Allegiant

Allegiant

Veronica Roth

343 Pages

" 'Yeah, sometimes life really sucks,' she says. 'But you know what I'm holding on for?... The moments that don't suck... The trick is to notice them when they come around."

The compound has just found out their government has been lying to them, and the war between the factions and the fact I on less is still raging. The Allegiant have formed, making a plan to venture to the outside world and save them from the doom they face. When the group finally makes its way past the boundary between the compound and the real world, they find that their whole lives, their whole existence, have been a carefully crafted lie. They are now facing a whole new reality, and with it comes even greater problems.

This was quite an end to the trilogy. At first, it was pretty slow, but it picked up at the end, and all of the most exciting things ended up happening at pretty much the same time. I didn't like the way that this novel was different than the other two in the fact that it was told from both Tris and Four's point of view. I understand why she did that, though. The end absolutely devastated me. It was nothing like I was expecting, and nothing like I was wanting. I really don't want to spoil anything, but I was having to wipe tears from my eyes.

Pages this Semester: 4565

"This story is about love, which means it is also about hate."

-Philip Jose Farmer

Insurgent

Insurgent

Veronica Roth

324 Pages

"I feel bare. I didn't realize that I wore my secrets as armor until they were gone, and now everyone sees me as I really am."

War has broken out between the factions. It is Erudite against Abnegation, Dauntless split in half, and Amity and Candor attempting to remain neutral. Although the citizens are not aware of it, this war is much bigger than just factions. It is a war that will expose them to a whole new world.

This was a great continuation to Divergent. It really cleared up the questions I had at the end, but also added a lot to the story line. This is really a brilliant set of books. 

Pages this Semester: 4222

"Enemies are people who's story you haven't heard or who's faces you haven't seen."

-Irene Butler

Ender's Game

Ender's Game

Orson Scott Card
226 Pages

"In that moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him. I think it's impossible to really understand somebody, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves."

A race of beings called "buggers" has attacked Earth, leaving its inhabitants in chaos. In order to prepare themselves for a third attack, the leaders of earth have begun training its most brilliant young minds to fight. At only six, Ended is chosen to go to Battle School. There, he uses his own logic and brains to surpass the abilities of all the other children. He is the last hope Earth has against the buggers. But, he has to escape his own mind in order to defeat them.

I actually watched this movie before I decided to read the book. The movie was absolutely amazing, and I think the book is also. There were so many layers to peel back in order to fully understand the feelings of Ender, the main character. There was also a large part of the book devoted to what is going on while Ender is away from home, which was important to the understanding of the entire novel. There were a few errors in the writing, but those can be forgiven because the story itself was so captivating.

Pages this Semester: 3898

"A story only matters, I suspect, to the extent that the people in the story change."

-Neil Gaiman

Dare to Dream: Life as One Direction

Dare to Dream: Life as One Direction

One Direction
237 Pages

"Harry and I were hugging and full-on sobbing. Someone said to us: 'This isn't the end, this is just the beginning.' But we had no idea what was going to happen."

This was the second autobiography written by One Direction. Each of the boys described their life from their childhood, through their X-Factor journey, up until the very beginning stages of their documentary, This Is Us. There were "loads" of pictures of the boys. (I didn't count those in the page count)

This book was phenomiNiall, amaZayn, extraordinHarry, brilLiam, fabuLouis. I loved it. It's such a real look at who the guys are, making it clear that they really are just ordinary people, even though they live extraordinary lives. I don't normally read biographies, or autobiographies, but I would definitely read the other two that One Direction have written.

Pages this Semester: 3672

“There comes a day when you realize turning the page is the best feeling in the world, because you realize there's so much more to the book than the page you were stuck on.” 

-Zayn Malik

Divergent

Divergent

Veronica Roth

300 Pages

"He smiles in my memory. A curled lip. Straight teeth. Light in his eyes. Laughing, teasing, more alive in memory than I am in reality. It was him or me. I chose me. But I feel dead too."

The world is divided into five factions: Abnegation, Erudite, Dauntless, Amity, and Candor. When each child turns 16 they take an aptitude test that is supposed to tell the child which faction they most belong to. When Beatrice takes the test, her results are found inconclusive, giving her three results instead of one. Her test administrator tells her she is Divergent, and warns her to keep it to herself, because it is dangerous. On Choosing Day, Beatrice decides to switch to the Dauntless faction. She must make it through initiation in order to become a member, but she knows that there are much bigger problems facing her than the possibility of becoming factionless.

I have always loved stories of dystopian societies. This one is no exception. The complexity of society and government makes it a really great read. I am so excited about the movie and I've already begun reading the next book in the trilogy.

Pages this Semester: 3435

"Who am I? And how, I wonder, will this story end?"

-Nicholas Sparks

11/22/63

11/22/63

Stephen King

649 pages

"'Sin,' I said. 'Now there's an interesting word. Jesus said he without it was free to cast the first stone. Or she, I suppose. Are you without it...?'"

Jake Epping is a divorced English teacher living a simple life in a small town. It all changes for him when he is recruited by a friend to travel down a "rabbit hole" back in time, in the hopes of saving JFK from being assassinated. Jake takes on the alias of George Amberson, an aspiring author and part time teacher. He battles the past, it being obdurate, while determining Lee Oswald's part in the assassination. If he succeeds, the world will be forever changed once again. But will it be changed for the better?

This novel was absolutely captivating. I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat, wondering how the fate of JFK would be changed, which is obviously ridiculous, because my reading a book will not affect his life or death. It was just a really believable story, despite the time traveling aspect. I loved this book.

Pages this Semester: 3136

"... sometimes a cigar is just a smoke and a story's just a story."

-Stephen King

Beautiful Creatures

Beautiful Creatures

Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

563 Pages

"She stopped and turned to look at him, almost ruefully. Like she couldn't help what she was any more than a shark could help being a shark, but if she could..."

Nothing ever happens in the small town of Gatlin. That is, until the niece of the town's infamous recluse moves in. Ethan knows he should stay away, but it's like there's an electric pull that he can't resist. There are many things he doesn't know about Lena, but she slowly lets him in to her crazy life. Soon these small bits of information add up to a whole new reality for Ethan, a whole new town that has changed completely from how he knew it the rest of his life. 

As Lena's sixteenth birthday approaches, both carry the burden of knowledge of the future, and neither can stop what is destined to be.

I've actually visited a town in North Carolina (where Gatlin is) called Gatlinburg. I feel like this is where Gatlin is based on, so I was able to picture the town more clearly in my head, the way it was described in this novel. I absolutely love the references of To Kill a Mockingbird throughout the book. The whole novel gave so many connections to outside sources. The climax came at the perfect time, and there was a really great buildup in the story, and great curveballs that kept me guessing. I am so excited to read the next one!

Pages this Semester: 2486

"Stories can conquer fear, you know. They can make the heart bigger." 

-Ben Okri

Y: The Last Man

Y: The Last Man

Brian K. Vaughan

246 Pages

"Just because you've got a d*** doesn't mean that you're invincible."

All beings with a y chromosome have died from some sort of plague. That is, all except one man, and his monkey. He only wants to find his girlfriend, but it seems the world has bigger plans for him. His mom and a genetic doctor want to use him to repopulate the world. The Daughters of the Amazon are hunting him down, hoping to eradicate his species for good. 

This is a great graphic novel for those who are interested, but not particularly interested in super heroes. It's really fast paced, with a lot of fun humor. It has a lot of layers, bringing forth issues larger than just the absence of males in terms of procreation. I cannot wait to read the next one.

Pages this Semester: 1909

"The story of the human race is the story of men and women selling themselves short."

-Abraham Maslow

Gone

Gone

Michael Grant

558 pages

"It's not about who's got powers, morons. It's about who's not afraid. And who's going to do what has to be done."

During a normal day in class, the whole town of Perdido Beach was turned upside down when a mysterious phenomenon occurred, the disappearance of every person fifteen and older. Soon after, Caine, with his band of Coates kids, moves in, taking control of the Perdido Beach kids. Sam has to find a way to stop the Coates kids from attacking, figure out how to use the new power coming from his fingers, and discover a way through the dome surrounding Perdido Beach, all before his fifteenth birthday, when he too risks disappearing. 

When I first started reading this book, it sounded suspiciously like the Left Behind books. Getting into it, though, there were some noticeable differences, namely that all people over fifteen disappeared, and the "super powers" that some of the kids developed. I actually didn't much like this book, but I still can't help that I want to read the next one. I need to find out if the kids escape! 

Pages this Semester: 1663

"If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop the story."

-Orson Welles