Uglies is told from the third person-limited point of view, which allows readers to follow Tally while not being completely consumed by her rendition of the story. By allowing this distance from the main character, readers are not subjected to her version of the story and are able to see events as they unfold. However, by keeping the point of view limited, characters are able to intimately connect with Tally’s thoughts and emotions. This is useful to the young adult genre in particular because Tally is going through a unique, coming-of-age scenario which many teens can identify with. Also, there are many political themes that are analyzed in this story, so the third person limited point of view allows readers to discern and judge these themes on their own without having Tally preach to them how they should feel about the subjects.
Plot and Chapter Development
Uglies develops in a clear arc that doesn’t cease when the pages end. To say it is a “page-turner” is an understatement. Short chapters are used to drive the plot forward, so that readers keep saying “just one more chapter!” Also, the plot is not resolved on the last page, which keeps readers interested and invested in what happens in the sequel. For young readers, this is
Word Choice and Diction
Stream of consciousness
While the text is told from the third person limited point of view, it does allow for instances where Tally’s thoughts shine through. This gives the readers insight into what is happening in her mind while also letting them stay distant from it. This is critical for the same reasons that the third-person limited point of view is crucial, because these details allow a reader to become intimately attached to Tally as a character.
Page Layout and Design
The pages of this book have wide spaces between the lines of text, almost as if it is double-spaced. This design element is an accessible presentation that is friendly to readers, especially for readers who are intimidated easily by books with many pages of solid text.
