Choose Wisely: Divergant

Divergant (2011)

Roth, Veronica

Fiction

Warning- A small amount of violence, and little language.

Tris is no average 16 year old; she has grown up in a community that is split into five different colonies of people. Tris was raised in the Abnegation colony, Abnegation believes in selflessness and selflessness only, the people of Abnegation aren’t supposed to ever think of themselves and only care for others, but that isn’t who Tris is at all. During testing day, Tris finds out that her personality doesn’t fit any of the colonies, she is Divergant! On choosing day, Tris takes a leap of faith, and officially joins the colony of Dauntless, the selfish, dangerous, and courageous ones!! Tris goes on a bewildering adventure in her new colony, where she learns to make friends, shoot guns, throw knives, hand-to-hand combat, and many other enthralling new skills. But something is amiss, Tris must find out what is happening before to late, and was it the right choice to become dauntless, because it could cost her life!

As Tris adventures through her new life, she learns the aspect of friendship, love, hatred, and betrayal! She also learns to grow and how to make hard decisions. You grow to love Tris more and more with every turn of the page, and she matures, grows, and even loves in her new life. Tris is changed forever, for the better, and she only gets better throughout the story.

Divergant is a fun, funny, but also violent, and intese novel. It shows what it might be like to live in a utopia that is deeply corrupted. This book is written to give the reader an experience of what it would be like to be a teenager with none of the regular worries like school and relationships, but a teenager that has to worry about who might try to kill them in the night, or who has to decide how to beat up their best friend. The Author uses a first-person point of view for this book, making the reader seem like it could actually be them that is fighting for their lives, It is a perfect survival book that you practically feel like you’re in it yourself!

Divergant is a late teenager and young adult oriented novel. The whole idea of the story is about a young teenager who is struggling in the world, and has to fight to find who they really are, and what they actually want. This book is perfect for people in the age range of 12 to 20, but I think younger kids would enjoy it for all the adventure the you get to indulge in, and also maybe even older people would like this book, because it gives you a sense of understanding and accomplishment.

I decided to read Divergant after the school librarian had suggested it to me. I am a sophomore in high school, and I have to say that suggestion didn’t disappoint me for one second. It is a gut-wrenching, and tear-jerking novel that’s great for almost anyone, even girls!  The New York Times calls it “Best book since the Adventure Games” while the E. Book Club says “it’s an immaculate work of art.” I would suggest this book to almost anyone who loves adventure in the ages 10 through 30. It’s a great read! 

The Adventure Continues: Speaker For The Dead.

Speaker for the Dead (1986)

Card, Orson Scott

Science Fiction

Warning- Some strong scenes, not appropriate for children under 15.

When Ender was growing up, he was nothing close to the average child; in fact he was more paramount than anyone else alive. As an eight year old, Ender was sent away to battle school where children are trained as super soldiers, to protect the human race from the invading species, the buggers. At the end of the first book, Enders Games, Ender destroys the entire bugger race, except for one hive queen egg. In this book, Speak for the Dead, Ender has spent his entire life regretting destroying the buggers, and is searching for a world to re-spark the buggers’ life. Finally he has found the perfect world, but it has already been inhabited by another alien race, the piggies. The entire book is spent trying to find a way to re-birth the buggers, while battling with problems from both the humans, and the piggies.

Throughout the book, there are many influential feelings to be had, including betrayal, adultery, murder, mystery, and many other strong feelings. Through reading you come to understand the characters feelings, and almost accept them as a friend that you have known for your entire life, or maybe even love the character like a family member. Ender has spent his whole life away from people with no real connections, but finally in this book you are able to see the Wise Ender, become a loving, caring, friendly, and even wiser person.

Speaker for the Dead is a serious and very mighty themed novel, giving someone a deeper view into the meaning of life, and not just their own, but everyone else’s around them. The author uses a third-person omniscient view, thereby you know each and every character, and each and everyone of their thoughts, thereby allowing you to more deeply connect and love the characters. It is very fun to see, sometimes up to ten, different views on just one subject, which enables the reader to broaden their horizons, and except more people for who they are.

Speaker for the Dead is intended definitely for an older and severely more mature audience. This author never beats around the bush at a touchy subject, but instead dives head first into it, bringing out powerful emotions from the readers. With strong themes, this book is a very enlightening novel, for anyone who wants to know how to think differently and more maturely. This book is meant for adults and older teens, not for anyone under 15.

I read Speaker for the Dead after I read the first book in the series Enders Game. My older brother who loves a good book suggested Enders Game to me. So I would suggest this book to anyone who loves an enthralling story, with neck-wrenching twists and turns.

“Sickness and healing are in every heart. Death and deliverance are in every hand.”- Andrew Wiggin. The New York Times diescribes it as “Awe Inspiring.” And E. Book Review says “it is a true winner of every award it won!” This book is for anyone who loves reading and intense stories that are over the age of 15.

The Enthralling Final Book.

Inheritance(2011)

Paolini, Christopher

Fantasy

Warning-Violent scenes, not for children under the age of 12

In the first book of the series Eragon, the main character, finds a dragon egg in the mysterious hills of the Spine mountain range. The egg ends up hatching for Eragon and ends up taking him on an enthralling and amazing adventure through the ancient land of Alagesia. In this land there are many wonders including dwarfs, elves, humans, and even dragons! Through the books Eragon is taken on an accelerated journey in which he fights battles, learns how to use the power of magic, and discovers deep secrets of the races that have been hidden to outsiders for generations. Through his journeys he joins the Varden, a group of rebels seeking to overthrow the all powerful and evil king Galbatorix. In this last book, it is finally time for Eragon to fulfill his duty and face the malignant king Galbatorix, to end his deranged rule over the poor people of Alagaesia. Through the book there are also side stories of Eragons cousin Roran, and the adventures he undertakes.

As Eragon goes through his life, he is faced with very trying mental and physical situations. Eragon struggles deeply with a lot of this, because for him, as an eighteen year old farm boy, it is a lot to take in. You watch as Eragon matures from boyhood to manhood. Also you get to see, and grow to love Eragon for becoming a very honorable and admirable man. Roran also undergoes man changes, as you read you see Roran change from a full grown man, to a loving and caring husband and father.

Inheritance is a very seriously written novel, the highlights the aspects of war, betrayal, violence, and having to make serious descisions with serious consequences. Even though this book is fantasy and the main character is bestfreinds with a talking dragon, it relates heavily to real life, and situations that real people actually face. Inheritance is actually a very great example of guidelines that people should live by, and it also shows some very deep thinking that can broaden your views on life and other people. Although this is a serious book, there are also very funny parts in the book, and some romantic parts as well. Also Paolini (the author) does a great job at presenting situations that are very enticing and exciting.

Inheritance is a novel based at the level of a high school student, with some scences to mature for younger children, and also deep descriptions that might bore an older audience. But altogether this book could be for absolutely anybody out there. There are very entertaing battle scenes that younger males would fall in love with and probably reinact in their living room with their siblings. Also there are some romantic scenes that the females will obviously love, and in turn might even end up wishing that they were the women in the story that Eragon so helplessly falls in love with. For the older audience the author uses similes and metaphors out the wazoo! This gives the book a deeper meaning that leaves you pondering some aspects even hours after you’ve set the book down. This book could be for anybody older than the age of 12, with something for everyone to enjoy.

I would recommend this book to anybody over the age of 12 that can read. My brother was the one who got me to start reading this series in the first place, and he always chooses great books. I was so engaged in this book that I could hardly set it down at times, I even once read it at the dinner table, but then was scorned by my father and was forced to close the book, however I still managed to read another chapter without anyone knowing during our supper. “An authentic work of great talent.”-The New York Times “A breathtaking and unheard0of success.”-USA Today “Unusual, powerful…fresh and fluid.”-Booklist, Starred. It was an all around great book!