Book Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth

Series: Divergent #1

Release Date: May 3rd, 2011

Publisher: Harper Collins

Age: Young Adult

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

I've read so many great reviews about this book. I was really interested and I'm happy I finally read it!

In a dystopian future Chicago, Beatrice Prior is sixteen years old and the time has come for her to choose her faction. Her family is from Abnegation, but she doesn't feel like it's her right place. But leaving her faction means she can't see her family anymore.

When she finally decides which faction is for her, nobody thinks she is capable. Breatice, now Tris, has to prove everyone that she's strong and capable of anything...all while keeping her biggest secret, a very  dangerous secret.

Beatrice starts being a shy and sad girl, but deciding to change her life make her become Tris, strong and brave. Tris is still very scared, specially of human contact. When she met Four, an interesting boy who might know her secret, she starts to realize that it isn't so bad to want something for herself.

The world Veronica Roth wrote was interesting, and her writing made me read the whole book in only two days! The factions, Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent), are very strict, and the people is obliged to act as their faction describe.

The factions were invented to maintain the peace between men. But their world it's really as peaceful as they say? And what about people who doesn't want to be in a faction? What is you are brave and intelligent and honest? 

I really don't want to spoil the book. It's important that you discover for yourself what is really happening with the factions. But Divergent is an excellent dystopian book for YA. It has action, adventures and great characters. I liked Tris transformation, and I really want to know what is going to happen in the sequel, Insurgent.

More about this book at veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com, Goodreads, Amazon, The Book Depository.

The Inheritance Cycle Re-Reading Challenge starts today!

Hosted by Orchid @ The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia

Since every fan of the Inheritance series has been waiting (impatiently) for the final book in the series, I thought what better way to prepare for it then with a reading challenge. That way we can all refresh are memories on what happened and be prepared for the final book. It's also a great way for those new to the series to jump in.

The goal is to read Eragon, Eldest and Brisinger between the dates of Oct. 18 and Nov. 8. Followed by the last book, Inheritance, anytime after it comes out.

If y'all know anyone who'd be interested in joining in, please let them know.

Rules:

-Challenge will run from October 18- November 8 (the day Inheritance comes out *squee*)

-Open to everyone, re-readers and newbies alike.

-Have Fun

-You DON'T need a blog to participate. All you need is to want to join in....and leave a comment to let me know if you don't have a blog, but still want to join in.

-Feel free to write a post (no pressure).

-Enter via comments and I'll link your name and blog in the post body.

GO HERE TO ENTER

I really hope I have time to read the 3 books before Inheritance. I already pre-ordered it, like two months ago! xD Good luck to all the participants!

Bloomsbury Reader

I briefly mentioned Bloomsbury's latest project the other day - Bloomsbury Reader - and now I'll hand over to their press release to tell you a bit more, before recommending the titles which have Stuck-in-a-Book approval...

Actually, I'll save time.  Here is their Press Release.  To summarise: it's a good idea.

And it's all very exciting for those of you who have e-readers.  I'll be cheering from the sidelines.  And now for my subjective bit... amongst their many upcoming titles are many I know nothing about, but also some books I think are brilliant, but which haven't previously been the easiest to track down.  Here is my brief selection from Bloomsbury Reader...

Faster! Faster! by E.M. Delafield
One of my favourite of EMD's non-Provincial Lady books, this novel tells of career-woman Claudia and her mid-life crisis.  Some sad scenes, some of EMD's irrepressible humour, and a title taken from Through the Looking-Glass to boot.  If you buy one Bloomsbury Reader title, make it this one.  (They're also doing Women Are Like That and No One Now Will Know, but I've not read those yet...)

Told By An Idiot by Rose Macaulay
Ok, being totally honest I haven't actually read this, but I've read enough of RM's other novels to know that she's all-round great.  Very dry, very witty, and generally needs more attention from the blogging world and the reading world at large.

any of the titles by Ivy Compton-Burnett
It's no secret that I adore Dame Ivy and, to be honest, her books are all so similar that it doesn't really matter which you read.  They are mostly in dialogue, and are constantly surprising and unusual and deadpan-hilarious.  People will debate the proper use of a verb for pages, and then drop into conversation that someone is dead.  You'll either love Ivy or hate her - most seem to hate her, but if you love her then you'll really love her.

Ok, that's quite a brief glimpse at what they've got going on, but click here to read the whole list, and let me know what you've got your eye on.

In My Mailbox # 47

In My Mailbox is a weekly bookish meme hosted @ The Story Siren

This week I got:

Jenny Pox by JL Bryan

{free for Kindle}

How to Party with a Killer Vampire by Penny Warner

From NetGalley:

Mistletoe Wishes 

For Review:

Sweet Magik by Penny Watson

(OMG!! I'm so excited about this book that I even accepted to receive an ARC for review!)

What did you get this week?

Song for a Sunday

You might well recognise Darren Hayes' voice as being one half of Savage Garden, but this song isn't hugely like their stuff.  I think this song is quite moving, and I like the lyrics of the second verse especially.  Have a listen on your Sunday!

The Twilight Zone

Have you ever had one of those days where it felt like you were living someone else's life? Like you're walking around in a dream, not really sure what was real and what was fantasy? And every few minutes you keep glancing out the window, looking for some kind of flying pig or tap-dancing french poodle to confirm that yes, you are in fact dreaming?

Leonardo DiCaprio often shows up. Usually, he's not wearing pants.

A while ago we won an auction at Read for Relief for a query critique from super-agent Jim McCarthy over at Dystel & Goderich. And again, we were expecting him to completely rip the thing apart.

He just got back to us.

And he requested a full.

What the bloody Hell is going on here?!? We went from our query being so bad it killed people to two requests?!?

And to anyone else going through this process, seriously check out The Query Shark. Seriously. I cannot stress how helpful that site is. It changed everything.

And now it's time panic about our manuscript. Gulp.

Pieces of Eighties

When I compiled my suggestions for A Century of Books (here), Thomas rightly pointed out that I'd pretty much cheated for the 1980s.  Six of my ten suggestions for that decade really relate to different periods - because they're biographies or lit crit or whatever.  Although I think titles like A Confederacy of Dunces and The Bean Trees earn their right to be there, it's fair to say that my knowledge of 1980s literature is pretty lacking.  I didn't read my first proper book until 1991, after all.

For some reason, when I think of the 1980s all I think of is Bonnie Tyler, looking a bit like this:

So, although I won't be compiling a list for my challenge, I would still like some suggestions to get me in the right mindset for the 1980s next year.  Which books would you recommend from the 1980s, fiction or non-fiction?  You can suggest any, but I'd especially appreciate it if they were in some way 'zeitgeisty'...

I know you'll do me proud!  Over to you...