, watching them have their endless fun. She and Peris used to boast they'd never wind up so idiotic, so shallow. But when she'd seen him....... "Becoming pretty doesn't change the way you look," she said.

                     "No," David said. It changes the way you think."

                   This passage (actually this whole chapter really) is a really big turning point in the story. This part helps Tally figure out why Peris was acting shallow and weird. Now, Tally learns something very crucial. It turns out that the operation gives people lesions on their brain and even though they are "harmless" this causes them to think differently than an ugly would. This is really when the truth comes out.

Jessi's Blog Post #3 Page 140

"Thanks for the great clue, Shay," Tally said aloud. Talking to herself didn't seem like such a bad idea there in the outer ruins, where the relics of the Rusties struggled against the grip of creeping plants. Anything was better than ghostly silence. She passed concrete plains, vast expanses cracked by thrusting grasses. The windows of fallen walls stared up at her, sprouting weeds as if the earth had grown eyes.

It seems to be a rare occurrence to see much figurative language in this novel. However, I really like this example. The author really gives the reader the feeling of how abandoned Tally is through the use of personification (creeping plants, fallen walls stared). There is also use of a metaphor in the last sentence, "sprouting weeds as if the earth had grown eyes". Earlier in the book you could tell how Tally felt about the ruins, but this really gives the reader the chance to be in the ruins themselves. I think that's very important in this book since they are in the future, and in a sense we are living the ruins today, so its harder for us to imagine our way of life gone. The ruins seem to scare Tally, and we can see why because the figurative language in this selection portrays an eerie silence. I think this feeling fits the story because Tally is being watched, but by the city. They found out about Shay by keeping an eye on Tally's friendship, so this figurative language fits because Tally knows she is being watched.

Madison R- Blog Post #2 Pg 15

"She threw herself backward against the elevator's side wall, standing on tiptoe and trying to flatten herself so they couldn't see her. More came up, huffing and puffing like typical out-of-shape pretties. Tally could watch them in the mirror at the back of the elevator." The author uses very descriptive language and show writing to show exactly what's happening.

Rachel P.'s Blog Post #3 Page 150

                    " She was flying, skimming the ground with no track under her, not even a hoverboard, keeping herself aloft by sheer willpower and the wind in her outspread jacket. She skirted the edge of a massive cliff that overlooked a huge, black ocean. A flock of seabirds pursued her, their wild screams beating at her ears like Dr. Cable's razor edged voice."

                       The author actually doesn't use alot of figurative language in his writing. However this example is very effective because in the story, Doctor Cable is a very cruel looking person so when they described her voice it was described as sharp.  This is a good simile comparing the seabirds and Dr. Cable's creepy voice. This really helps describe both things that are being compared. This actually can make the reader feel uncomfortable or creeped out by Doctor Cable. I feel like the way this simile was put in and the 2 things that were being compared fit perfectly in the story because through out there is an idea of these mean looking people and how they seem pretty but mean in EVERY aspect.

Blog Post #4 (THIRD QUARTER OF NOVEL)

1.  Always title your blog post with the PAGE # (this will help others avoid reading spoilers).

2.  You will have 4 blogs- each blog will be about a quarter of the book- this second blog should be from the THIRD QUARTER of the book.

3.  Blogs will have 2 parts- Part 1:  passage from the book  Part 2:  analysis of the passage.

4.  Don't forget to comment/interact with your peer's posts!

5.  You CANNOT choose the same passage as someone else- the first one to post claims it!

For your third blog, I'm giving you FREE REIGN.  You may post about ANYTHING.  Just make sure you pull a passage and then comment/analyze/question that passage.  Happy Spring Break!

--
Ms. Melin

https://sites.google.com/site/mselmer114/

Rachel P's Blog Post #2 Page 59

              "The two friends slid between the ruined buildings, riding high and silent as if not to disturb the ghosts of the dead city. Below them the streets were full of burned-out cars squeezed together between looming walls. Whatever had destroyed this city, the people had tried to escape it. Tally remembered from her last school trip to the ruins that their cars couldn't hover. They just rolled along on rubber wheels. The Rusties had been stuck down in these streets like a horde of rats trapped in a burning maze."

              The author's style of writing is best described as beautifully descriptive with a touch of futuristic language. The author uses great vocabulary and figurative language. The author uses similes, such as "The Rusties  had been stuck down in these streets like a horde of rats trapped in a burning maze." The author also blends together Tally's futuristic world in which she uses hover boards and interface rings, with language that describes details perfectly. I chose this paragraph because there is descriptive language and words that describe Tally's world in the future. This is what I believe best describes the author's style.

Rachel Z's blog post #2 pg. 20 & 21

Once she had the jacket around her shoulders, the strap and zippers seemed to wind around her like snakes until the plastic was snug around her waist and thighs.

This and a couple other parts in the book show how the author was setting this whole story in the future where everything is automatic, and works through the use of what they call an interface ring.

Jessi's Blog Post #2 pg.1

"The early summer sky was the color of cat vomit.

Of course, Tally thought, you'd have to feed your cat only salmon-flavored cat food for a while, to get the pinks right. The scudding clouds did look a bit fishy, rippled into scales by a high-attitude wind. As the light faded, deep blue gaps of night peered through like an upside-down ocean, bottomless and cold."

Even though I could have chosen anything from these first 100 pages, this excerpt is from the first page. It just really left an impression on me, being the first thing I read. I love how you can see into the character through this, just from the description of the night sky. And, the author continues these throughout the story. Depending on the word choice  or focus of the description, you can tell how Tally is feeling or what she thinks of the situation. Like in this case, the summer sky is being compared to cat vomit, something usually considered beautiful and something disgusting. And then there's the ocean being called bottomless and cold, too. So, just from the first paragraph of the book, you know how Tally's mood is, and somethings wrong.I'd say the author's descriptive style is and insight to Tally.

Blog Post #2 (First Quarter of Novel)

Blog Quick Facts:

1.  Always title your blog post with the PAGE # (this will help others avoid reading spoilers).

2.  You will have 4 blogs- each blog will be about a quarter of the book- this first blog should be from the FIRST QUARTER.

3.  Blogs will have 2 parts- Part 1:  passage from the book  Part 2:  analysis of the passage.

4.  Don't forget to comment/interact with your peer's posts!

5.  You CANNOT choose the same passage as someone else- the first one to post claims it!

For your first blog, find a passage that capture the author's STYLE of writing.  If your author is descriptive with beautiful language, find a passage from the first quarter that shows that!  For your analysis, explain the author's style using examples from the passage.  (The passage and analysis should each be at least 1 paragraph- your whole blog post should be at least 2 paragraphs).

Rachel Z's timeline suggestions

15-20 pages in 20 min should be good.

Grace's Intro

Hey! My name's Grace, I'm in Ms. Melin's 5 period.  I play volleyball.  My favorite color is blue. I like reading, not writing...  My favorite book probably has to be, I am Number Four, by Pittacus Lore. It's exciting and really well written. I'm really looking forward to read this book though.

I read "selectively fast", meaning if I like the book I read fast. So I guess I am flexible with timelines. But I definetly think we all need to stay at the same rate.

Sorry this is late, I missed school Monday and Tuesday because of strep throat.

Tyler's Introduction

 Hey! My name is Tyler, I am in Mrs. Melin's seventh period class. I am so excited to be reading the Uglies with you. Firstly, if you are wondering, I am a girl. My favorite thing to do is dance, I'm in dance and ballet three here at millennium. My all time dream is to go to the Joffrey School of Ballet in New York, or to New York University.

  My favorite color is Pink and purple I will always wear one of those colors everyday. My favorite stores are Hollister, Aeropostale, and American Eagle. My fave artist is Justin Beiber and R5

   My favorite subject is Language Arts I most definitely have a knack for writing, I'm really good at it I guess. poetry is my favorite genre.  Nice to meet you!

Madison's Intro

Hola, I'm Madison. I'm in Mrs. Melin's 7th period. I like cats and enjoy eating tacos and burritos. I also like Kesha and Justin Timberlake. I am exited to read this book, so far it is very good. One of my favorite books was the Seer of Shadows, or the Giver, they were both sort of mysterious and very good.

This book has around 406 pages, I think we should read around 15 pages every night, to finish the book and everyone have the same pace.

Jessi's Indtroduction

Hi, I'm Jessi. I'm in Mrs. Melin's fourth period. I love artsy things....mostly drawing! And I have to say, my favorite color is defiantly purple. Moving forward, I have read a lot of books, so its hard for me to pick a  single favorite.  However, I'd have to say I'm leaning toward the Percy Jackson series. I read that a while ago and I loved it. It really is a book that sucks you in.

The time line. I don't have my books with me today either, but I recall it had over 400 pages. I'd say I'm a fast reader so 100+ pages a week seems  to fit my abilities and the time line. We have a big book and four weeks so we will have to up our weekly total a little. Hopefully this will work out!

Rachel P.'s Introduction

              Hi my name is Rachel! I am in Mrs.Melin's 4th period. I love acting and singing! My favorite color is yellow and in the future I would probably like to be a journalist or writer for a magazine. My all time favorite book is Chasing Redbird by Sharon Creech. This book is full of adventure and excellent sensory details. Also, the characters are very strong and pretty relatable. This is a book I could definitely read again and again!
           I read at a somewhat quick rate ,which means that I could read 20-25 pages in 20 minutes. That's about 100 pages per week which may be a little much but I could slow it down to 15-20 pages in 20 minutes. The book has 406 pages so I think that we can finish it in about 5-6 weeks!

Rachel's introduction

      Hi my name is Rachel.  I have Mrs. Elmer 2nd period. I love animals & I have 5 pets.  I love yuka because it tastes like a healthy french fry.
     I read REALLY SLOW, so I could probably read around 10-15 pages in 20 mins.  So in about a week i could get around 50 pages read. I forgot my book in class so I don't know how many pages there is in this book.  It would be nice if you guys could tell me when you'll probably be online.

First Blog Post (Introductions)

Today you will begin your digital discussions with your peers.  Blogging is EASY.  It really is just like posting and commenting on any other social media website.  The first thing I must do is go over again my expectations on any digital forum.  First, I can see EVERYTHING you post.  Please be responsible and respectful with your posts.  You should not have ANY text slang.  This is not a place for LOL or OMG but rather for meaningful discussion on your novel.  

That being said, I would like your first post to be more of an introduction.  In your first paragraph, introduce yourself, tell your group members something you don't think they'd know about you.  Finally, explain your all time FAVORITE book and why you enjoyed it so much.  

In your second paragraph, pitch out a suggested timeline.  Remember our goal is to finish these books 4 weeks from yesterday.  As a group, figure out how much reading is reasonable.  If your group decides they need more time, I'll take that into consideration.  If your group finishes early, you can always choose another book as a group (I have some great book sets left to pick from).  If someone in your group has already pitched a timeline that you think will work you can just agree with them!  

Finally (this may end up as homework for some of you) engage with your group mates.  I'm not requiring 1 or 2 or 3 comments but respond to their posts.  Maybe they have a similar interest or like a book that you liked.  To make these book blogs work, you must not only post, but discuss!  This will get easier once you get into the novels themselves!

Happy Blogging!