Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can’t wait. In just a few weeks she’ll have the operation that will turn her from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty. And as a pretty, she’ll be catapulted into a high-tech paradise where her only job is to have fun.

But Tally’s new friend Shay isn’t sure she wants to become a pretty. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of her world—and it isn’t very pretty. The authorities offer Tally a choice: find her friend and turn her in, or always be an ugly. Tally’s decision leads her on a journey of self-discovery and first love—but it’s the seeds of rebellion that will change her life and her world forever.