Specials

The third book in his trilogy, Scott Westerfield continues Tally's story in Specials.

As predicted, Tally has been turned into a Special; however, as one of Shay's Cutters, she's a special Special.  As the name suggests, the Cutters use self-mutilation as a way to stay "icy".  Tally is unsatisfied as a Cutter since Zane is not a part of their group.  Finding him crippled, Tally and Shay decide that if he escapes from New Pretty Town that Dr. Cable will have to make him Special.  And to help him, they break into the Armory to find a cutting tool that will remove the tracking collar he has around his neck.  Unfortunately, when they were discovered by the guard, Shay released nanos that ended up eating through the building, destroying it in the process.

After releasing Zane, Tally follows the Crims at a distance, staying undercover and helping them when they are nearly discovered.  At the pickup point, Tally stows onboard and is taken to another City which has a more liberal point of view than the one Tally grew up in.  For example, there are no standards for cosmetic surgery, so Tally is able to hide out in the open with her Special face.  While there, she finds Fausto, a kidnapped Cutter that Shay had set out to find.  However, he attempts to make Tally un-Special; in the escape, Tally winds up in a hospital where she is deemed a deadly weapon and is scheduled to be de-Specialized. 

When Shay shows up to free Shay from the operation, she explains how Dr. Cable has declared war on the City, since she doesn't believe that the Crims or Smokies could have destroyed the Armory.  The aftermath of Dr. Cable's revenge has left Zane brain-dead and Tally spends the next 3 days flying back to the Special Headquarters to turn herself in.  Meeting David in the Ruins has strengthened her resolve to make things right, and he also gives her an antidote in case she changes her mind about being Special.  Reaching HQ, Tally is tricked and trapped; but manages to slip Dr. Cable the antidote in the process.  Due to her changed perspective, Dr. Cable ends up ruining her own position in the war and all of the Specials are de-Specialized.  Just before Tally's operation, Dr. Cable saves her from the procedure and Tally runs off to the Ruins to meet up with David again.

In the end, all of Tally's friends become allies of the new movement; however, Tally is determined to keep them from becoming like the Rusties and has declared herself (and David) to be the enemy of their cause.

I liked the book and I think Tally matured in this story.  And I liked how it ended, with Tally setting herself up as the antagonist.  I know there's another story, Extras, which I'm assuming ties up the story, although the author could have let it end there. 

The next story that I'm reading is Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut as part of the Banned Book Club.