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Tally Youngblood

A mischievous fifteen-year-old girl who is days away from getting a mandatory surgery required by her city to make her “Pretty.” Tally becomes friends with a girl who shares her birthday, Shay, which sets her off on a life-altering adventure. Tally and Shay learn that there is life beyond their city in a place called the Smoke, where people who refuse the Pretty surgery are free to live as “Uglies.”

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Shay 

Tally’s friend, who is also days away from getting the mandatory surgery required by the city to make her into a “Pretty.” Shay is against the surgery and accepts her imperfect looks. She believes others should refuse the Pretty surgery too and just live life as they are. Shay inspires Tally to become more rebellious and leads her to the Smoke, where they both learn a different way of life. 

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David

A resident of the Smoke. Born and raised in the Smoke, David has never seen life outside his camp. His parents, Maddy and Az, are doctors who founded the Smoke. David falls in love with Tally because of her seriousness and what he perceives as her willingness to risk her life for Shay. His affection for Tally disappoints Shay, who is in love with him.

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Dr. Cable

The cold and calculating resident doctor of the city’s secret police organization, Special Circumstances. Dr. Cable has a “terrifying” form of beauty that unnerves Tally and the others. She blackmails Tally into betraying Shay and the Smoke.

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Peris

Tally’s first crush and male best friend. He and Tally scar themselves together before his surgery in a pact to solidify their bond. Tally sneaks into Pretty Town to find him after his surgery. He makes Tally promise not to get into trouble before her surgery so they can be together in Pretty Town.  

Maddy and Az

David’s parents. Maddy and Az are doctors who have performed hundreds of “Pretty” surgeries but become suspicious once they discover over 95 percent of the people who had the surgery had lesions on their brains. They leave to create the Smoke camp as an experimental control group to see how the lesions affect people. Maddy develops a cure for the lesions, but Az dies after he is used as a subject for experimental surgery.

Croy

One of the Smokies who comes to pick up Tally when they first find her in the white poppy field. Croy is suspicious of Tally after he realizes many of her stories don’t add up. He later develops trust in her after he sees that she resisted the Special Circumstances forces during the raid.

The Boss

A forty-something-year-old Ugly who acts as a librarian in the Smoke. He is one of Tally’s first exposures to an “old” Ugly. The Boss is the resident historian and tries to preserve the history of the “Rusties,” people from the Rusty Era, by keeping their magazines and books intact. He tries to save Tally from Special Circumstances when they raid the Smoke.

Sol and Ellie

Tally’s parents. Tally is surprised when her father, Sol, tells her to obey Special Circumstances. Tally realizes her parents don’t mean any harm, but they don’t know much about the outside world.

Sussy, An, and Dex

Three young Uglies who are recruited by David and Tally. David and Tally ask the three to help them distract Special Forces after they return to the city to free the Smokies from Special Circumstances. Sussy, An, and Dex light flares and fly hoverboards to throw the secret police off the Smokies’ trail.

Astrix

A friend of Shay. Astrix ran away from home to live at the Smoke a few months before Shay joins the camp.

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