Guest Post: YA Author's Appreciation featuring Anna of Literary Exploration and Scott Westerfield

❝YA AUTHOR'S APPRECIATION FEATURING❞

SCOTT WESTERFIELD

By ANNA @ LITERARY EXPLORATION

Scott Westerfeld

Find Him On: Goodreads / Twitter / Author Website

I had The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld sitting on my shelf for the longest time before I finally picked it up. I read the book in less than a day and immediately ran out and grabbed up the rest of the series. The Uglies series is one of my favorite series of all time and I'll jump at the chance to read anything similar. I read this series right after reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and I'm happy to say it has really increased my love for Dystopians. Since then, I've developed a giant love for the author, Scott Westerfeld, because seriously that guy is amazing.

For those of you who haven't read  Uglies yet, the story is about a girl named Tally who lives in a society where everyone gets an operation to become "pretty" on their sixteenth birthday. Tally meets a girl named Shay, who doesn't want to be pretty. Shay wants to escape their city and live on the outside, and so she runs away. Tally is given the choice to help find Shay and betray her friend, or never become pretty at all. It's a great story about making choices, finding yourself, and falling in love. If you're a lover of dystopians, romance, adventure, (anything really!!) you're going to love  Uglies!

Since reading The Uglies series, I've also picked up Westerfeld's book Leviathan (which I sadly haven't read yet) and Peeps which is a vampire story. There's just something about the way this man writes that gets you hooked in from the very beginning. He has an epic way with words, and is such a master story teller. I'm not going to go into any analysis of his writing or anything, but he does have some pretty profound messages in his books as well. I mean, Uglies, a society of normal-looking people striving to be super model gorgeous?? I think that speaks for itself.

I think that's one of the things I love most about Westerfeld's books, they really make me think. It's not very often that I come across a YA book that makes me sit back and think about the way society works, or the way our world is driven by exterior images. Usually I read YA because it's fun and interesting, and I don't really expect to get much out of it other than entertainment. But Westerfeld manages to weave together the fun and excitement of YA and the thought-provoking images that adult novels provide. He makes you think, but he also makes you laugh, and cry, and sit back and enjoy yourself.

If you haven't read anything by Scott Westerfeld, you really should. Whether you're a steampunk junkie, a dystopian lover, or a vampire fiend he's got something for you! Maybe even check out some of his short stories before diving into something longer. Either way, you won't be disappointed.

Some of Westerfeld's series:

The Uglies:
Uglies, Pretties, Specials, and Extras

Leviathan:

Leviathan, Behemoth, and Goliath