Title: Imposters (Uglies #5)

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Pub. Date: September 11, 2018

Rating: ♥♥♥ – 3.5

Frey and Rafi are inseparable…but very few people have ever seen them together. This is because Frey is Rafi’s double, raised in the shadows of their rich father’s fortress. While Rafi has been taught to charm, Frey has been taught to kill. Frey only exists to protect her sister. There is no other part of her life. Frey has never been out in the world on her own – until her father sends her in Rafi’s place to act as collateral for a dangerous deal. Everyone thinks she’s her sister – but Col, the son of a rival leader, is starting to get close enough to tell the difference. As the stakes grown higher and higher, Frey must decide whether she can trust him – or anyone in her life.

 This will be a spoiler free review.

It’s bee a while since I read the initial three Uglies books – Uglies, Pretties and Specials – I never touched Extras. I loved the original three, and due to most people not liking Extras I avoided it.

Unfortunately I think I might have to go back and reread the whole series.

I enjoyed this book, and was happy to be back in this world, as Tally Youngblood’s world was one of my first YA dystopian worlds I read about. It felt comfortable and familiar, but also changed. Why wouldn’t it feel slight different, especially with how Specials ends.

I think Imposters stand well enough on it’s own, but I think the story would greatly benefit a direct reading after having finished the original series. Since it had been so long since I’d read any of the original books, I struggled a little big to remember what all had happened. If you have a better memory than me, you probably wouldn’t need to do this step. I also think that Extras probably bridges the gap between the end of Specials and the start of Imposters. I think I’m going to have to finally suck it up and read it.

Overall though, I really enjoyed this book. It felt like coming home and I really liked the new set of characters. Scott Westerfeld was able to keep the familiarity of the world, but also make it entirely new. It changed after the end of Specials, and this book, I feel, accurately reflected that, but was still recognizable.

While I liked the majority of the new cast of characters, I wasn’t particularly fond of Frey and Rafi’s father – though I don’t know who would be – but as the bad guy in the series, I think he’ll be a good one. He adds an interesting, almost self serving element to the book, and the way he uses his daughters, it has you rooting for the good guys early on.

It’s wonderful being back in the Uglies world, and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book – I’m already dying to find out.

If you loved Tally in Uglies you’re going to love Frey, Rafi and Col and their journey to fight for what’s right and everyone’s future.

Have you read Uglies? Did you read Extras? If you, what are your thoughts? Is it worth reading, or will it ruin the first three books – which is most people’s claims. Let me know!