I was really glad to see the story develop from the first novel, and learn more about just how the society Tally lives in evolved, but there was one thing that bothered me: the pretty talk. I have to give Westerfeld credit though, because the fact that I didn't like the way the Pretties talk actually works in the book's favor. Every time I read the dialogue between the characters who are partying it up, I can hear the tones of the vapid, shallow airheads you might cast in the roles of the popular cliques in teen movies. And that's exactly how they should sound. You should be rooting for the Pretties to see the light, to not be so shallow, to want to change, to want out of the lives that are so carefully controlled by the authorities—just like Tally, the main character, who feels a responsibility to change the world.

If I found the first book in the trilogy interesting, I enjoyed this one even more. The story goes deeper, the characters are more developed, and I'm really interested in reading the next novel.