I was bookselling at "Foolscap" (a science fiction convention in Bellevue, Sept. 21-23; Charles DeLInt & Charles Vess were Guests of Honor) and kept passing the "Big Read" table in the hallway between the Dealers/Art Show room and the rest of the convention.
After being assured that even visiting Oregon booksellers (and not just King County residents) were allowed to take a book, I picked up UGLIES because it was the only one on the nice librarian's table which I *hadn't* already read. I'm glad I did... It may not be quite as good as Ray Bradbury or TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (hey, few things are!), but it's in the same class: books which make you *think*, but which you keep reading for the compelling *story*. I whipped through this in one night, eager to follow Tally's adventures. The "flowers [with] fire-bug eyes" were a particularly interesting bit, though I wonder how many of the younger readers catch the parallel between the ecologically destructive monoculture of the beautiful orchids and the "Pretty" society. If they don't get it first time through, though, they will on re-reading... I sure didn't catch all the nuances in 1984 when I read it the first time at age 8 or 10!
I'll be stopping in my local library this afternoon to get the sequels, 'cause I don't want to wait 'til I do my next book order.
Thanks for the good read, and (bookseller voice here!) for turning me on to a new author whose books I'll be stocking from now on (including copies for me to keep )!
This copy will go to the next convention where I'm bookselling, to be "set free" for the next reader to "catch"... :-)