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Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Divergent by Veronica Roth Book Review

IN HONOR OF INSURGENT COMING OUT TODAY!!!




Divergent by Veronica Roth
US Release Date: May 3rd 2011
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Source: Purchased through Barnes and Noble
Genre: YA Dystopian
Rating: 5 out of 5
Buy it: Amazon / Barnes and Noble


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In a future Chicago, 16-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.
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Plot: Yes this is another dystopian novel but it's different. Instead, it is not plainly obvious that this society is corrupt. There are hints at is but for the most part you don't think of how cruel the government is and the way it operates. Most of the novel is focused on Beatrice as you watch her grow and develop in this society that can't adjust to her and people like her. It is full of action and surprises. While reading this I honestly did not know what to expect and there was always something exciting on the next page.


Pacing: Perfect! Not too fast, not too slow = just amount of world building + action
I did read this book fast but the pace wasn't over whelming in how quickly I had to get through everything.


Characters: Beatrice was a phenomenal protagonist. The development you see her under go through out the novel was extremely well done. She starts off as a pensive and self-consious girl who doesn't know her place in her own society and ends as a strong (both physically and mentally/emotionally) woman who has begun to learn understand who she is and what she must do to protect those she loves and what she thinks is right.
Four is a wonderfully gorgeous onion! He has so many layers and is so much deeper then the hot brute he seems to be in the beginning. The relationship that he and Beatrice share is awesome because they are both human and they both have weaknesses that they help each other with.
All of the other characters really add depth and life to the story. From the terrifying Eric to Beatrice's gentle brother, each character is unique and specific and you grow attached to them despite the fact that they are not major characters (well maybe not Eric).


Writing: Veronica Roth's writing was a lot more then I was expecting. Honestly, with dystopian/modern set novels I don't usually look for flowy language and detailed descriptions but Divergent had that (kind of) and made it work. Maybe flowy wouldn't be the right term but the way she described how Beatrice was feeling and her thoughts and the way she viewed the world was really interesting and added a whole new dimension to the novel.


Overall: Divergent was fantastic! There was action, adventure, romance, drama, suspense, and everything else you'd expect from a fantastic YA novel. But what gave it that extra umph was how it made me think about the way our society works. In between the ass-kicking and the surprises I thought about what something like "factions" would do to a society and how we've almost already developed our own factions in the way we think of ourselves and the people around us. Plus it's about figuring out your place within society.
But putting all that analysis-janx aside it was pretty flippin' fantastic!






 5 out of 5 stars

Should you read it?
Yes!
If you loved Hunger Games you will love this. If you love action you will love this. If you love dystopian novels you will love this. 

Should you buy it?
Yes! 
This a book I know I will want to read again and again and again...and again.




Top Ten Tuesday #10


This weekly event is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. This weeks theme is...

Top Ten Books I'd Like To See Made Into A Movie


I am a movie fanatic. I love movies as much as I love books (which is a lot) and if I could I would have a book for every movie I loved and a movie for every book I loved so I could read/watch it whenever I wanted to. So the idea of creating some of my favorite books into movies just makes me happy. :)
P.s. This is of course in an ideal world where they don't make the movie any different from the book.

1) Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
   I loved the first movie and I cannot wait till they make the next two! I personally believed Jennifer Lawrence was fantastic as Katniss and I thought Josh Hutcherson was wonderful as Peeta. Plus I like how they transformed the book into the film because you were able to understand everything that was going on plus we got an extra look into the Capitol with those scenes with President Snow (played by the amazing Donald Sutherland). So I can't wait to see how they translate the next two books into the movies.


2) Divergent by Veronica Roth
    This book is full of action but still has some great dramatic moments. I would love to see who would play Tris and Four not to mention Eric. I admit the Divergent Headquarters would be a tricky set to make but I think the opportunities for actors and all the actions would be too tempting to pass up.


3) The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
    This book has such raw love and sadness. It doesn't sugar coat or romanticize cancer but it also shows the strength in the characters and how the sickness has made them stronger. The characters are so full and human and to see it on film would be absolutely stunning, but only if they stayed exactly to the book.


4) Daughter of the Forest by Juliette Marillier
    This book is simply stunning! I would love for a film adaptation (with the quality of the lord of the rings) of this story because the world and the characters are all so wonderful. Sorcha's strength is remarkably and I ADORE Red and to be able to see them on screen along with the beauty of the Seven Waters would be fantastic!


5) The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
    This book is basically a romantic dramedy in novel form. The characters are witty and sharp and the storyline is simply adorable. They don't make movies like this novel anymore and it would be very refreshing to see something like this on the big screen in stead of simply visualizing it in my head.


6) The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa
    I love these books so much! Im currently on the third one and it's great! I remember reading the first one and being enthralled by the world and the characters. I imagined everything to be so colorful and vibrant and if i got to see it come to life on the big screen I would... I would...idk what I'd do but I'd be so happy. Oh and to see Ash and Puck go head to head...yeah I think I would like that. (P.s. Go puck!)


7) Hawksong by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes 
    I've read this book so many times. I loved the romance and the intensity that is so potent in such a short novel. This makes it ideal for a a movie because it isn't very long but there is so much an actor could do with each role all the characters are so complex.


8) Shatter Me by Tahareh Mafi
    Another one of my favorite books that i would probably freak out if they made into a movie. BUT, I'd be a little worried because one of my favorite things about this book is Tahareh Mafi's writing style with all the crossed out words. If they did that write (maybe BBC Sherlock style with the words on the screen?) It would be so cool!


9) Graceling by Kristen Cashore
    You guys already know that Graceling is one of my favorite YA novels so I would be super excited if they made it into a movie. However, the reason why this is so far down on the list is because if they changed even the slightest I would probably go crazy. So, for their safety it's probably best if they didn't make a movie unless they signed a contract in their own blood saying they wouldn't change anything.


10) Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta
      Take almost everything I said in the above post and copy and paste it here...then times it by a thousand. That equals: it could be one of the most awesome movies ever IF they made it the right way.