Uglies: Shay's Story (Graphic Novel) (Uglies Graphic Novels) Paperback – March 6, 2012

I don't typically read graphic novels (aka I've never read one in my life), but when I saw this was an addition to Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series, I knew I had to give it a try! I love the Uglies books, so any new view I'm given into the awesome world Scott created is something I love to see.When I first started reading it was tough to adjust to the change of medium (getting lots of the story through pictures instead of words). However, after a few chapters in I stopped thinking about how different it was from reading a text book and was able to be completely immersed in the story. I loved seeing the pictures -- one of the things I was fascinated with in the Uglies series is all the technology Scott created. It was super cool being able to see drawings of everything - the ping rings, hoverboards, crash bracelets, spagbol packets, etc. The whole story came to life on a whole new level through the illustrations. The only issue I had was that it was difficult to see the differences between the Uglies, Pretties, and Specials -- they looked pretty similar, except minor details. When reading the series, I imagined the differences to be much more vast then they were in the illustrations in Shay's Story.This book drastically changed my perception of Shay. It's been a long time since I read Uglies (six years I think!) but I remember thinking that Shay was overly jealous and easily angered. When reading from Tally's point of view, I sympathized with Tally, not Shay. But getting to see the story from Shay's point of view totally changed my opinion of her! I understand now why she was so upset about Tally and David's relationship, and fully sympathize with her feelings. It makes sense why she was upset, and feeling like things weren't working out fairly for her.This book is a MUST READ for fans of the Uglies series! If you haven't read the Uglies series, I recommend reading the series before reading this part. Great work, Scott!! Looking forward to the next installment of Shay's Story.

First off, my opinion of this my be a bit biased, because I loved the original books & Scott Westerfeld Is my favorite author. But really why would you buy this if you didn't know what it's about?Now that that is out of the way, I pre-ordered this because I had to get my hands on this ASAP.I find myself not disappointed, I've read through this at least 5 times since I got it, the characters were (for the most part) exactly how I imagined them, the story almost takes on a new flavor from the viewpoint of Shay, & I loved every page!All in all, Awesome for anyone who was already a fan of the books, for anyone else, still awesome, but beware SPOILERS! If you do intend to read the original series, don't read this first.

I've always loved the worlds in Scott Westerfeld's books, but Uglies has a special place in my heart. To finally see Shays point of view is so satisfying, I found these books in sixth grade and now here I am at 20 years old still totally enthralled by the art and excitement all over again.

Being a huge Uglies fan, I was really excited to download the Kindle version and get to reading. The animation is beautiful and I love the artist's style. Obviously there is some overlap with the story we read from Tally's POV back in the day, but I didn't find that it took away from the experience; if anything it helped interlace the narratives. I wish it was longer (I finished it in less than an hour, even with admiring the animation) and just burned through it with how good it was. I miss the series immensely, and can't wait for Westerfeld's new additions!

I loved, loved the Uglies series, but I never thought Shay came across as a real person. She always seemed like she was just there to instigate or react to Tally, and was rarely more than irritating with a side of pity.Shay's Story is a bit of a prequel, but quickly catches up to Uglies and gives an alternate point of view (which is something I love) in key moments of the story.Westerfeld managed to bring her to life in this, and not only is she human but also sympathetic. Bravo, sir.

I loved the original series ('Uglies' through 'Extras') as a teenager/young adult, when I saw this was out I HAD to have it. I was especially excited about it being a graphic novel, to see how everything actually looks. It all fit my expectations. I can't wait for the Pretties graphic novel. I recommend reading the original book before buying this, or you won't understand it as well.

Shay's Story takes place parallel to Uglies, telling the same story from a different perspective. Most of it is simply filling in details behind broad strokes that we already know, such as how Shay first meets David and why she didn't go to Smoke the first time. Interesting, but not vital plot detail.Shay doesn't look great in this book. In the novels, she's seen as a leader, strong and sure of herself and what she wants. In Shay's Story she is whiny, pushy, a hanger-on, even in some of the crossover scenes that are in both books.The art is fine, but not amazing and possibly not the best match for this story. The wide-eyed style of the faces rather undermined the Ugly/Pretty juxtaposition, especially in a medium where everyone is already generally drawn as Pretty (especially women). Mostly the Uglies just look young and the Pretties look older, even when they are the same age. Faces aside, it was a very dynamic style of art, which is important in an Uglies story where everyone is hoverboarding here and there and running and hiding and doing tricks constantly.Overall I enjoyed Shay's Story but I would recommend it only to dedicated Uglies fans.

I love the series and have wanted Shay’s side of the story for a while and why she is so interesting than Tally