Uglies: Invasion Summary & Analysis

Tally realizes she’s alone in the bunkhouse. A window shatters and she can hear a struggle outside. When she opens the door, she sees a Special Circumstances hovercar that looks like a cross between a normal hovercar and a helicopter. Tally tells herself this has nothing to do with her and she runs through the melee. The cruel pretties move through the Smoke with superhuman speed, binding all of the Smokies and leaving them on the ground. Tally moves toward the Smokies fighting near the mess hall, where she can smell breakfast. She realizes that she slept through the meal and that Special Services waited until all the Smokies were in one place to invade. The Specials don’t try to fight the group—they wait until uglies try to run away and then grab them. Tally sizes up a Special standing between her and the forest.

The Boss creeps up behind Tally, and they watch the Special. He suggests they both run for it and then shows Tally the two things he keeps in case of emergency: ground habanero pepper and a duffel bag of Rusty magazines. He asks Tally which she wants. She chooses the duffel bag, but the Boss realizes that Tally doesn’t have any shoes and gives her the pepper instead. She pauses for a moment, thinks of never seeing David again, and then races for the Special. The Special trips Tally and handcuffs her. As Tally reaches for the pepper, the Special prepares to leap for the Boss. Tally kicks at the container, which opens into the Special’s face. The Special lets out an inhuman, as Tally runs for the forest. She tries to hide, but a Special finds and captures her.