Uglies Book Series Order

There are affiliate links in here. I get a small commission if you purchase through them at no extra cost to you

LOOKING FOR THE UGLIES BOOKS IN ORDER?

The Uglies books are an iconic series of YA dystopian books featuring Tally-wa and Shay-la who are about to turn 16 which means they’ll finally be pretty.

While I didn’t read this in middle school, I did read this series a few years ago. I can definitely understand why this was peak middle school literature and I did enjoy it but not as much as I may have 25 years ago.

But today I’m mostly here to tell you about the Uglies series order, who wrote them, and the spin-off series (I had no idea this existed!) I have the description of the first book in the main section and will have the rest after all the other information, clearly marked where there will be spoilers.

Pango is my go-to for finding secondhand books affordably, sold by other readers! If you’re a new user, you can use HEYIMREADING at checkout for $5 off your first $10 purchase! Check out Pango Books here!
Thrift Books is one of the places I check when I’m looking for a book and want it cheap. It’s great if you like buying used books. With this you can get a free book after spending $30!
If you want to listen to some of these, consider trying Audible! You can get your first month free (one free book) plus tons of others they have for free. Get that Audible deal here.
If you want to read more on your Kindle but don’t want to buy books, Kindle Unlimited is a good option. If you read a lot and like to read more than just new releases (especially romance), it could be worth it. Get Kindle Unlimited here!
Shop my collection of bookish goodies on Etsy! These aren’t my shop items, but other shops I’ve curated into a book-themed collection. Shop my Etsy bookish goodies here!
Shop my book lists here! You can find every book list I have on Bookshop.org (except my monthly round-ups) and I add everything I can but they occasionally won’t have some. I do occasionally add extras though. If any lists are empty, they’ll be filled in shortly! Shop my bookshop.org book lists here.

Uglies Book series in order

Uglies
Pretties
Specials
Extras

Who wrote the Uglies books?

The Uglies book series was written by Scott Westerfeld, as were the graphic novels and spin-off series.

Uglies book synopsis

Tally is about to turn 16 and they can’t wait because that means she can finally have surgery to go from being a repellent ugly to a stunning pretty. She’ll move to a high-tech paradise where all she has to think about is having fun.

But her new friend Shay isn’t sure she even wants to become a pretty. When Shay runs away, the authorities give Tally a choice: Find her friend and turn her in or never turn pretty at all.

How many books are in the Uglies series?

There are four books in the Uglies series, two graphic novels, and four books in the spin-off series (more on the latter two below). Here is when they were published:

Uglies – 2005
Pretties – 2005
Specials – 2006
Extras – 2006

Do you need to read the Uglies books in order?

Yes, you do need to read the Uglies books in order. I would also probably read the main series before the graphic novels or the Impostors spin-off series (since it’s a spin-off and based off of what happens in the later books of the main series).

Uglies graphic novels

In addition to the main Uglies series and the spin-off series, there are also two graphic novels! I haven’t read these and didn’t know they existed until right now.

Uglies: Shay’s Story – 2012
Uglies: Cutters – 2012

Are all of the Uglies books out already?

Yup! All four books in the series were actually published in just two years! Uglies and Pretties were published in 2005 while Specials and Extras were published in 2006. The Impostors series didn’t start until 2018.

Are the Uglies books worth reading?

I think so. They’re fun YA dystopian books. I liked the first one but I thought they got progressively worse by the end. I actually think I DNF’d the fourth one. I will also say that some of the “pretties” language is.. a little annoying but it’s not all like that.

Are the Impostors books part of the Uglies series?

Nope! The Imposters books are a spin-off series post-Tally’s revolution. It’s about the consequences of ending the Pretty Regime, taking place in a city where things didn’t end well.

Books in the Impostors series

I won’t include the descriptions for the Impostors books in this post, I’ll just list them here in order. There are four books in the spin-off Uglies series.

Impostors (2018)
Shatter City (2019)
Mirror’s Edge (2021)
Youngbloods (2022)

Other books by Scott Westerfeld

Impostors (4 books)
Peeps (2 books)
Midnighters (3 books)
Leviathan (3 books)
So Yesterday
Spill Zone (2.5 books)
The Risen Empire (Succession series, 2 books)
Horizon (5 books)
Stupid Perfect World
Evolution’s Darling
Polymorph
Fine Prey
Afterworlds

THERE WILL BE SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT

Pretties – Uglies book 2

Tally is finally pretty and everything is beyond perfect. But underneath all that fun there’s a nagging feeling that something isn’t right. When she gets a message from her ugly past, she remembers what’s wrong with pretty life and the fun comes to an end.

Now she has to decide between fighting to forget what she knows and fighting for her life, because the authorities won’t let anyone with this information survive.

Specials – Uglies book 3

Specials were always a sinister rumor back in Tally’s ugly days and most people never even meet one. They’re even more beautiful than pretties, and strong and fast. And now Tally doesn’t just know one, she has become one.

But one small part of her still remembers something more. Now she’s facing another decision: stamp out the rebels of New Smoke or listen to that niggling feeling. Whichever she chooses, her life will never be the same.

Extras – Uglies book 4

It’s been a few years since Tally took down the Specials and a new fad has taken over: tech-heads, kickers, and surge monkeys flaunt the latest tech, spread the hottest gossip, and are hooked on extreme plastic surgery.

Aya is no different but thanks to her low face rank, she’s just an extra. But when she stumbles on a huge story, she has a chance to make it big. She’s about to make it big but this information will no just change her, but the brave new world they’re in.

Have you read the Uglies series? What did you think of it? How about the Imposters series?