Divergent - the Walmart of Young AdultEnjoy the selflessness of Katnis? Love the Harry Potter houses? Adore the will-they-won't-they love from Twilight? Well, here's the watered down combination of every YA series out there. There's Tris - the most annoying main character I've met in a while. The pendulum swings from - from "oh look at me I am such an innocent little abnegation gal - I don't even look into a mirror cause I'm so selfless" to (and this is within a couple of chapters) "I'...

I choose Amity. In a dystopian future, in a post-apocalyptic world, society has divided itself into five factions. Candor, who want nothing but the truth; Erudite, who hold intelligence above all; Amity, who love and desire peace; Dauntless, who value strength and life without fear; and Abnegation, who devote themselves to selfless altruism. Beatrice Prior is born under the care of altruist parents, but at the tender age of sixteen she’ll have to choose a faction to live with for the rest of h...

I definitely enjoyed it. At first, I had trouble convincing my older son to read it, because he was convinced that every dystopian novel is a "Hunger Games" wannabe, but he read it on a recent plane trip and we had a great in-depth discussion about the characters and their motivations.The premise: Chicago of the future is a closed city-state. The citizenry really doesn't have any idea what is beyond their borders. They just know it's dangerous. Inside the city, humanity is divided into five fact...

Dear Hunger Games,I miss you. I really do. Our relationship is over and done with but the memory of you still lingers on. I know that's a terrible cliché - and you hate clichés - but it's a true one, at least in this case. I don't think I'll ever be over you. You are fucking special.It took me some time, but I finally met a new girl. Her name is Divergent. She's quiet and strong and short-tempered and insular and brave... a lot like you, I suppose. But is she really? This is hard for me to admit...

Heh. I'm torn now. I eyerolled so much while reading this book that I may have permanently damaged at least some of my cranial nerves. And yet I read it in one sitting, annoyingly and inexplicably entertained. Go figure.There just may have been some facepalming as well.It's yet another young adult dystopia based on a stupid premise. Seriously, it's plainly ridiculous. If I had to compare it to something equally ridiculous it'd have to be the notion of sparkly vampires. I'm not kidding. Just list...

What kind of ridiculous mess...Oh man.So I know I say this in dissenting opinion, as many on my friends list are partial to this book, but I could not stand it. So before I go off on my tirade, I must explain. You may be thinking to yourself why I gave it two stars and not one, if I’m complaining so much. Let me explain that two is pretty low on my scale. Two is “why did I buy this.” Or read this. Or whatever. One star is dramatic. One is “this should not have been written,” which I have given o...

Today I almost attacked a man in public. A man who was yelling at and abusing his partner. Kicking the trolley, shoving her and screaming obscenities at her. I ditched the trolley I'd been pushing and stormed toward them, my mind blank of anything but ruthless fury.The next part was like out of some stupid romance novel. Mr Kennedy pulled back on my arm and said, "No. There is no way you're going over there!" He took off the baby sling, handed it to me and sent me to go put the groceries and bab...

As seen on The ReadventurerWe all know why Divergent was written. There is no doubt 99% of dystopias published during the last year or so have been trying to at least partially replicate the success of the trilogy. Public wants to read more dystopian stories, publishers want to sell them, authors want to write them. Everyone is happy. I have read a few new dystopias recently and liked or disliked them to various degrees. There are dystopias for any taste, dystopias that emphasize separate aspect...

THE SEVEN STAGES OF READING HELL: When You Realize You're Going to be the Odd Man Out (Once Again) With a Wildly Hyped and Popular Book that Everyone Else Lovedas Presented by:The Coterie of Emotive Kittehs (courtesy of Google Images)December 13, 2011Page 30:Page 77:Page 145:Page 270:Page 354:Page 404:Page 475:Final Analysis of my Reading Experience:(What? You didn't think I was going to show a kitteh with a knife in its eye, did you?)Rating: A (Very) Generous 1 StarThe Moral of this Review:I sh...

i need to make something perfectly clear. i am well aware that i gave 4 stars to Daughter of Smoke and Bone. and i am giving 5 stars to this one. the world is a tough and inconsistent sphere.because Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a much much better written book. it's no contest. she is lush and lyrical and there is a gravity to her writing that makes you stop every so often to murmur, "well said, laini taylor, well said..."this book is just fun.fun fun fun fun fun fun fun funthis is unexpected pi...