Author: Matt de la Pena
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: November 12, 2013
Number of Pages: 320
Source of Book: ARC borrowed from friend

Shy took the summer job to make some money. In a few months on a luxury cruise liner, he’ll rake in the tips and be able to help his mom and sister out with the bills. And how bad can it be? Bikinis, free food, maybe even a girl or two—every cruise has different passengers, after all.
        But everything changes when the Big One hits. Shy’s only weeks out at sea when an earthquake more massive than ever before recorded hits California, and his life is forever changed.
        The earthquake is only the first disaster. Suddenly it’s a fight to survive for those left living.

First Thought: Oh, boy, am I glad I read this book – although, perhaps floating in a tube on the lake wasn’t the best setting in which to read it.


Matt de la Pena has written a thrill-ride, page-turner, heart-pounding in fear for what’s happening and what might happen, suspenseful thriller of a novel. 


Shy is a great character. He’s smart, he’s sensitive, he’s a guy who cares about his family and is trying to make a crappy situation better. He’s endearing in his worries, hopes, desires, realness. Issues of race come up, especially within the context of class on the ship and between the passengers…and after the sinking. When it’s about survival, it doesn’t matter how much money you had to go on this luxury cruise.


THE LIVING takes place in a scary world where a sickness has evolved and is killing people in poor areas. And everyone is not as they seem – there is a huge mystery/conspiracy element to this story as well. There’s a bit of everything in here, but it works SO well! Lives are at stake…and many are lost, and the U.S. as we know it is drastically changed. 


It’s engagingly written and the plot keeps it moving forward. There’s a little bit of an insiders view of cruise ships, and then people start dying. There are some parts with more obvious foreshadowing, but for some of our students that will be a good thing. Matt de la Pena has crafted a well-written 3rd person that lets us read it as an outsider, but still feel like we know the character and what he’s going through. 


There are game changer moments throughout the story, but the biggest ones come at the end…and make me anxious for the follow-up, THE FORGOTTEN, to find out what Shy is going to do next, how he’s going to continue to survive, who will survive with him, if he’ll finally get answers, and how the entire west coast of America will survive after the catastrophic events.


Final Thoughts: It’s just really good. Read it…and then put it in a teen’s hands! 
Also: I’m desperate for the next book!

Title: FRACTURE
Author: Megan Miranda
Publisher: Walker & Co. (a Bloomsbury imprint)
Release Date: January 17, 2012
Number of Pages: 272

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy
waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her
heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead.
And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly
fine-despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone
wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she’s far from normal.
Pulled by strange sensations she can’t control or explain, Delaney finds
herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death,
or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with
similar abilities. At first she’s reassured to find someone who
understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon
discovers that Troy’s motives aren’t quite what she thought. Is their
gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

For fans of best-sellers like Before I Fall and If I Stay, this is a
fascinating and heart-rending story about love and friendship and the
fine line between life and death.

Student #1:

     I love Fracture by Megan
Miranda. It literally felt as if I were in the book, feeling the character‘s
emotions. This story had the perfect combo of a thrilling romance mystery, with
a thickening plot. While reading this, I never really knew what to expect
because the main character, Delaney, was just thrown into this whole lifestyle
that seemed absolutely terrifyingly creepy.
     Although
Delaney had become one of my favorite characters, there were some points in the
book where I just couldn’t stand her. Like when she befriended Troy. He was
just so creepy, how could you not sense the danger and trouble that would come
with him or when she got angry at Decker for dating someone else while she did
the same thing. Delaney’s mother was messed up too. She reminded me of a witch,
evil! I mean, who drugs their own child so they don’t wake up and have
‘hallucinations’, as she put it. Anyways, I would recommend this book to
someone who likes a good thrilling, mystery, romance book. I rate this novel
five stars.

Title: MIND GAMES
Author: Kiersten White
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: February 19, 2013
Number of Pages: 256
Source of Book: ARC loaned to me from my fabulous teacher friend, Lea

Fia was born with
flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always
exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around
her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped
in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for
corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over
between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways… or risking
each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times
bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick,
edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters
determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

MIND GAMES is a compulsively readable story that shows a completely different side to Kiersten White than her PARANORMALCY series did. It was awesome and unexpected, while still having some of the trademark Kiersten White easy, contemporary style of writing that I love of hers. But this character is so different from what she has written before. The structure of this story built upon itself to drive the suspense to a climactic moment that I never saw coming. White has built a world of girls with psychic powers intertwined in a thriller of a story that kept me on the edge of my seat. It was an unputdownable pageturner. I have so many thoughts after reading this engaging, twisted, emotional, intriguing, thought-provoking, kick-butt novel, and all of them are good.

I really love reading books with strong girl characters, and when they’re a little bit broken as Fia is, it makes it that much more relatable. Fia is kind of my new hero after reading MIND GAMES. She is conflicted, but knows what’s most important to her. She is broken, but strong. She is scared, but fearless. She is hopeless, yet determined. She is the strength of this novel. Between Fia, the world that Kiersten White created, the mysterious thriller aspects, the relationships, and the back and forth timeline of the story, I never knew where it was going to end up. MIND GAMES was an excitingly thrilling novel and I enjoyed every page of it. I can’t wait for the next one to find out what happens next!

Title: PIVOT POINT
Author: Kasie West
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: February 12, 2013
Number of Pages: 320
Source of Book: ARC from publisher at NCTE

Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . .

Addison
Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is
faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes.
It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought.
When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has
to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the
paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is
staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as
it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the
future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is
adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high
school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands
her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in
school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When
Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s
unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she
holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which
reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live
without.

I loved this book so much. It’s fresh and original and unexpected. It’s an amazing book that was entertaining and engaging. It has characters I wanted to be friends with, lines of text that I read repeatedly because I wanted to soak up and remember them, a uniquely original world built upon a science fiction/supernatural base that reads like a contemporary, a layered storyline being told of two divergent paths that are interrelated, twists that kept me on my reader toes, and a writing voice that I connected with and felt comforted by and made me want to keep spending time enveloped in this prose. PIVOT POINT is the debut novel by Kasie West (who is repped by Michelle Wolfson, the same agent as Kiersten White and Daisy Whitney, whose new books I also love), and it is one that I think teens are going to love. I know I did. This is the kind of book that left me still thinking about it the next day wondering what was happening in those character’s lives next and wanting to go back and reread it again right away.

One of the details Kasie West included that I really loved in PIVOT POINT was the way that Addie loves books so much, and all kinds of books, but real paper books. There are many times throughout the story it comes up, and it made me happy to read it each time. Addison also has the kind of personality that I love in my main characters – a little bit spunky and sassy, with an intelligence and caring behind all she does. Her attitude is great, and there were many moments throughout where I laughed out loud at something she said. In regards to gym class in a new school: “Nobody should be forced to do physical exercise on Mondays.” Him: “My bookcase is all yours.” Her: “I’ve just decided those are my five favorite words in the world.” And many, many more that I wanted to hold onto to remember on another day. *All lines quoted from an uncorrected proof.

Another element that is incredibly strong is the twistedness of the plot and the way the two directions the story goes are interwoven together. The links are there to see how it might go with either choice in the same situations, and the alternating chapters stop at just the right point every time. There is a history to this world that is intriguing and fully thought out, but that still seems to have more to discover. There is also a depth to this story that delves into the true repercussions of choices we make and the path to get to what we may want might not always be easy. It’s about figuring out who is meaningful and necessary in her life, and what she can do to keep them there. And I can’t talk about this book without mentioning the boys. Duke and Trevor both have their charms, and they were written in such a way as to make the reader adore both of them, and not be sure which way you want the story to go yourself. Which is exactly how we should be feeling because that’s how Addie would be feeling. I also claim this book has one of the best first kiss scenes ever, but everything stays clean enough that I could hand it to my middle school students without a concern. In fact, I think they’ll love it, too.

This is the kind of book that leaves you contemplating at the end because either choice has its good sides and its bad, so it’s hard to know which one you’d want the character to choose. It does end with a definite decision and ending; however, I found out there will be a sequel, so I’m very excited to get to spend more time with these characters in this world and read more of this fresh voice in YA. Please go get PIVOT POINT in February, or preorder it now, and read Kasie West’s debut novel. You won’t be sorry.

Title: ALTERED
Author: Jennifer Rush
Publisher: Little, Brown
Release Date: January 2, 2013
Number of Pages: 336
Source of Book: ARC requested from publisher

When you can’t trust yourself, who can
you believe?

Everything about Anna’s life is a secret. Her father
works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and
administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below
their farmhouse. There’s Nick, Cas, Trev . . . and Sam, who’s stolen Anna’s
heart. When the Branch decides it’s time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape,
killing the agents sent to retrieve them.

Anna is torn between following
Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes
her to flee, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs.
There’s just one problem. Sam and the boys don’t remember anything before living
in the lab—not even their true identities.

Now on the run, Anna soon
discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them
expected. And if they’re both going to survive, they must piece together the
clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all
away.

I had no idea what to expect when I opened ALTERED by Jennifer Rush; I just knew that the summary sounded really good. I had just finished two other incredible books, so I was hesitant to start one I hadn’t heard much about yet for fear I would be disappointed, but I had no reason to be worried with ALTERED. I was hooked on this heart-pounding story from the first page. Once I started, I didn’t want to stop reading. This was a one day read for me because it was so action-packed and surprising that I just wanted to keep going to find out what was actually happening until the very end. ALTERED has all the best of the medical alterations sci-fi intrigue, secret organization, on-the-run types of stories, with a uniquely interesting backstory of how these boys and Anna got there.

ALTERED is an addictively good, completely intriguing story. I loved the journey I was taken on from the start of learning about the lab, to the escape, to being on the run, to the mystery of their past, to the unexpected reveals, to the relationships built and broken and repaired, to the place the characters are left at the end. Jennifer Rush has given the reader an exciting blend of family drama, relationship building, hot boys, guns and weapons, action-packed fighting sequences, mystery, suspense, and outmaneuvering of the organization chasing them. There were several scenes when I literally gasped out loud. The whole group of core characters has a dynamic that is endearing, and their interactions are so engaging. Love those boys! ALTERED is a twisty novel full of gasp-worthy moments, action, loveable characters, and a little bit of a romance to tie it all together.

I’m so glad to hear that there will be another book following this one! There is a definite ending, so I wasn’t sure because it could have been that this story is complete, but it is left at a spot that had me hoping there would be more time with these characters and more to discover at this point in their story. I’ll be anxiously awaiting the follow-up book from Jennifer Rush to spend more time with Anna, Sam, and the boys!

Title: THE EVOLUTION OF MARA DYER
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release Date: October 23, 2012
Number of Pages: 544
Source of Book: ARC borrowed from teacher friend Lea

Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.

She can’t.

She used to think her problems were all in her head.

They aren’t.

She couldn’t imagine that after everything she’s been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets.

She’s wrong.

In
this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves
and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?

I’m not totally sure how to express my feelings about this book because there are so many! My immediate thoughts at the end of it included some unprintable words because I was so blown away. I obsessively loved THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER when I got an early read of it last year, and was eagerly anticipating reading the sequel, THE EVOLUTION OF MARA DYER, and was extremely lucky to be able to get an early copy loaned to me, and it completely lived up to the anticipation I had going into it. This was a strong second book that definitely matched up to my love of the first book.

I adore Michelle Hodkin, but I finished this book feeling like she’s a diabolical genius of a writer. It surprises me that she wasn’t a writer before this, and I hope she continues to be one for a long time. Maybe that’s part of the reason that I enjoy her writing so much, it came from a spark of an idea for a story, and because her background is diverse, there’s a spark to the writing that just really clicks for me. The way the writing is paced, the intelligence to it, the unreliable narrator, the mood, the witty banter, the uncomfortable suspense of not knowing what’s going to happen, the love and support of family, the heart at the center of this chaotic psychological thriller, and, yes, the romance, too…it all grabs me and doesn’t let me go. I read 544 pages in two days (and those were teaching/working days!) because I just couldn’t stop reading. It’s a long book that doesn’t feel long. It’s a sequel that keeps the story moving, but is interesting in its own right. So much was revealed in this book about what’s really going on with Mara and Noah and everything that happened. I appreciated that we were given so much information and many questions were answered, but some still are not and more were created that make me anxious to see where this is all headed.

Interestingly, I didn’t think this book had as much of the creepy feeling as the first one, but it definitely had suspenseful and psychological tension to it. Favorite characters were back, and new intriguing ones were introduced. Family support and love is still central to the relationships that hold Mara together. And I can’t forget the romantic storyline between Mara and Noah Shaw, which because of their unique abilities, becomes even more difficult for them to manage. At its heart, there are questions of truth, reality, trust, faith…all the things that make for a conflicted character who is just trying to hold it all together against odds that seem stacked against her.

As much as I loved this book, there was one thing bugged me. There was a clue fairly early on to a twist that seemed so obvious to me, and Mara is very intelligent, and so it seemed like she should have realized it, but I guess she is dealing with quite a bit of psychosis stuff at this point, so I should cut her some slack for not catching it. I’m still thrilled there is going to be a third book, THE RETRIBUTION OF MARA DYER, coming in 2013, especially after the twists and reveals of the ending of this book! Not sure how I’ll be able to wait so long!

Title: EVE & ADAM
Author: Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends (a Macmillan imprint)
Release Date: October 2, 2012
Number of Pages: 304
Source of Book: ARC from publisher at IRA Convention

Sixteen-year-old
Evening Spiker lives an affluent life in San Francisco with her mother,
EmmaRose, a successful geneticist and owner of Spiker Biotech. Sure,
Evening misses her father who died mysteriously, but she’s never really
questioned it. Much like how she’s never stopped to think how off it is
that she’s never been sick. That is, until she’s struck by a car and is
exposed to extensive injuries. Injuries that seem to be healing faster
than physically possible.

While recuperating in Spiker Biotech’s
lush facilities, she meets Solo Plissken, a very attractive, if
off-putting boy her age who spent his life at Spiker Biotech. Like
Evening, he’s never questioned anything… until now. Solo drops hints
to Evening that something isn’t right, and Emma-Rose may be behind it.
Evening puts this out of her mind and begins her summer internship
project: To simulate the creation of the perfect boy. With the help of
Solo, Evening uncovers secrets so big they could change the world
completely.

EVE & ADAM had a premise that sounded really interesting to me, and with two powerhouse authors (who are married-I didn’t know that before!), I definitely had to give it a shot. I’m really glad that I did, and it was a page-turner for sure, but it wasn’t as high of a quality of a story as I expected. That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it, because I did, but it was more of a down and dirty action movie type of book to me, as opposed to a thoughtful exploration of the medical/genetic scientific experimenting. I think that comes from it being so plot and action driven as opposed to character driven like some other books. But I did like the characters of Evening and Solo quite a bit. I really just wanted to hang out with them and create trouble.

Michael Grant (of GONE fame) and Katherine Applegate (THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN), team up well and have written a book that will appeal to both guys and girls. It’s fast-moving and plot-driven, involves conspiracy theories and villains, medical miracles and experimentations, questionable good guys and bad guys – who may change depending on the perspective, has a bit of romance and lots of action. I read this book in one day. One of the things I really enjoyed was the way that this world was imagined. It’s a normal world, but inside Spiker Biotech, is a whole other story. EVE & ADAM is suspenseful and mysterious and an enjoyable, quick read. I’ll be looking forward to seeing what happens in the sequel, ADAM & EVE.

Title: LEGEND
Author: Marie Lu
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (a Penguin imprint)
Release Date: November 29, 2011
Number of Pages: 336
Source of Book: Borrowed ARC from Heidi at YA Bibliophile
Author’s Website: http://marielu.org/

Goodreads Summary:
What was once the
western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually
at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the
Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy
being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles.
Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted
criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

*************************

LEGEND was a book that I couldn’t put down. I do love dystopian books, and this one was a fresh concept of a no longer United States divided into the Republic and the Colonies. There wasn’t much to go on as far as how we got to this point, although there were little clues along the way that make me think we could get more backstory in the next book – and I do hope there will be a next book! In some books, it would bother me that I didn’t know how they got to this point, but in this one, I barely even noticed it because I was so wrapped up in the action-packed, suspenseful, intrigue aspects of the story. I appreciated debut author Marie Lu’s writing style. It was very straight-forward and focused on the action and details of what was going on, constantly moving the pacing forward with little clues for both the reader and the characters. 

Speaking of characters, I was hooked on both Day and June, which was good because the story unfolds from alternating points-of-view (clearly noted in chapter title, text font, and color). I appreciate the complexity of stories written from multiple perspectives, and it really works for this case and is so necessary for discovering the whole truth of what’s happening. Day and June both have heart and want to do what’s right for their families, and they both have big brothers to be admired. I’m a sucker for a great big brother in a story (probably because I’m the only girl with an older and younger brother myself), and this one has two to love! Day and June are believeable in their actions and intentions, and they’re smart, but young. It’s all of that that helped me to root for them both to figure out the political situation, work together, and succeed. The romance elements are there, but don’t take over the focus of the story; they were written with a deft hand. Secondary characters abound and we get to know their role in the story as it unfolds – some become even more important than I could have thought.

I ended this book with a feeling of contentment, hope, not wanting it to end, wanting to go back and re-read it, and desire to read the next book! I was definitely emotionally invested in this book and these characters. LEGEND is perfect for fans of THE HUNGER GAMES and DIVERGENT. I will absolutely be passing this recommendation on to my students.

Read An Excerpt at LegendtheSeries.com

 

And remember to check out this week’s other Mara Mondays offerings and comment away to be entered in Lori’s contest at Pure Imagination.
The Secret Life of a Avid Reader – Miami post
Greads – Quote graphics post

It’s been three months since I first posted my
review/thoughts on THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER, so I wanted to share it
again for those of you who may have missed it, and to remind you of all
of the reasons that you want to get your hands on this book when it
releases next week!
  *This review originally posted in June. 

OK…I
know this is a really early review, but I needed to process my thoughts
about this book – and that’s why I have a book blog – to share my
thoughts!

Title: BRAIN JACK
Author: Brian Falkner
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Release Date: September 28, 2010
Number of Pages: 349
Source of Book: Library Check Out
Author’s Website: www.brianfalkner.com

Goodreads Summary:
In a dystopian near-future, neuro-headsets have replaced computer keyboards. Just slip on a headset, and it’s the Internet at the speed of thought. For teen hacker Sam Wilson, a headset is a must. But as he masters the new technology, he has a terrifying realization. If anything on his computer is vulnerable to an attack, what happens when his mind is linked to the system? Could consciousness itself be hacked?

Brian Falkner, author of The Tomorrow Code and The Project, delivers an action-packed and thought-provoking sci-fi thriller in which logging on to a computer could mean the difference between life and death.
*************************
BRAIN JACK is a great boy book, especially for those into computers, code, or the hacking world.  I’ve always been intrigued by those who have the technological skill to be hackers and this book showcases them in an exciting way. This book is an exciting, don’t-want-to-stop-reading, dystopian, techno-thriller full of action. The interesting thing the author did is created the action through much of the hacking moments by writing the coding actions as if they were a battle themselves, thus making it more exciting. This world Falkner created where neuro-headsets are used to make your computer usage faster by skipping the brain to hand keyboard and mouse step, is a scary vision of where technology could go. It’s definitely a commentary on how far we should allow technology to go – and is there a time where the technology could get smarter than the people using it? This book has a future world where online gaming is now an addiction as we see drug use in today’s society – people can’t unplug and it ruins their lives. There are terrorist attacks all the time (in fact Vegas is now a radioactive wasteland) and there are secret and not-so-secret government groups protecting the people and looking for the terrorists – by trying to find the computers from which they are hacking in. It’s a book that makes you question who is good and how do you know?

I never knew what was coming next and each time a plot point felt wrapped up and I couldn’t imagine where he would take it next, a twist would be thrown in that I was never expecting. It kept is exciting and made me not want to put it down and stop reading. There wasn’t too much character development compared to stories that I’m used to, but as far as thrillers go, I think it was fairly typical – this book is more about the action and excitement and suspense. However, I did love Sam and Dodge was great comic relief. This book is one to read, but with the caution that there are some very technical terms, so if you’re not familiar with coding/computer technology, it may take a little getting used to, but it’s worth the effort.

4 STARS for BRAIN JACK

Title: DIVERGENT
Author: Veronica Roth (she’s only 22!)
Publisher: HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: May 3, 2011
Number of Pages: 487
Source of Book: Won an ARC from the author’s blog contest
Author’s Website: veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com

Author’s Book Summary:

*************************
A weird thing happened to me when I started reading DIVERGENT. I kept turning pages although I couldn’t figure out why. I’m not sure if I went into this with a little bit of a skewed perception. I have already been hearing so much hype for this debut book, and I had just finished another dystopian that was haunting in an entirely different way. But, I just couldn’t put this book down. I couldn’t quite figure out what it was that was making me want to keep reading because it wasn’t feeling mind-blowing to me, in fact, it was seeming a little bit predictable, but in the end, I LOVED it. I read it so fast that when I finished, I wanted to go back and reread the whole thing again to pick up on things I may have missed the first time around. So, I guess what I’m saying is, it took me a little while to feel fully engaged in the characters and this world, but at the same time I never wanted to put it down. DIVERGENT is an engrossing read. It’s scary in showing how easy it was to get to this point with a world built of the five factions. It was really interesting to see how the world ended up divided by the five different strengths people valued. It is definitely a book that caused some deep thinking/analyzing (as any good dystopian should!) of our current societal beliefs.

DIVERGENT has a page-turning, action-packed, fast-paced, twisting plot from the very beginning to the very end full of heart-pounding thrills and wrenching shocks of sadness. This book definitely has a thriller feel to the plot as well. Smaller plot points would be important and keep me wanting to read and then the big overall conflict came together at the end in a way that was not totally expected earlier on in the book. I loved how it deals with fear and bravery in interesting, thought-provoking ways. It has lots of commentary on people and perceptions and control and fear and focuses on figuring out what true strength is. Some parts were horrifying in what this world has become (when it started with the best intentions) and shows the worst part of human nature. Other parts were inspiring in how people with the best intentions can use their strength to overcome odds and work for those they love.

DIVERGENT has likeable characters and I enjoyed spending time in Beatrice’s head. I did feel that some secondary characters could have been developed a little bit more though. Ultimately it’s about Tris’ journey to figuring out how she can go against what she’s always been conditioned to do/believe. Tris is a strong, kick-butt, take-no-crap character who always does what she thinks is right, but with a caring heart. She’s so smart, but doesn’t always realize it, but when she finally does, her bravery and intelligence shows through in unexpected ways. Tris struggles in this book between family obligation and what she thinks she wants. She’s having to start dealing with the consequences of actions and discovering how she can affect her world. Seeing her insecurities and struggles through her eyes, but most especially seeing how she dealt with them with sass and wit, really made the book for me. Some parts seemed a little predictable – it was obvious who was going to be the love interest, but I still enjoyed seeing how that played out and how they grew closer. I felt that way about most things though – the way everything was tied together in the end made me feel better about the whole book because it all made sense. It was just an exciting book and a fast read – make sure you have time to get through it because you won’t want to put it down.

4 1/2 STARS for DIVERGENT
This is the first book in a trilogy and I will definitely be in line to get my hands on the next book in this intriguing dystopian series (although it’ll be a really long wait now since I got to read this one early)!

Book 6 of 12 for DAC2011