Book Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth

Pages: 487

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Genre: Dystopian, Romance, Young Adult, Fnatasy

Rating: 5/5

Beatrice Prior knows that on the day of the Choosing Ceremony, when she turns 16, she will have to make a decision that will change her life. Living in a world where there a 5 factions – Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the fearless), Erudite (the smart), Candor (the honest) and Amity (the peaceful) – Beatrice must decide which one she wants to be a part of for the rest of her life. Will she leave her family in Abnegation, or will she forsake her dreams and remain with her parents?

“ONE CHOICE

ONCE CHOICE

DECIDES YOUR FRIENDS

ONCE CHOICE

DEFINES YOUR BELIEFS

ONCE CHOICE

DETERMINES YOUR LOYALTIES – FOREVER

ONCE CHOICE

CAN TRANSFORM YOU”

After choosing Dauntless, Beatrice now has a new life, a new name (Tris), a new future. Now all she has to do is pass the Dauntless test that will prove she is meant to be in that faction. But what she is stunned to learn is that only 10 people will make it into Dauntless, and the other 10 will become factionless, a group of people who have no faction and are the lowest of the low.

And if that isn’t enough, it turns out Tris is Divergent. Being Divergent means that she is one of the few who do not fit in any faction, but at the same time, fit in them all. And she’s being hunted down by those who see Divergent people as cowards. Smart, tiny and at an extreme disadvantage, Tris will have to fight for her victory, and explore who she really is if she has any hope of becoming a part of Dauntless.

I really enjoyed reading about Tris. She’s fun, witty, brave and adventurous. Facing the same odds as Tris, a regular person would have given up. But not Tris. A loyal friend and always the odd one out, this heroine has a lot to learn if she has any hope of becoming a part of Dauntless. As she continues her Test, she discovers a new side of herself – and the life she lives. Discovering hamburgers, wearing clothing that aren’t gray and the weird feeling she gets every time she is with her instructor Four, are only a few things that make Tris more than the average protagonist.

Reading Divergent was simply magical. Veronica Roth describes a place full of adventure, action and bravery – a combination that is utterly enticing. The only way to actually describe Divergent is fun. Fun and dangerous. Throughout the story, there is always something big happening. No chapter is boring, and on every single page, sparks are flying.

Usually I might groan at the fact that Divergent is yet another dystopian book. So many have been published recently, and many of them are barely worth reading. To my delight though, this book is absolutely perfect. There is just no better way to write a story like this.

Now, many people are complaining about the fact that Divergent is almost exactly like The Hunger Games. And yes, the first time I saw Divergent, I thought it was just a strange looking copy of The Hunger Games, but man was I wrong. In fact, I have to say that Divergent is better than what people say it was copied from. Why? Because to me, Divergent had a more engaging plot line. It was more fun, it was more dangerous, it had more details. And it was an amazing new idea.

This is a book that I can add to my short list of books to reread – it was just that good. Read Divergent by Veronica Roth, and join Tris as she discovers who and how important she really is. If you like action, a bit of romance, and lots of adventure, Divergent is definitely the book for you. Other books in this series includes Insurgent and the upcoming book Allegiant, publishing October, 2013. 

Book Review: False Sight by Dan Krokos

Title: False Sight

Author: Dan Krokos

Pages: 336

Publisher: Hyperion

Publication Date: August 13, 2013

Source: Netgalley

Genre: Science Fiction

Rating: 4/5

In this second book of the False Memory series, Miranda North and her friends, Peter, Noah, Sequel, and Rhys are in for an adventure that readers will enjoy tremendously.

After waking up on a park bench, Miranda had no memories of her past. But she soon realizes that her old life was anything but normal. With this new knowledge, Miranda’s world takes a definite turn for the strange when she realizes she has a unique power and is a clone.

Now Miranda just wants to fit in. Be a normal girl, and forget about her strange life. But how is that possible when there is a chance the people who created her, will attack? Yet, Miranda along with her friends, are willing to try. Things seem to be going well, but when one of her friends turns rogue, Miranda is faced with a problem that she never could have imagined.

My favorite character in this book would be Miranda. She’s brave, loyal and overall a very interesting character to read about. When things start to look difficult, Miranda never backs down and pursues what she believes in, a quality that is admirable. When her friend turns traitor and disappears, Miranda is on her tail, constantly trying to figure out what happened to her. And when the fate of the world rests in her hands, this heroine is never hesitant to act.

I believe that this story was more interesting than False Memory, its predecessor. Krokos fills False Sight with much more adventure, action, twists and turns compared to False Memory. As the story progresses you think you know what is going to happen, but the whole story changes with one simple turn of events.

For False Memory, I felt that the action sequences were not needed, but I felt the complete opposite for this book. With the new, surprising enemy, all action sequences were detailed and to the point, giving the readers more information of what the characters were going through. But, I have to say I loved and hated the ending. Full of action, suspense, and nail-biting decision it’s a conclusion that readers will never be able to forget, False Sight was finished with skill and precision that left me itching for a possible third book.

The only thing that I didn’t like about this book was how long it was. Honestly, the story could have bee 20-25 pages shorter and still carried the same details and emotions. The fact that it was stretched out, totally dragged out the middle part of the book, and I was left waiting for the conclusion to hurry along.

Overall, I really liked this book. I don’t reread books often, but this is one that I definitely will. Read False Sight by Dan Krokos and join Miranda North and her friends on an amazing journey to fight for what is right. If you love sci-fi books, this is definitely one you will like to pick up. I recommend reading the False Memory before False Sight to get a good understanding of the characters and previous action.

Book Review: Skin by Donna Jo Napoli

Title: Skin

Author: Donna Jo Napoli

Pages: 352

Publisher: Amazon Children’s Publishing

Publication Date: August 6^th, 2013

Source: Netgalley

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Rating: 2.5/5

Giuseppina, otherwise known as Sep, always thought of herself as average. And on the first day of her junior year, she’s ready to start off another boring school year. Except for one small detail: her lips are white. Not pale, or faded. Plain white. With no clue of what’s going on, Sep’s got to find out the problem with her skin – and fix it - before somebody finds out. This young heroine has to figure out where she stands in life – no matter what she looks like.

But to Sep’s dismay, she has vitiligo, a condition where the cells in your skin lose their color. And it has no cure. Knowing that she does not have long before somebody finds out, Sep’s got to live her life to the fullest, before it all changes.

I really liked the idea of this story. It was clear, explained, and somewhat interesting. The emotions the author was trying to explain were easy to understand; the sadness, conflict and happiness. It was a nice break from all the dystopian books about the future, and was fun to just read about the present. This book wasn’t too long, or too short, and the pages seemed to whizz by.

But to me, the introduction was a slow and hesitant, and from there on, it just steadily got worse. Adding to that, I felt that this book wasn’t very captivating. Sure it was fun to read some parts, but I found myself skimming over others when I felt there wasn’t much value of reading them.

My biggest problem with this book was that I couldn’t really connect with it. I understand that Sep was going through this huge change in life, and that she didn’t understand what was going to happen to her, but I just don’t agree with the way she reacted. In the beginning of the book, before she figured out she had vitiligo, it was easy to understand what she was going through. But, once she realized what the condition was, it completely shaped who she was – into a person that I can’t say I liked or connected with.

Overall I would say ‘Skin’ by Donna Jo Napoli is a less than average book. I don’t reread all books I read. The ones I do are usually great, and I know for a fact that I won’t be rereading this one.

Book Review: False Memory by Dan Krokos

Title: False Memory

Author: Dan Krokos

Pages: 336

Publisher: Hyperion

Genre: Science Fiction

Rating: 3.5/5

In this first installment of the False Memory series, Dan Krokos writes a tale of science, love and friendship.

When Miranda North woke up on a park bench, she couldn’t remember anything besides her name and age. But when she released energy with her mind that created terror in everybody around her, only one person out of the whole room didn’t react: Peter. Miranda knows she is anything but normal, and with no one else to confide in, she must trust Peter, a complete stranger.

Little does Miranda know that she was raised with Peter and other teenagers who have the same powers as she. But when Miranda and her friends realize that there is another group of people who share their powers, and look exactly like them, everything they know is put to the test.

My favorite character would be Miranda, seeing as she is the character who is explained the most in this book. Some main things I like about this character is that she is brave, stubborn and funny. But besides those details of her character, the only other thing the reader knows about her is that she is trying to recover her memory. Because of this lack of detail, it is hard to connect with the heroine, disrupting the beginning of the story.   

I enjoyed the plot line of this story tremendously. The action, the adventure, it was all fun to read. But my favorite part would be the flash backs mixed in with Miranda’s mission. This helps reveal more of Miranda’s character – as well as her friends’ - as the story progressed.

But, there were some parts I didn’t like. One example of this would be the love triangle. Love triangles can be entertaining but are used so often that they become boring. In some books, love triangles are interesting, but in my perspective this one didn’t really add anything to the story. The action scenes were also something I didn’t really enjoy. Yes, they were clever, interesting and at times engaging, but they were so common that after a while I just skimmed over them.

Overall, I have to say this was a good book. Good enough that I could read it again. Read False Memory by Dan Krokos and join Miranda on a journey to regain her memories. If you like science fiction, this is definitely a book that you will enjoy. Dan Krokos has also written ‘False Sight’, the sequel to this book.

Book Review: Dark Spell by Gill Arbuthnott

Title: Dark Spell

Author: Gill Arbuthnott

Pages: 224

Publisher: Floris Books

Source: Netgalley

Genre: Fantasy Fiction

Rating: 3/5

Callie Hall has always been the bullied kid, the odd one out - hardly what you could call normal. But Callie doesn’t know how abnormal she is. When this young heroine realizes that she can do some pretty unexplainable things, it all comes together: she’s a witch. Along with her grandmother - another witch - Callie must learn to control her powers before somebody finds out about them.

There’s something strange about Callie’s house. A shadow is constantly interrupting Callie’s sleep, but always disappears before she can tell anybody - as if they would believe her. But when the shadow's identity is revealed, Callie knows she must defeat it. With her friend Josh, and her grandmother Rose, Callie will have to harness her powers and destroy the shadow before it destroys them.

One thing that I really like about this book, was the overall theme of friendship that is present between the characters Callie and Josh. Even through the ups and downs, the two stick together and continue to help each other out - no matter what the cost. Another part I liked about this book was how the problem was solved. Here the author puts in lots of detail, emphasis and emotion which helps the reader connect with the narrator. This elevates the intensity and danger that is felt by the readers.

On the other hand, there were flaws that made me rate this book as low as I did. After reading the synopsis I felt that this was a lot like the other fantasy fiction books I enjoy reading. But once I started reading, I was surprised that it was nothing like I had expected. During the first half of the book, the story just drags on. It is slow paced – it took too long to get to the point. While the conflict is being introduced in this part of the story, the book lacks intensity, making it seem more boring than it actually is.

But overall, the story had aspects that were quite captivating. Read Dark Spell by Gill Arbuthnott and join Callie and Josh on an adventure they’ll never forget. Other series about magic like this that I recommend reading is the Hex Hall Series by Rachel Hawkins.

Book Review: The Fourth Stall Part Two by Chris Rylander

Title: The Fourth Stall Part Two
Author: Chris Rylander
Publisher: Walden Pond Press
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Pages:281
Rating: 9/10

This is the second book in the series out of two so far.

In this book, Mac, the school detective, just started a case that would test his bravery, trustworthiness, and friendship. It all started with a girl named TrixieVon Parkway, who had just arrived in Mac’s school. Her problems started when she dated this guy in her old school. Trixie didn’t like the boy at all. She though he was such a loser, so she dumped him. Her ex-boyfriend’s dad, Mr. Kjelson, worked at Trixie’s old school. He did not like Trixie dumping his son, so he started giving Trixie detentions. She thought this was really unfair. Finally Trixie moved, and she thought she escaped  her ex-boyfriend’s dad.

After she moved, Mr. Kjelson moved with her and took a job at Trixie’s current school.  Now Trixie wants Mac and Vince to get Mr. Kjelson off her back. The problem is that Mr. Kjelson is a nice person and Mac doesn’t know who he should trust. Along with Trixie’s problem, a person from Mac’s district, Dr. George, has come to discipline the school. He has made a new end of the year exam that is supposed to be harder than the previous exams. It is called the SMART. Everybody is really nervous about these tests. They want Mac to get the answers for the SMART. Can Mac and his friends solve Trixie’s problem along with helping his schoolmates get the answers for the SMART?

My favorite character in this book is Mac‘s friend, who helps Mac solve Trixie‘s problem. His name is Tyrell. Tyrell is so sneaky and cool it makes me laugh a lot. The role that Tyrell plays in this book  makes me understand the story more. I like him because he can gain a lot of information for Mac by lurking in the shadows. For example, Tyrell spies on Dr. George so he could get information about the SMARTs. Also, I like the gadgets that Tyrell has in this book. It makes him seem more mysterious and cool. Another reason why I like Tyrell is because he helps Mac a lot. When Mac asks for help he never says no. Also he is never afraid to take up a challenge. For example, he isn’t afraid to break into the school with cameras watching his every step.

I liked this book a lot because of the illustrations on the front cover. I think it really looks cool. Along with illustrations I like the font decoration for each chapter. I also like the descriptions in this book. It made me feel like I was in the book. For example, when Mac and his friends are in the lunchroom, I feel like I am right next to them eating my lunch.  Another reason why I liked this book was because of the plot of the story. It was very well thought out.  I also thought that the characters were creative. Mac and his friends use whatever they can to benefit them. They turn junk into treasure by thinking out of the box. In the book some questions remained unanswered. I think Chris Rylander should have answered these questions because some parts were hard to understand. It would have helped me comprehend the book better. Over all it was a fantastic book. I would recommend this book to people who are interested in mysteries.