Divergent - 487 pages
"Beatrice?" a voice behind me says.
I turn, and Caleb stands behind me, a book in his hand. His hair has grown out so it flips at his ears, and he wears a blue T-shirt and a pair of rectangle glasses.
"What are you doing here?" he says.
"I wanted to go home," I say, "and you were the closest thing I could think of."
He presses his lips together.
"Don't look so pleased to see me." I add.
"Hey," he says, setting his hands on my shoulders. "I'm thrilled to see you, okay? It's just that this isn't allowed. There are rules."
"I don't care," I say. "I don't care, okay?"
"Maybe you should." His voice is gentle; he wears his look of disapproval. "If it were me, I wouldn't want to get in trouble with your faction."
So, I've found a new favorite genera through this page count, dystopian science fiction. It all started with Hunger Games, but this summer (slash winter...) I've read Matched and now Divergent. On my last blog I wrote that if you like Hunger Games you'd like Clockwork Prince, but really, Divergent is much more similar.
It takes place in future Chicago. The people of the world decided that there were specific reasons why the world was all messed up, so they each created their own faction based on a virtue. There are five: Candor, who believe in honesty, Abnegation, who believe in selflessness, Dauntless, who believe in courage, Amity, who believe in peace, and Erudite, who believe in knowledge.
When children reach sixteen, they must choose which faction they want to live in, even if it isn't where their family lives. The factions have very little interaction, so if you leave your family it's likely that may never see them again. "Faction over blood." Your new faction is your family.
But what happens if you don't fit into just one group? Well, that's Beatrice's problem. She fits into three, she's what they call Divergent. But it's not a good thing. In fact, it can get you killed. Beatrice must find out who she can trust, and where she fits in with a world that wants her dead.
The story follows Beatrice from before her aptitude test, (where they tell her what faction she should choose) far past her initiation into the faction she chooses. I loved that the book told a good portion of a story, that it didn't end in a cliff hanger, or before the current problems were solved. The problem I had with Crossed was just the opposite, that I didn't feel like I got enough of a story. There is plenty in this book.
I loved this book. The sequel comes out in May. I can't wait. While I didn't get the fan girl giggles like I did with Clockwork Prince, it takes intriguing twists and keeps you on your toes. Beatrice, who decides to change her name to Tris (thank goodness) is a likable and strong character. I almost like her as much as Katniss (Hunger Games). And I like her a whole lot more than Tessa (Infernal Devices), so that's good.
It's scary to think that the world could end up like the world in this book, and it reminds us that we must be Courageous, Honest, Selfless, Knowledgeable, and Kind, not just one. You see the corruption in each system or faction, and you realize there's no way each can stand on it's own.
There's a lot of action in this book, so don't think it's all about politics, because it's not. It's equivalent to Hunger Games. I recommend Divergent to anyone who likes Hunger Games. (For real this time)
398-487=(-89)!!!
Well folk, that's 10,089 pages! Sure it took me a while longer than I planned... okay, five months more... but I made it before the next summer right? Don't worry, I'm not done yet. I don't have any books to read right now, and midterms are coming up, but I have a few more things up my sleeve before I officially close the 2011 summer page count. So stay tuned. (If there's even anyone there...)
Read on,
Jamie
Monday, January 30, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
Clockwork Prince
Clockwork Prince ~ 502 pages
"I know we are in a hurry to get to the council meeting," said Jem, "but I wanted you to see this." He gestured around them. "Poet's Corner."
She smiled at him. "How did you know just what I'd want to see?"
"How could I not?" He said. "When I think of you, and you are not there, I see you in my mind's eye always with a book in your hand."
Clockwork Prince is the sequel to Clockwork Angel, and the second book in the Infernal Devices series which is the prequel to the Mortal Instrument series. Got it? I broke it all down in a previous blog (in fact, it was my first blog).
I like the Infernal Devices series more than Mortal Instruments, which is saying something because I liked Mortal Instruments a lot. The characters in this series are so interesting, it's hard to put it down once you get into it. I found myself having to allow specific time slots to read because I would've just read it all the way through and forgot about all my homework. It's just so gripping. I also found that I couldn't read it in public places because the reactions it drew out of me were so erratic and even as I looked up from the book it took me a couple of seconds to pull myself to reality.
So to tell you a little bit about this book...
It continues to tell the story of Tessa, and her experiences now that she's living in the institute with the "shadowhunters". It takes a long time to explain all of this world, and I attempted to do that in the City of Fallen Angels blog. (so go read that if you feel so inclined) Luckily, this book was more of a romance than an action. Yes there are still battles, (including one particularly bloody one) but the real foundation of the book was, "What the heck is Will's deal?"
You find out a lot about Will in this book, explanations for his really strange behavior and such, but the thing was... I didn't really care. In my Matched blog, I wrote out which "team" I am for several books and series. (For example, Team Jacob or Team Edward) I am Team Jem forever and always after this book. I was team Jem after the first book, but this book made it even more clear. I still stand by everything I said in my defense of Team Jem, but now I have so much more to add...
I guess the biggest problem was that I just wanted to punch Tessa in the face. She's supposedly really smart, but she does a lot of stupid stuff for a smart person. But I guess that's good writing. The fact that I was so freaking involved with this book speaks volumes to it's writing.
If you like Hunger Games, or fantasy action romance, this series might be for you. The only hesitation I have in recommending it, is that I don't know which book you should read first, City of Bones or Clockwork Angel. I don't know if you have to read the Mortal Instruments series to fully appreciate the Infernal Devices series. I think I liked reading City of Bones first, because it all ties together, and you get better explanations in City of Bones because it was written first.
Anyway. 900-502= 398 Pages left
Read on,
Jamie
"I know we are in a hurry to get to the council meeting," said Jem, "but I wanted you to see this." He gestured around them. "Poet's Corner."
She smiled at him. "How did you know just what I'd want to see?"
"How could I not?" He said. "When I think of you, and you are not there, I see you in my mind's eye always with a book in your hand."
Clockwork Prince is the sequel to Clockwork Angel, and the second book in the Infernal Devices series which is the prequel to the Mortal Instrument series. Got it? I broke it all down in a previous blog (in fact, it was my first blog).
I like the Infernal Devices series more than Mortal Instruments, which is saying something because I liked Mortal Instruments a lot. The characters in this series are so interesting, it's hard to put it down once you get into it. I found myself having to allow specific time slots to read because I would've just read it all the way through and forgot about all my homework. It's just so gripping. I also found that I couldn't read it in public places because the reactions it drew out of me were so erratic and even as I looked up from the book it took me a couple of seconds to pull myself to reality.
So to tell you a little bit about this book...
It continues to tell the story of Tessa, and her experiences now that she's living in the institute with the "shadowhunters". It takes a long time to explain all of this world, and I attempted to do that in the City of Fallen Angels blog. (so go read that if you feel so inclined) Luckily, this book was more of a romance than an action. Yes there are still battles, (including one particularly bloody one) but the real foundation of the book was, "What the heck is Will's deal?"
You find out a lot about Will in this book, explanations for his really strange behavior and such, but the thing was... I didn't really care. In my Matched blog, I wrote out which "team" I am for several books and series. (For example, Team Jacob or Team Edward) I am Team Jem forever and always after this book. I was team Jem after the first book, but this book made it even more clear. I still stand by everything I said in my defense of Team Jem, but now I have so much more to add...
I guess the biggest problem was that I just wanted to punch Tessa in the face. She's supposedly really smart, but she does a lot of stupid stuff for a smart person. But I guess that's good writing. The fact that I was so freaking involved with this book speaks volumes to it's writing.
If you like Hunger Games, or fantasy action romance, this series might be for you. The only hesitation I have in recommending it, is that I don't know which book you should read first, City of Bones or Clockwork Angel. I don't know if you have to read the Mortal Instruments series to fully appreciate the Infernal Devices series. I think I liked reading City of Bones first, because it all ties together, and you get better explanations in City of Bones because it was written first.
Anyway. 900-502= 398 Pages left
Read on,
Jamie
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Crossed
Guess what? I'm baaaaack! But really. Here I am, continuing my page count. It's a new year, but I don't feel like giving myself a new goal until this one is finished. Luckily the library decided that fifty days is enough to wait for a book and got Crossed just in time for the new semester to start. So here we go.
Crossed ~ 367 pages
"What else should we bring?" Vick asks, looking through some of the books.
"We can find something in the morning," I say. For some reason the neatly ordered and abandoned books make me feel sad. Tired. I wish Cassia were here with me. She's turn each page and read every word. I can picture her in the dim light of the cave with her bright eyes and her smile and I close my eyes. That shadowy memory might be as close as I come to seeing her again.
Crossed is the sequel to Matched, a book I blogged in the summer, so feel free to look back at that. While Matched was about freewill and choice, Crossed is about what you do with that free agency. So since this is a sequel, it might give away some of the first book, so if you don't want to know how Matched ends, skip down past the bold purple 900.
The story starts with Cassia, who has decided to go against her oppressive government and find Ky, who has been taken away. It's against the law for Cassia to love Ky because she has been Matched or paired with Xander, her best friend. (All this means is that she's required by law to marry him.) This book goes back and forth between Cassia and Ky's point of view, each chapter with a different narrator. Ky has been kicked out of the society and deported to the outer provinces, to face sure death, no one lives very long outside of the society. He's also trying to return to Cassia.
This book was different, and even though I think I liked the first one more, the sequel is complimentary to the series. Crossed is like reading poetry. It's really beautiful writing, and it makes it so engaging to read. It's downfall would be that not that much happens. What could've taken half a book to tell became a full book. Not to say that it wasn't interesting, but at the end, I felt as though I didn't get as much story as I wanted.
All in all I enjoyed reading this book. I will read the third one when it comes out. Last time I blogged this series I said it was like Hunger Games, Twilight, and Book Thief combined. I'm going to explain that thought. Hunger Games because of the dystopia government and the futuristic setting of the book. Twilight because it's a romance book, the characters fall in love despite it being super dangerous. Book Thief because of the poetic writing of the author. If that sounds interesting, this is the book series for you.
1,268 - 368 = 900 pages left.
Well, I'll be the first to admit that one book since school started is really sad. I started a book in the semester, but just didn't have to time to read it. I'm going to finish it and I'm waiting for two books from the library (it's been 43 days so....) so you'll for sure be getting new blogs. Once I finish my goal, who knows, maybe I'll set another one. All this info and more, coming when I figure it out myself!
Read on,
Jamie
Crossed ~ 367 pages
"What else should we bring?" Vick asks, looking through some of the books.
"We can find something in the morning," I say. For some reason the neatly ordered and abandoned books make me feel sad. Tired. I wish Cassia were here with me. She's turn each page and read every word. I can picture her in the dim light of the cave with her bright eyes and her smile and I close my eyes. That shadowy memory might be as close as I come to seeing her again.
Crossed is the sequel to Matched, a book I blogged in the summer, so feel free to look back at that. While Matched was about freewill and choice, Crossed is about what you do with that free agency. So since this is a sequel, it might give away some of the first book, so if you don't want to know how Matched ends, skip down past the bold purple 900.
The story starts with Cassia, who has decided to go against her oppressive government and find Ky, who has been taken away. It's against the law for Cassia to love Ky because she has been Matched or paired with Xander, her best friend. (All this means is that she's required by law to marry him.) This book goes back and forth between Cassia and Ky's point of view, each chapter with a different narrator. Ky has been kicked out of the society and deported to the outer provinces, to face sure death, no one lives very long outside of the society. He's also trying to return to Cassia.
This book was different, and even though I think I liked the first one more, the sequel is complimentary to the series. Crossed is like reading poetry. It's really beautiful writing, and it makes it so engaging to read. It's downfall would be that not that much happens. What could've taken half a book to tell became a full book. Not to say that it wasn't interesting, but at the end, I felt as though I didn't get as much story as I wanted.
All in all I enjoyed reading this book. I will read the third one when it comes out. Last time I blogged this series I said it was like Hunger Games, Twilight, and Book Thief combined. I'm going to explain that thought. Hunger Games because of the dystopia government and the futuristic setting of the book. Twilight because it's a romance book, the characters fall in love despite it being super dangerous. Book Thief because of the poetic writing of the author. If that sounds interesting, this is the book series for you.
1,268 - 368 = 900 pages left.
Well, I'll be the first to admit that one book since school started is really sad. I started a book in the semester, but just didn't have to time to read it. I'm going to finish it and I'm waiting for two books from the library (it's been 43 days so....) so you'll for sure be getting new blogs. Once I finish my goal, who knows, maybe I'll set another one. All this info and more, coming when I figure it out myself!
Read on,
Jamie
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