Okay, this isn’t the big news, but it is big:
Specials, the final volume of the Uglies series, is shipping from Amazon right NOW!
Tell your friends! Tell your cats! Tell your friends’ cats!
It was “officially” supposed to go on sale May 9, but there’s always some gun-jumpage in the crazy world of bookselling. I’m still in Australia, so you guys have to do the in-store spotting for me. Anybody seen a copy of Specials in the wild yet? (I hope they have them in stores soon, because it’s just not fair otherwise.)
UPDATE: Copies of Specials have been spotted in stores, at least in Canada. They should be everywhere in Canada and the US soon, and in Australia in a month-ish. Just call ahead! (The UK version comes out in October, but you guys don’t even have Pretties yet.)
And yes, this is the hardback edition of Specials. I don’t know when the paperback will be out, or if hardbacks of the other two books will appear. I’m only in charge of the words! UPDATE ENDS
Also, I will be putting up a Specials Spoiler Comment Thread soon, for those of you who’ve read the book and want to divulge and discuss. BUT THIS IS NOT IT! Do not engage in spoilage here.
And in celebration, here is some fab fan art, a hoverboard-a-rific illustration by Kate:
I love the blue lines and faded math homework in the background, the true sign of fan art direct from study hall. (Um, because nobody draws in class, do they? Unless it helps you listen, of course.) The crash bracelets are bigger than I imagined, but I kind of like the hugeness of them. These look big enough to actually work, and maybe even help you guide your way through the air, sort of like wings.
Check out the rest of Kate’s work, including headshots of leather-jacketed David, slightly gothoid Zane, pretty vacant Tally, and ugly-befreckled Tally.
In the meantime, rest assure that the previously alluded to news will be announced here . . . shortly (-ish). And apologies to anybody whose fan mail I haven’t answered yet: I’ve been snowed under with work.
Now go and read.
One More Update: Specials got to 393 291 224 today on Amazon! (I know, looking at one’s Amazon rating is pretty lame, especially as independent bookstore sales are really more important. But some days it’s all we authors have got, okay?) That’s the best rating any of my books have ever achieved, even Evolution’s Darling the day it was reviewed in the NY Times way back in June of 2000, which was merely 692-ish. Let there be w00ting, and let it be loud.
Wow. I’m the first one to comment??
Hmm…now thats new.
But anyhooo…specials!!
Do you mean its out in Australia only,
or all over??
Its nice that I finally have a good book to feast on.
One random note, I really like the tattoo on the girl on the book cover.
I wonder who designed it….
=)
It’s not out in australya for like foreva!!! I know cuz its killing me!!!! He must mean America.
Thank god! I’ve been dying to read it. Good cover, too.
that art is cool!!!!
I told my cats, and they asked if they could take a nap on the book. I replied that it wasn’t here yet, and they went back to sleep. As a hint, I think, to tell me to go to sleep. Peeps would be their favorite Westerbook, of course, if they could read English. Luckily for them, I speak cat. Or I try to. In any event, happy release day, and ohnothistrilogycan’tbeover!!! fangirl wishes.
AARGH!! So that whole ARC fiasco was for nothing. So Amazon has already started shipping their regular books and my ARC hasn’t even arrived. Therefore making the whole exercise pointless. Not that I would be able to read anyway, due to FINALS WEEK coming up….but then, since when have I ever paid attention to things like finals? You know, I figured Specials would be out early, because that’s what happened with Pretties, but I never imagined it would be this early. Insane. *sigh* I was half-tempted to go buy the hardback version anyway, and now I’m a little more than half. If it weren’t after 1:00 a.m. here in America-ville, I would probably head out to a bookstore right now.
And for those of you not in the U.S., you can always order it online, provided you can deal with the crazy Americanized version. ๐
I don’t have any cats. I have three dogs, though. I gues I’ll tell them.
I am going to Barnes and Noble tomarrow. May ninth is just too far away.
Is it still coming out in only hardcover? If so, do you have any idea when it’s going to be out in paperback? Why’d they decide to release it in hardcover instead of paperback like the first two? Hardcovers are too much for my budget. ๐ I’ll probably read it at Borders and buy it when it gets in paperback. (or if it /is/ coming out in paperback and I’m wrong I probably sound like an idiot, so ignore me if you please D:)
I love the drawing.
Ok, so this has nothing to do with Specials, although Ingram (a national book distibuter) has already received their copies and are shipping them to stores as we speak. I just received an ARC of The Last Days, and the cover art is kinda weird. I was just wondering what happened to all the cool pics we saw… this cover kinda looks like it belongs on the Uglies books…
i told my cats too, but they only said, “where’s our breakfast?” it being first thing in the morning and them *starving* and all.
i debated on whether or not to buy specials in hardback, because i like my books to *match*, but then decided i couldn’t wait…so i ordered it on amazon to read asap and then will donate it to a library or something. and i’ll buy it again in paperback later.
but yay on shipping early! i pre-ordered it *ages* ago, can hardly wait!!
Those sketches are fantastic! I’ll never get over the sad fact that I can’t draw – on the bright side, I’ve moved past the whole being tone deaf thing.
But I digress. I just finished reading Peeps. I know it came out a while ago, but you have to make certain allowances when you’re broke and living under the iron-fisted rule of the Queens Public Library. Scott, I thought it was just amazing. I loved how smart and funny it was, and how hard it was for me to put it down. How my cat always seemed to show up when I cracked the book open…Eerie, is all I’m saying.
And I’m sure this question has been asked by people with fatter wallets or…fatter libraries?…but are you planning on a sequel? Because, honestly, I’m hooked. (Insert your own parasite-positive metaphor here).
I wish I had access to a credit card so I could buy Specials. I guess I’ll have to wait until the official release date and camp out at Barnes & Noble or something.
Adriana has finished reading Peeps and would like me to tell you that she is now scared of parasites and is probably infected with toxoplasma via her cat. I’m still spreading the (fandom) infection, and it has never been so fun.
Mich: The sequel to Peeps is called The Last Days, and I believe it is due out in September.
I buy everything in hardcover, unless I discover the book in paperback. What is with people and paperback? Its just a few more dollars more. congrats on specials.
September? I thought it was August. You know, I could stop being lazy and go look it up…. argh, you’re right, September 7. Where did I get August from?
Those drawings really are awesome. I’ve always wished I could draw like that. I hope there’s more to come. ๐
Off to check my mailbox.
Well, forcher, some of us are just cheap. ๐
forcher:
i usually buy everything in hardback too. but uglies and pretties were only released as paperback, at least in the states…as far as i know, anyway. and i’m ocd about books in a series matching on my shelf. my husband makes fun of me, but oh well.
I loveee your books, they are soo amazing. i dont want the series to end
=[
your an awsome writer. ill be sure to read your other books too.
Hmmm… I like the drawing quite much (that sounds a tad funny haha), the faded math homework was a nice choice… not to mention she helped saved trees! hoorah…
anyway… I can’t wait to get the book, but if I order it… then it would be a waste of shipping and time if it was in book stores…
btw I’m afraid to tell my friend’s cat… last time I heard of it it was when I asked why he had a bandaid on his face…
And for my third comment in a way, as far as I can tell Barnes & Nobles has the book available… online at least… I’d hope that means it’s in stores now too…
GOT IT
Our copies of SPECIALS arrived today (Thurs Apr 27th, 4pm Toronto time).
Just in time, too.
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!
Okay, now that I’ve got that out, I can concentrate! Specials! Specials! Specials! Specials! Specials! That’s seriously all I can think about right now.
Only, this is kind of a bummer, my mom won’t let me order anything from amazon, ’cause she’s all like, “Maggie, just wait until it’s in bookstores. I’m not paying the shipping and handling.” But I wan’t it noooooooooooooow!!! So I have to wait until may 9th. Rawr. I think this calls for a classic paper link chain counting down the days. Juvenile, yet extremely effective.
Is it not in stors yet? In the US? Has anyone checked?
Mkay, so Borders says it’s in print, but none of the locations down here actually have it. Curious. I shall check daily until they have it!
And I shall tell my cat, my friends’ cats, and my cat’s friends all about it. Though my cat might be more interested in the release of The Last Days. Peeps was her favorite of your books. *wink* Translates very well to catese.
So the book probably is in stores in the US, or at least will be over the next few days. It’s in the shipping chain, which means it could be anywhere from a warehouse to a truck to down in the store’s basement and not unboxed yet.
Just call ahead, and if they say it’s “in the computer” but it’s not on the shelves, ask them nicely to go to the basement and open the dang box.
Right, the hardback thing. I’ll put that in the post when I update it. Basically, it’s a hardback and I’m not sure when it will be paperback, and sorry about the extra cost and all-important not matchingness. (But wasn’t my choice, I promise!)
Yes, The Last Days (sequel to Peeps) comes out in September. I said August before, because I was assuming it came out exactly a year after Peeps.
And yes TLD and the paperback of Peeps both have new covers, which are rather different. I’ll be revisiting that later.
And glad all the cats are listening.
Actually amazon has five dollars off, so if you’re shipping is less than that, it actually would be a better deal… I’m considering that now too… Just something to tell your mom Maggie…
I called Borders and they’re sticking to the May 9th release date even though they already have them in the store. Arrrgahhhhhh!
Where’d you get that it’s in stores in Canada, Scott? Hope it comes here, soon. I can order it on Amazon, anyway, so it doesn’t really matter. I guess.
Stupid Borders. They jack the prices anyway.
And stupid Texas. I called Austin’s local store Book People, which is the best place to get anything in Austin (if you happen to be in that area). They told me that none of the warehouses in Texas have started shipping it yet. So my whole plan to sell back my textbooks and then go buy Specials wouldn’t have worked anyway. ARGH!
Maggie Says:
“Specials! Specials! Specials! Specials! Specials! Thatรขโฌโขs seriously all I can think about right now.”
Yeah, that’s me. ๐
Me 2!!!!
If you live in Houston, there is there is this really cool chick at barnes and nobles, and she will so go get it fromt he basement for you. I think it’s more about the person and not the store… and i can’t WAIT! to go get it,
my rents won’t drive me untill friday! AAAAAAARGH!
Lol, o well. soon enough.
ok i’m totally pis….i mean upset, I went to the mall here in auburn, ny, the middle of friggin nowhere and went to walden’s books. and all they have is uglies and pretties. i wanted to find the midnighters, or peeps, or ANYTHING but no, nothing but those two which i’ve read…That’s what i get for living in the middle of NOWHERE. grrr.
Kate, awesome art work hun, totally cool.
question for the cat thing….does anyone elses cats show their fangs when smelling books?…my cat smells the book i’m reading and opens her mouth just enough for her little fangs to show….looks like a vamp kitty…lol. but yea i told my cats. and they ran away….i guess they aren’t fans…
LOL! i don’t have a cat, but my brother pretty much snarls and looks at books evily too. 4some reason he doesn’t like to read, a
nd he must be wack to not like your work scott, cause there is nothing better on the planet!
wuteva as the spanish saying goes
“menos burros mas elotes”
(less donkeys/dumbasses, more corn…. like for the ones hu do like corn, lol)
Alex, it’s at this store in Canada:
http://www.bakkaphoenixbooks.com/
(As per Chris S.’s comment above.)
Urk, and what is the deal with Borders being all fusty about the lay-down date? Don’t they know that everyone else cheats?
I would.
i agree!
Cool art.
You have to go to a local book store to get it early. The big chain stores are tight about release dates.
Can’t even bribe them. I think it’s illegal…
I hope not…
P.S. I have no cats.
Viva la puppies!
Cats rule!!!
My cat is very peculiar. She HATES the smell of lavender, and she’s bullimic.
Heh, so I went to amazon to check out the aforementioned paperback version of Peeps with it’s new cover, and the first book that came up was also called Peeps, and it had a picture of the little sugary peeps on it, so the first thing I thought was, “Wow, Scott really took a different direction with the paperback.” It took me a few seconds to realize that Scott doesn’t actually come up with th covers. Also, this was Peeps: A Candy Coated Tale by Mark Masyga. Whoops. Yeah, I’m kinda like that.
Plus, Amazon turned out to not even have a picture of paperback Peeps. So this slightly embaressing escapade was all for nothing.
Ahhhhhhhhhh!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/081095995X/ref=dp_image_0/103-7288631-2971853?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=283155&s=books
Yeah, we went for scary, all right.
I like the little Peep People magazine in the corner…
Yay! I had a mention in Scott’s blog! Woo!
And YEAH, the Aussie Peeps cover is so damn cool.
Gtg, my sister really wants me to play gamecube right now.
any idea how an american girl can get ahold of an australian copy of peeps? cause i was just found the cover art back in the blog and…wow.
just read what i posted…somehow a “was” ended up in there, and it doesn’t belong.
btw, thanks to jess for pointing me to the super cool aussie peeps cover.
Oh goody! I’ve been waiting to start the series, because I didn’t want to forget everything before the third book was available.
BTW, I just gave So Yesterday a starred review in my newsletter (yeah, like you need ANOTHER one.) My husband and I both thought it was hysterical. I was wondering, have you ever read Connie Willis’ Bellwether? The underlying premise is kind of similar, though her take is quite different. Really good book.
GIVE US THE BIG NEWS, DAMMIT!!! Gah, you said early this week. I’m dying of impaticence here!
I wouldn’t be surprised if my cat had read the other Uglies books… she’s too smart for her own good. And she’s a peep, or at least she has red eyes like one.
Those sketches are really cool. I especially like the “pretty” and “ugly” pictures of Tally. Now all we need is one of her Special. And the one of Zane was really good, too. Wish I could draw like that…
Orange: Hey, if you’ve got $24 Australia (about US $18) on your credit card, you can order it from these guys:
http://www.bookworm.com.au/cgi-bin/bookmall/bookworm/returndetail.tam?xax=852616&item%2Ectx=PZ823808&query%2Ectx=Westerfeld%20Scott&searchtype%2Ectx=author&boolean%2Ectx=
But that’s a pretty expensive trade paperback.
Web: Thanks for the review! Cool site.
Ambereyes: Patience is a virtue. But I just pinged my agent to ask when the news can be leaked.
Since there’s always talk about this every time you put out a new book, I just thought maybe run down on release dates, or at least how we treat them at my Barnes and Noble, might be useful.
There is a difference between a plain old release date and a Strict On Sale (S.O.S) release date. For the vast majority of titles, we will put the books out as soon as they are received. However, and this usually applies to books by major mainstream authors, the company maintains a listing of S.O.S titles and their release dates which absolutely cannot be broken, as in we legally cannot sell the book before that date. And most children’s and YA authors do not make the list. I can only think of a handful that have.
If the book is not on the companyรขโฌโขs S.O.S list, than no matter what the publisherรขโฌโขs box or anyone else says, we will sell the book as soon as we get it. If itรขโฌโขs not on the shelf, we will get from the back. It just would not be practical for us to sit on every book until its รขโฌลofficialรขโฌย release date. There is just not enough space to store them. We’ve had books come in months early, though usually it’s just a few days.
Please feel free to ask the nice booksellers to take a pre order or reservation for you. That way youรขโฌโขll know if the book comes in early because we will call you the same day the book comes in.
Hey, lots of great info, ta.
Yay Scott, your book is 393!!! Climbing the ladder.
Btw the sketches are very cool too, though Zane looks different from what I imagined.
So I just went on Amazon to see if I could swing overnight shipping (can’t, will now proceed to call every bookstore in the Chicagoland area) and I discovered that an author I really like has set a release date on her next book. Her website still say’s that there’s been no news since October of ’05. Thank you so much Scott for keeping us up to date. Seriously.
Okay, so, right after I posted I tried calling up the closest bookstore and no one answered, and I was all ??? Then I looked at the clock and realized it’s not even 9 am, and no one is going to be open yet.. Ooops. See how excited this news made me, it made me forget that I should still be in bed on my day off!
thanks scott…if i can’t find a used copy on ebay (i already have the american copy, i just like the aussie cover and kind of collect books) i’ll know where i can order it. yay for fun book covers!
I went to that candy Peeps page, and now Amazon is dredging up every last candy Peeps book they can find to put on my Recommendations page.
Again, I am running to my mailbox. ๐
I’ve ordered my copy. After I bounced around with joy the likes of which hasn’t been seen since…ever.
fabity fab fab! (okay, too many confessions of georgia nicolson, but anyway…) i went out this afternoon, and when i got home, there was a package at my front door…from amazon…i now hav SPECIALS!! woo hoo!
so now i must read.
I have given in. I’m ordering it off Amazon with overnight shipping. RIGHT. NOW.
Or Amazon could be stupid and not let me. I promise this will be the last pointless comment.
you don’t know how long i have been waiting for the book to come out. I’ve already gone to my local Barnes and Nobles and Borders(the only ones around here:(
Anyway, they don’t have it out yet but they have saved a space in the new book section with copies of The first book , Uglies. I want to get the paperback version to match the paperback Uglies and Pretties that i have already bought but hell NOOOO. I’m not waiting. i have seen a small bookstore around here somewhere………….
i’ll most likely go tomorrow….
ps: the drawings are awesome. It’s kool how she can take it from her mind and draw. i can never do that………….
Yes finally the Specials. It has left me hanging to long. Everytime i go to the book store I see the midnighters and right next to it is a big section for the uglies and the pretties I might die waiting(now we dont want that to happen do we :p)
I know where suppose to be talking about Specials but…. but… *gets teary eyed* I miss Melissa and the rest of the Midnighters *sniffles*
Well then, I’ll be going to the bookstore tomorrow.
I’ll go notify my cat now. And my friends.
My bookstore doesn’t have it (I only have a books a million and Waldenbooks here). But my copy is supposed to get here by May 2. Which is still a week earlier than I would have gotten it anyway.
oh! no spoilerage, i promise, but i just finished specials, and…oh! thanks, scott. there is much more to say, but i would never ever want to ruin anyone else’s read. ๐ enjoy..i sure did!!
SWEET! *Just ordered Specials* AND the bookstore called and they have “So Yesterday” which is awesome. Now all I need to do is find Midnighters…. SQUEEEE I’m so excited! A -few-more-days and I will have Specials! SQUEE I feel so splecial! heehee Okay I’m done XD
aargh, i just recently spent my saved money on manga. But I must buy Specials….hardcover or no. I will have to wait a while, as my local Borders is slow at stocking stuff. What’s worse is that Midnighter vol 1 + 2 are on a completely different shelf from vol 3. These people haven’t heard of trilogies or alphabetical order.
Rawr… Pat from Barnes and Noble wouldn’t go get the book for me.
I love Barnes and Noble. Mine, anyway. The’ve got the most relaxed release dates ever! Yep, I just
got Specials!!!!!
I called Barnes & Nobles and ask about the book. To this the lady replied that it is coming out May 9. told her it was available online. She replied with “maybe illegally…” Since when did Amazon become illegal? I told her they had it and she wouldn’t believe me at all…
Oh well… I ordered it off Amazon last night…
w00t for 393 btw!
And I am much awaiting the big news…
My favorite book shop around here will sell you any book in stock, even if its not ‘technically out’ yet so I usually get all the books early. So in short I have the book, in my home. But, I can’t read it because my sister won it from me in a brutal match of rock-paper-sissors. So she gets to read it first. This sucks. Hey Scott, know any good tricks to winning rock-paper-sissors?
-Athena
I don’t get why they don’t just sell the book… A sale is a sale, right? Oh, well, don’t get me started on chain book stores…
Rock-paper-scissors can be vicious. Paper tends to work…
Three rules for winning rock-paper-scissors:
1) Don’t have siblings.
2) Buy two copies (heh, heh).
3) The “stone-cutting scissors” rule.
I hear your woes about shelvage. When my first book came out, my local B&N didn’t put it out on the shelves for two months after its release date. The box was lost, basically.
pre-ordering always seems to work well for me. ๐
off topic again for the thread about specials, but this is kind of interesting…ordering the aussie peeps from the bookstore in australia costs about $18, like you said. i searched a bunch of used bookstores and such in the us, thinking maybe it would be better to not have it shipped across six oceans or whatever. and with the isbn i found it…but it costs *at least* $10 MORE here. bizarre. so actually ordering from australia is the way to go. who knew. so..thanks for the link, scott. ๐
I finnished it! Great installment, it made me cry. You really need a spoiler thread.
Oh my dear god I need this book. I am a madman.
I hate stupid Amazon’s “business days”, like, they can’t get someone to show up on a Saturday? With our economy? Puh-lease.
YEAH! I’d get mine..well today, or tomorrow, but I suppose if they absolutely MUST have business days then so be it, but I BETTER get it Monday XD. Mwahah I just finished “So Yesterday” er… yesterday… when we bought it I searched for Midnighters, but lucky-ucky me, they only had 2 and 3. You would THINK that they would have 1 as well *sigh* oh well Specials is arriving soon! Hooray for no eating or sleeping until finished reading! WOO! It only took me 8 hours for Pretties….. can’t waaiiitt.
i’m going a bit amazon crazy…i just ordered so yesterday and magic or madness. ๐ i did a major major top-to-bottom “cleaning of the kitchen” this afternoon, so it was my treat to myself.
on a completely different topic, i woke up in the middle of the night to the sight of my grey tiger cat sitting next to me, right in front of my face, staring into my eyes. then, when i woke up this morning, my snowshoe siamese was sitting on my chest, her nose almost touching mine.
good grief.
when is the date it comes out now?
WOOT
heh My cat does that. YAYYYYY SPECIALS IS HERE! Okay I got is at 4:00 and it’s Monday I am currently on page 190 and it’s 8:08 YAY! Almost done…or at least half way. *Prepares to click the spoiler zone to talk all about it* I’m so happy! Great job so far! Simply lurving all of your books! Now, though, I must read!
so it came out 2day?
No, it’s been out some places for a while. Scott’s blog entry has the details.
Ha finished it at 10:37 The night it came! WOO! I love you Amazon.com! Scott you did the greates job! I think I’ll need to redo my poem from way back when though XD Thanks for making such awesome books! *enters spoiler zone*
PS
I loved the dedication
Sorry Scott.
Random question, and unfair, but out of the books you wrote, what was your favorite?
The specials comes out in the usa tomorrow i think.
Well its not everywhere in Canada cause its not in stores where i live
Do you know who the models are on the covers????
(Random, I know, but a friend and I were talking about that the other day.)
w00t I am on page 190 it rocks so much
hey scott i know its off topic but its too Dess like to ignore. It goes off of what Rb said on the Midnighters Spoiler Zone(its the exact comment I used there too):
Hey rob for what u said earlier about the 43,200 seconds thing. If u divide 13 into that you get exactly : 3,323.0769230769230769230769. notice a pattern after the point:0769230. Or if you divide the total by 13 you get exactly:
255.62130177514792899408284023669. You loose the patter. But lets see what happens when u divide that pattern by 13 : 59171.538461538461538461530461538. You get the pattern agian. But none of the numbers are divisable by 13. But lets see what happens when u break it down.
769/13=59.153846153846153046153046153846
you get the same pattern when u divided the original pattern by 13.
230/13=1.5384615384615384615384615384615 (same pattern as original when divided by 13.
So still none are divisable by 13 but you keep the pattern freaky even after all the dividing of 13รขโฌโขs you get the same pattern.
and now looking back at it I see that in the pattern:538461. All the numbers have something to do with 12 except 5
when does it come out in stores 4 the usa?
already did
oh no this means this is the end of yet another trilogy! Please Scott I haven’t yet finished the book but please i don’t want it to end! Same with midnighters. You know what would be cool… if u re-wrote the books from another point of view.. like Shay-La of Zane-La not Tally-Wa anymore. That would be petty dizzy-making. I would be so icy.
like the lingo? I have cauught myself at random times using it ever since Uglies
Soo, i finally have ALL the books in the trilogy.
I thought it wouldnt come out for weeks!
i checked last week and it was NOWHERE in the lower mainland
but my sister picked it up today.
(NOT in hardcover i may add)
happy:)
I think a movie should be made..YUP
I agree with Victoria. A movie should be made, and also it should be completely in CGI.
OMG! Please stop saying ‘Shay-la’ and ‘Zane-la’ and ‘Tally-wa’!!! It’s rather annoying and sometimes confusing. So, asking nicely, please?
Man how weird would my name be?
Jess-la. *shudder*
sorry geez! but when talking about a book u need to get into it enough to do that. O and u know wats weirder Jennifer-la or Jennifer-wa although jen-la or jen-wa isn’t as bad. and a movie on these books? oh dude would that be awesome.
I enjoyed your books and my friends are all pestering me to lend them.