Uglies is one of three books (Uglies, Pretties and Specials). It takes place in 300 years, in a society where until the age of 16, people are known as "Uglies". Once an Ugly turns 16, they undergo an operation, turning them into a "Pretty", a beautifully symmetrical being with full lips, big eyes, perfect figure, everybody the same. Most think of this as a good thing, something to look forward to- finally moving out of Uglyville- like Tally Youngblood, a teenage girl about to turn 16. While waiting for her birthday to come, Tally meets another Ugly, Shay, who, unlike Tally, doesn't want to become a Pretty and who has outside contact with a rebellious group called The Smoke. Shay then runs away to join them, without Tally, but leaves behind a note with clues of the whereabouts of the Smoke's location, in case she changes her mind. Tally promises to never tell anybody where they reside and continues to look forward for the operation. Her excitement is cut short when, right before her 16th birthday, Tally is told by Dr. Cable, a "Special" (members of the city's secret police organization- Special Circumstances), that unless she reveals the Smoke's location, she will not be given the surgery. Forced to find and infiltrate the Smoke, Tally decides to stay there and not become a Pretty after meeting their leader, David, with whom she falls in love. She then learns that when one is made into a Pretty, not only do their looks get altered, but it also creates lesions in the brain so that it makes people more compliant with authority. Although Tally tries to stop the Special Circumstances from destroying the Smoke, they do anyway and capture all but Tally and David. The two mount a successful operation and return with their friends to a "Rusty Ruins" city, a city from today's world. David's dad had died and Shay was transformed into a pretty with lesions in her brain. David's mom has discovered a cure for the lesions, but Shay refuses to take them because they haven't been proven succesful. Tally decides to risk herself to save her friend, so she decides to get the operation done and be the test. She turns herself in, and demands to be made pretty.