Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

MODERATE SPOILERS INCLUDED

Plot

Tris is a 16 year-old girl in a post-war world with a dilemma.  Her world is split up into five factions: Amity, Abnegation, Candor, Erudite and Dauntless.  These factions are all aspects of each person’s personality that best represents them as a person.  When teenagers reach 16, they must make a decision: which faction they are going to be in.  For Tris, she has a more challenging decision because she is a Divergent; she does not have only one, single personality trait.  But she still has to decide on one faction

And when she chooses Dauntless (bravery) she has to leave her family and has to enter a completely different society compared to the faction that she grew up in - Abnegation (selflessness).  Here she has to undergo extensive physical and mental training to settle in to this new faction and this involves facing her biggest fears and dealing with enemies within and outside her faction.  And, of course, as is conventional in YA, Tris finds herself falling in love.

Good points

I thought the idea for the story was fantastic.  All these factions had been created to counteract the flaws of society that caused war.  GENIUS!  I also liked the characters.  Although they did have some annoyances (as YA characters usually do), I found them quite agreeable!  Both Tris and Four (Tris’ love interest) are both realistic characters – especially when they’re facing their fears as they demonstrate that everyone has their vulnerable moments.

Bad points

I think, perhaps, my issue is that since I have started reading more ‘coming of age’ recently YA fic my love of all things dystopian has had a bit of break.  And returning to it was a bit of an anti-climax.  I realised how much hard work dystopian fic can be.  The author has to do a lot of explaining to ensure that the reader can build an image of this different world and society.  And I felt that this was what let the book down slightly; the fact that the author had to explain this post-war world so extensively meant that I felt like the storyline didn’t really get going until quite a way through.

Summary

This was a great book with great characters.  Although the storyline was a bit slow to start with, I am going to conclude that it was only ‘first book in the series’ syndrome.  I think Veronica got the ball rolling with Divergent and the next two are going to be good now that she’s established the storyline. With that in mind I have given it...

Rating = 4 stars.

Additional points

Yes; I will indeed be seeing the film. I watched the trailer and it looks FAB!

Read this book? Please leave your comments below!

Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Plot

18 year-old Cather Avery is going to college, she’s a twin and she’s a fan girl of the global sensation series that is Simon Snow (Fangirl’s equivalent of Harry Potter).  Cather (or ‘Cath’ as she prefers) suffers from social anxiety.  This makes it all the more harder for her when she leaves home, especially when her confident twin sister, Wren, can’t wait to start anew at uni, to meet new people and go out and have a good time, whereas Cath is quite content with staying in her dorm and feeding her thousands of fans with her popular Simon Snow fanfiction.

However, it’s never that simple as Cath finds herself making new friends and getting a boyfriend while also trying to juggle her studies and her complicated family relationships.

Good points

Fangirl. Oh Fangirl.

It isn’t very often that I get so excited about a book but, without a doubt, this is one of the best things I have ever read.

One word immediately springs to mind and that word is ‘simplicity.’  As my equally Fangirl-loving friend put it ‘it’s one of those books where nothing happens but everything happens.’  The characters were written BEATIFULLY.  Cath is an angel - which is a rare thing for me to say since protagonists usually get on my nerves.  She is so easy to relate to and I loved how she just broke the stereotype by being painfully shy but also the funniest person at the same time.

I thought that Rainbow Rowell also wrote the book’s relationships perfectly.  Cath’s relationship with Art, her Dad, is wonderful and not forgetting her relationship with Wren which just made me want to have a twin sister so badly!

And finally Levi.  Dear Levi.  I commend any author who is able to write ‘the boyfriend’ as the utterly cool guy but also the understanding and sweet guy at the same time without making it a cliché.  Their relationship is so adorable.  There’s no mushiness and no cheesiness (etc) which makes the more personal and intimate moments between them all the more perfect.  And, plus, the drama is kept quite low key which makes the whole thing so much more enjoyable.

Bad points

I’m struggling to find something wrong with it to be honest with you.  Perhaps, I could say that Cath is a little difficult to get the measure of to begin with.  At first, it may seem that she’s a little rude and selfish but if you just keep reading you come to realise that this is just a part of her anxiety and, as the story goes on, she learns to come to term with this as does the reader.

Summary

Honestly one of the best novels I have ever read.  It’s such a hard book to explain and it’s hard to put your finger on what is so good about it.  But, all I can say is that it is a beautiful read and that everyone should read it!

Therefore, (how could I not?) this book deserves...

Rating = 5 stars.

Additional points

There isn’t a sequel and I haven’t made my mind up as to whether or not I want there to be.  On the one hand, I want to know so much more about what happens to the characters, but on the other I wonder if it’s best left as the perfect, single novel!  Another book that Rainbow has written is Eleanor and Park which has been praised by John Green, so I shall definitely be adding that one to my Goodreads ‘to-read’ list!


Have you read this book? Feel free to leave your comments below!

Mid-week update

So, again, I would like to give a little update on what I’ve been up to in the last week or so:

·       As a follow on from my last post, I’ll briefly tell you about my own United Nations experience.  Last week I took part in a Model UN event in Birmingham.  There were committees, there were alliances, there were resolutions and there was a General Assembly – just like the real UN!  It was so much fun; my confidence rocketed as I met loads of new people and had to do a bit of public speaking (eek!)

And without a doubt, my little UN introduction was just the ticket in terms of preparing me for the event!

·       Since The United Nations: A Very Short Introduction I have read two novels.  Both were YA fiction but very different.  Firstly, an adorable novel called Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell which I must say is one of the best books I have ever read.  Secondly, I finally got round to reading Divergent by Veronica Roth.  There’s been so much hype about it and, all in all, it was an enjoyable read.

They’re so different because Fangirl is quite under the radar but I think they both deserve equal recognition!

·      And finally, I am currently reading Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan. I loved Looking For Alaska so I thought I’d give this one a go.  What’s most enjoyable is that I’m reading it at the same time as a friend so we’re able to share thoughts and opinions as we go!

(Reviews for these three books will be posted in due course as always!)

If you’ve read any of these books feel free to post your thoughts in the comments below.

Review: The United Nations: A Very Short Introduction by Jussi Hanhimäki

This is the second ‘A Very Short Introduction’ that I have read and I must admit that they very handy. 

They are such tiny books (this was only 171 pages, including references etc) but are packed full of facts and information.

I had an interest in the UN and needed to know a little about it for college.  This book provided me with a deep insight into the organisation – a brief history, an overview of the structure, plenty of examples in which UN action was needed and also some views on the UN’s future.

Overall, the book’s content was interesting but occasionally I did find my mind wondering off track.   In general, it wasn’t hugely engaging and it felt like I was forcing myself to read it on occasion.  It didn’t help that there was quite of jargon included.

Nevertheless, it was a handy little introduction to the UN.  The United Nations, in my mind, is a vital organisation that we couldn’t live without but know little about.  The book’s main downfall was that it was a bit of a dull read at times.

Rating = 3 stars.


Have you read this book? Feel free to leave your comments below.


PS: There's a HUGE list at the beginning of the book showing all the 'A Very Short Introduction' books that exist.  I've ticked a load that I want to buy - from Feminism to American Politics to Fashion - so expect a post about them soon!

Review: Summer and the City (A Carrie Diaries Novel) by Candace Bushnell

MODERATE SPOILERS INCLUDED

Plot

The Emerald City. The Big Apple. She’s done it. After being accepted onto her summer writing class at the end of senior year, 17 year-old Carrie Bradshaw has made it to New York and it the beginning of the bool it seems that all her dreams have come true. But, of course, nothing ever turns out as Carrie plans it and she finds herself faced with numerous obstacles throughout the course of the summer such as maintaining her romance with New York’s most famous play-wright, getting her work noticed and simply trying to adapt to New York life.

Good points

The best bit was the introduction to the SATC characters. We finally get to meet Samantha Jones and Miranda Hobbes (and Charlotte right at the end). It was a real treat getting to see what their lives were like before the SATC show.

Bad points

In The Carrie Diaries I let Carrie off because we were only just being introduced to her character as a teen. I hoped that in this novel, she would grow up a bit since she is independently going to the Big City; taking her life into her own hands and all that. But I was wrong. She’s even more selfish than before and so melodramatic! She takes everything for granted, including the help that she receives from her new friends and is very focused on what she wants.

Sadly, I thought that Carrie’s character was inconsistently written in Summer and the City. One moment she’s criticising her boyfriend because he isn’t able to her answer any of her obsessive calls and the next moment she’s telling the reader that he’s amazing and that he’s actually really great blah blah blah.

Above all, like the first book, I felt that storyline was very weak. No focus, no structure and I found myself predicting the ending a little too accurately!

Summary

 Although it was fun being introduced to Samantha and Miranda, in my opinion, Summer and the City was a bit of a let-down. Carrie was on the verge of being unbearable throughout the entire book and the story lacked the direction that I hoped it would improve on from the first novel.

Rating = 3 stars.

Additional points

This is only just 3 stars. I was disappointed with the story and this would have gotten a 2 if I didn’t love the show and the movies so much.

I tend to have a 3 star rule: if it’s 3 stars or over then I’ll read the next one. Although there isn’t yet a third book out, if Bushnell does write another one I probably will read it on the basis that there will hopefully be more focus on Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte.