"Special Circumstances": The words have sent chills down
Tally's spine since her days as a repellent, rebellious
ugly. Back then Specials were a sinister rumor --
frighteningly beautiful, dangerously strong, breathtakingly
fast. Ordinary pretties might live their whole lives without
meeting a Special. But Tally's never been ordinary.
And now she's been turned into one of them: a superamped
fighting machine, engineered to keep the uglies down and the
pretties stupid.
The strength, the speed, and the clarity and focus of her
thinking feel better than anything Tally can remember. Most
of the time. One tiny corner of her heart still remembers
something more.
Still, it's easy to tune that out -- until Tally's offered a
chance to stamp out the rebels of the New Smoke permanently.
It all comes down to one last choice: listen to that tiny,
faint heartbeat, or carry out the mission she's programmed
to complete. Either way, Tally's world will never be the same.