Pretties

Tally joins a group of rebellious pretties called the Crims, led by Zane, a clever young man who has found ways to stay alert. Together they discover that the operation does more than change faces: it leaves tiny changes in the brain that make people content and easy to control. They search for a cure and plan to escape, while the sinister Dr. Cable and her Special Circumstances agents are always watching.

The story moves from the giddy parties of New Pretty Town to a daring escape into the wild and an encounter with people living far outside the city. Tally's relationships with Zane and her old friend Shay are complicated by jealousy and betrayal, and she must keep making hard choices. Westerfeld invents playful slang and clever technology, from hoverboards to bungee jackets, while raising serious questions about how much people would give up to be beautiful and comfortable.

Fast, inventive and thought-provoking, a sequel that raises the stakes and makes readers question how much comfort is worth the loss of freedom and clear thinking. It is followed by Specials. About 368 pages in the Simon Pulse hardcover.