Everything that would happen in a sequel to the Netflix film Uglies, according to the books

Fear not: you don’t have to wait for Netflix to make an Uglies 2 for you to find out what happens next to Tally and Shay. The sequel books literally came out 18 years ago. The ending isn’t much of a secret. Here’s a rundown of everything that goes down in the sequel books to the Netflix movie Uglies.

Uglies Book 2 – Pretties

The Uglies books stop being a dystopian thriller for a while and start resembling a trashy 2000s high school Disney show. Tally and Shay have become brainwashed Pretties, and flit about the luxurious mansion arguing about outfits and boys. Tally joins a clique of daredevils called the Crim and gains yet another love interest called Zane.

Shay gets annoyed that Tally is spending all her time with boys. She forms a new clique called “Cutters” who self-harm in order to break through the brain fog that came with becoming Pretty. Yes, you read that correctly. The books were banned in lots of schools for portraying self-harm in this way.

After Tally bumps her head while bungee jumping (yes, really) she suddenly remembers that she only had the sci-fi surgery to become a Pretty so that the rebel group the Smoke could test out cures on her. She and Zane find pills to cure the Pretty brainwashing.

Tally changes her mind on David more than I change my mind on Katy Perry music
(Image via Netflix)

They escape to the Smoke. Tally decides her last boyfriend David is too ugly. The Smoke scientists explain that Tally and Zane took the cure wrong. Zane’s brain is ruined, and the pills didn’t work on Tally. She un-brainwashed herself through willpower instead because she’s the main character and so apparently capable of doing that.

The evil super soldiers, the Specials, turn up to destroy the Smoke (yet again). Shay is suddenly a Special. She captures Tally to turn her into a Special.

Uglies Book 3 – Specials

Tally and Shay are now Specials working for the nasty dystopian government. A generic evil scientist called Dr Cable was so impressed with the “Cutters” clique self-harming to gain mental clarity that she rewarded them all by making them into super soldiers (yes, this is really in the books and no, I don’t know what Netflix would do about in a sequel to Uglies).

Zane now experiences tremors and Tally is repulsed by that in a deeply ableist way. Most of this book is taken up by Tally and Shay wandering through the wilderness on hoverboards. They blow up an armoury and accidentally kill Zane. Tally suddenly registers that working for the evil regime might not be such a bright idea after all. She uses her Special powers to lock up Dr Cable underground.

Two books later, Shay is still the only character Tally has any vague chemistry with
(Image via Netflix)

The world finally decides that sci-fi genetic experiments on non-consenting children is bad and starts curing everyone’s brainwashing. Tally decides that David (remember him?) is hot again. At the last minute, Tally refuses to be cured so that she can keep her super powers and live in the wilderness with David saving trees. No, I didn’t make that up.

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