REVIEWbyU: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Reviewer: Amy
Rating: 4 stars

 The book is set in Chicago in a dystopian future where the world is divided into five factions who all believe in one single core value. The selfless are in Abnegation, the brave in Dauntless, the intelligent in Erudite, the honest in Candor and the peaceful in Amity. Beatrice Prior/Tris has grown up all her life in Abnegation trying to fit in and be the daughter her parents want but she has never fit in, however hard she has tried. The simulation everyone takes at the age of 16 to help them choose what faction to live in reflects dangerous results and she has been warned to watch out, but for what she will soon find out. When the choosing day finally comes she has to choose between her family and who she really is. This one choice will define her for the rest of her life as the motto of all factions are “faction before blood”.

In her new faction the stakes are high. The fights are hard won and it’s everyone for themselves as they compete against each other to get accepted by the faction they choose. Beatrice gets befriended by Will, Christina and Al but can she really trust them? They will all do whatever it takes to pass initiation. Tris will get put through intense physical, mental and emotional training to see if she is worthy to be part of the faction. She also must determine who her real friends are and where a relationship with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes intimidating boy fits into her life.

Along the journey she learns what it really means to be brave and learns of the war that is brewing in her seemingly perfect society. She learns that she might have the power to save everyone she loves but will she get herself killed in the process. She will have to figure out how to turn and face the future in a world that’s falling apart.

‘Divergent’ is a heart pounding novel which has many cliffhangers and surprised you with every new page. The characters are very well developed and I got very attached to some of them and hated others. It was very addictive and left you wanting more. It is probably one of my favorite young-adult books. Another good thing was that the main female character was strong and could protect herself because in a lot of novels now teenage girls are portrayed as damsels in distress and always worrying about themselves and their problems.

Divergent is narrated by Beatrice Prior who is the main protagonist of the story. It is written in 1st person and told in present tense which really gives you a good insight on her personality and what she is thinking and the things that are going on in her head.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good haunting book that leaves you wanting more. I also recommend it to anyone who loves dystopian and science fiction novels, and for people who don’t mind a little bit of romance. It is a great read and very worthwhile.

Favorite quote: I would only go to your funeral if there was cake.



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Divergent by Veronica Roth

I finally got around to reading Divergent and I'm glad I did! I predicted the book would be pretty good, given the film is due for release in March 2014, and I wasn't let down.

As with most Dystopian novels, Divergent is set in the not too distant future, in a society where the usual system of democratic government has broken down. Now the city is broken-up into 5 tribes, or factions, each of which value one trait almost to the exclusion of all others. Candor values honesty, Abnegation values selflessness, Amity - peacefulness, Dauntless - bravery and Erudite - knowledge. Each faction peacefully co-exists, using their strengths to assist each other, under the leadership of Abnegation who are deemed the only option as leaders because they are sworn only to serve others.

At the age of 16, all citizens take a test to help them decide whether they stay in the faction they were born into, or transfer into a different faction more suited to their personality. Beatrice Prior, born into the Abnegation faction, undertakes this test only to find that her results are inconclusive, a very rare trait which is considered very dangerous, although no one can tell her why. She is neither Candor, Abnegation, Amity, Dauntless or Erudite. She is Divergent.

Now that Beatrice has chosen a faction, not only must she endure the grueling trials of initiation and the friends and enemies she makes, but she must hide her Divergent status from society - a task easier said than done. In addition to this, she discovers a plot to upset the balance of power in her seemingly peaceful society and only she may be in a position to help stop it….

I'm definitely looking forward to the movie. Have a look at the official website here.

Caitlin  @ Balwyn Library.

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Goodreads Choice Awards 2013!

The winners of this year's Goodreads Choice Awards 2013 have finally been announced. Many of you will know that Goodreads is the world's largest site for readers and book recommendations, and has a whopping 20 million members. Every year Goodreads asks its members to vote for their favourite books across a range of categories, including YA Fiction, YA Fantasy and Sci-Fi Fiction and Middle Grade & Children's Fiction.

And the winners for 2013 are........

YA Fiction - Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell, with 21,818 votes! (Not surprisingly, Eleanor & Park couldn't beat the massive 37,000+ votes cast for last year's winner, The fault in our stars, but this year it was a clear winner over the runner up, another Rainbow Rowell title, Fangirl.)

For the other finalists in this category, click here.

 YA Fantasy & Sci-Fi: Allegiant by Veronica Roth, with 36,157 votes! (Roth's Insurgent won last year in this category. Allegiant is the last in the Divergent trilogy, so it will be interesting to see what new title / series gains popularity in 2014.)

For the rest of the finalists in this category, click here.

Middle Grade & Children's Fiction: The House of Hades by Rick Riordan, with a massive 42,877 votes! (Rick Riordan's Mark of Athena won last year proving his books are still very popular! Go Rick!)

You know what to do to see the finalists for this category. That's right, click here.

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REVIEWbyU - Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth

Review: Mashie

Rating: : 5 stars

Selfishness?

Cowardice?

Ignorance?

Cruelty?

Dishonesty?

What causes mankind's wars? The Abnegation faction  tries to lose themselves in order to help others. Beatrice begins to resent her selfless life in Abnegation. She is sick of no mirrors and baggy grey clothing. She is sick of the Dauntless, those who blame cowardice, taunting her in the hallways.

So, at the Choosing Ceremony, she sprinkles her blood over the sizzling coals of the Dauntless and joins their ranks. Immediately, she is plunged into a plot that threatens not only herself and the man she loves, but the whole of society.

"One choice can transform you", the cover reads. And my choice to read Divergent transformed me from a bored girl on holidays into a girl with her eyes constantly on  this book. Something about the way the author writes keeps you reading.

A page-turner if there ever was one.

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Good Reads Choice Awards for 2012 Announced!

Good Reads, the book review website with more than 12 million members (and more than 420 million listed titles and reviews), has announced the winners of their 2012 Choice awards. After more than a million votes, the winners in all 20 categories have been announced. In the YA space there were two categories; YA fiction and YA fantasy & science fiction, and a Best Middle Grade and Children's category too.

...and the winners are.....

YA Fiction: The fault in our stars by John Green (with a whopping 37,438 votes)!
For a list of all the finalists in this category, click here.

YA Fantasy & Science Fiction: Insurgent by Veronica Roth (23,827 votes - not too shabby)!
For the YA fantasy and sci-fi finalists, click here.

Middle Grade and Children's Fiction: The mark of Athena by Rick Riordan (16,681 votes)!
You know the drill - click here for the other finalists.


So...what are you waiting for? Here's what to do in 4 easy steps:
1. Peruse Good Reads best books for 2012.
2. Come into library or access our ebooks collection online.

3. Borrow.
4. READ!
(5. Enter our 'Love, Summer xx' Reading Competition - click the heading at the top of this blog to find out more!)


What now?

• Add your thoughts about in the comments below.
• Go to the catalogue and reserve it.
• Borrow it as an ebook.
• Review a book yourself.