Uglies Quartet

Reach for this book when your teenager begins to vocalize intense dissatisfaction with their appearance or feels a crushing pressure to conform to social media standards of beauty. While set in a futuristic dystopia, the story serves as a powerful metaphor for the transition into adulthood and the literal 'surgery' of peer pressure. It follows Tally, a girl eager for a government mandated operation that will make her physically perfect, until she discovers the horrifying cognitive cost of being 'pretty.' Parents will appreciate how it explores the value of individuality and the ethics of a society that prioritizes harmony over free will. It is a sophisticated look at self-worth and body image for the middle and high school years.