Content Warning: This section of the guide references and discusses physical appearance body image issues.

Shay introduces Tally to hoverboards early in the novel and teaches Tally to ride, allowing the reader to learn a pivotal piece of the world as Tally explores it. Hoverboards are solar-charged devices that interact with magnets and metal deposits; they allow movement without touching the ground. These boards operate at varying levels of charge, speed, and distance from the ground. They come with safety features that can be easily “tricked,” or overridden; riders can also wear accessories like crash bracelets to further ensure safety.

To Tally and the rest of the uglies, hoverboards represent freedom. When tricked, hoverboards can go anywhere with a metal deposit strong enough for their sensors, including up rivers and across ancient ruins. These hoverboards allow uglies to play pranks and ultimately flee into the wild, where they become integral to building the community of the Smoke. Hoverboards also empower Tally and David to rescue the remaining Smokies, giving them a chance to rebuild and develop a cure for the pretty surgery’s lesions. With access to hoverboards, Tally is seemingly unstoppable in her plans and her escape from the expectations of others.