Oct 25 2013

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Book Review: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Title: Allegiant

Author: Veronica Roth

Series: Divergent #3

Genre: Teen Dystopian

Rating: 4.5/5 stars!

The Overview: The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

The Review:

With the hundreds of books in my TBR pile, I rarely pick up anything the day it comes out. That so wasn’t the case with Allegiant! I was excited for this one the moment they revealed the cover and have been counting down the days since. With all the waiting and build-up, I was seriously setting myself up for disappointment if it didn’t live up to expectations…so thank goodness it was amazing!

I loved it every bit as much as the first two books. From the electric love story to the exciting “can’t put it down” plot, it was a heart-wrenching conclusion to one of the best dystopian’s out there. The voice of the story (my favorite part to it) drew me right back into the story as if no time had elapsed. What’s more, there was twice the perspective because Roth added Tobias’s POV. As this is the first book to include more than one perspective, I was really nervous I wouldn’t enjoy it as much. Turns out I enjoyed it more. His perspective added a great new dynamic to the story and if possible got me even more involved.

All I can say is, what a great writer! Roth knows how to put in romance without making it sappy, write conflicts deep enough to affect you without making it a sob story, and maintain a masterful yet understated pacing that soon has you flying through the book with abandon. I am truly sad this series has come to an end, and look forward to reading anything she produces in the future.

I love the concept of this world, And what this book did was take everything a little bit deeper and broader. There were some profound revelations for the characters within these pages and I’m still reeling from them days later. Overall, this series provided the same intensity and excitement I felt while reading Hunger Games and, if I’m honest, I reckon I enjoyed it more when evaluating the series as a whole.

Recommended Reading: for dystopian fans, or even those looking to get into the genre. It had a slow-building love story and an exciting plot and I liked it so much I mention it to every customer I catch browsing in the teen section. Also, with the movie coming out, I recommend it to those wanting to read it before they see it (If you’ve been stalling, now’s your chance now that they’re all released).

Other books you might like:

: Pure by Julianna Baggott

: Legend by Marie Lu

: All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

: Pawn by Aimee Carter

: The Selection by Kiera Cass

by Niki Hawkes

Mar 23 2013

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Coming Soon: Allegiant

Title: ~~Convergent (I think)~~ Allegiant

Author: Veronica Roth

Series: Divergent #3

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Release Date: October 22, 2013

The Overview: What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

Nik’s Notes: Who else is as excited as I am for this release? I’ll admit the first book took about 100 pages to get going, but once it did, I couldn’t put it down for anything! The characters, specifically their relationships with each other, was my favorite element. The overall creativity of the world-building and structuring was also a strong point, and I’m looking forward to solving all the mysteries in the final book. I earnestly hope this book doesn’t end up on next year’s “Top Ten Books I HAD To Buy…But Are Still Sitting On My Shelf Unread” list.

New to this series? Check out my reviews of #1 & #2 – perhaps these are the perfect books for you!

Book Review: Divergent (book #1)

Book Review: Insurgent (book #2)

Mar 6 2013

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Book Review: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Title: Insurgent

Author: Veronica Roth

Series: Divergent #2

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Overview: One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris’s initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

The Review:

This was one of those books that ended too quickly. I picked it up and before I knew it I was more than halfway through, cursing that I didn’t take longer to savor it. I couldn’t help but read fast – it was just too good. Divergent was also a major page-turner for me, but only after I made it past the first hundred pages or so. Insurgent started off with a bang and didn’t let up the entire time. The plot just kept getting thicker and thicker, setting up for what promises to be an incredible conclusion.

I think part of the reason I was completely absorbed into the story can be attributed to Roth’s talents as a writer. She is excellent at ending chapters with “hooks” which make it practically impossible to find a good stopping point. For me, the reading process was a series of, “Okay, just one more chapter…”. Also, the first-person present-tense writing style that was made so famous by the Hunger Games trilogy was used to similar effect here. It allows the reader to feel like they are involved in the play-by-play and is a good way of making suspenseful moments even more intense.

Overall, Insurgent was an awesome sequel to a strong first book. I plan on recommending it to anyone who enjoyed Suzanne Collins and actually think the series is shaping up to be just as strong as HG. I wont be certain, however, until I read the final book, which just had an announced release date of October 22, 2013. I am stoked!

by Niki Hawkes

Other books you might like:

The Bane by Keary Taylor
Partials by Dan Wells
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Matched by Ally Condie
Pendragon: Merchant of Death by D.J. MacHale

Feb 7 2013

Niki’s Book Recommendations

If you liked: The Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins

Then you might also like:

Title: Partials

Author: Dan Wells

Series: Partials #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

This is my top recommend for books similar to HG. It has an excellent fast-paced plot, interesting characters, and compelling conflicts. It is also written beautifully, landing itself as my favorite book of 2013! Read full review

Title: Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth

Series: Divergent #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

What I loved most about the HG (aside from how well it was written) was the unique concept behind it. Divergent also had a highly original plot that actually kept me up into the night (I hardly ever sacrifice sleep for books anymore). Read full review

Title: Delirium

Author: Lauren Oliver

Series: Delirium#1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Although this dystopian novel focuses more on the romanic element, the overall arc of the plot and general writing style are quite similar to the Hunger Games.

Title: Uglies

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Series: Uglies #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

This series was one of the first dystopian books on the market, and no doubt an inspiration to many writers. I loved the idea, I loved the world, and I loved the characters. This is a must-read classic for any dystopian lover. Read full review

Title: Matched

Author: Ally Condie

Series: Matched #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Like Delirium, matched is more focused on the romantic aspect of the story rather than fast-paced action, but it’s still an excellent dystopian novel in its own right. Its kind of a cool mix between Fahrenheit 451 and the HG. Definitely geared more towards women.

Title: Ship Breaker

Author: Paolo Bacigalupi

Series: N/A

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Ship Breaker reminded me a lot of the HG because it had a similar overall feel to the story. It sounds weird, but it made me somehow nostalgic of Suzanne Collin’s work, and was such a good story I remember it vividly several years later. It definitely made me want to read some of his other fantasy novels.

Well, there you have it! My top picks for books like Hunger Games. Let me know if I’m missing any really good ones! :)

Jan 1 2013

Book Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth

Series: Divergent #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

The Overview: In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue–Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is–she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

The Review:

If you couldn’t tell from my blog’s focus over the last few weeks, I’ve been extremely hooked on the teen books, particularly the dystopian genre (I blame Partials). As Divergent is one of the best-selling novels in that category, I knew it had to be bumped to the top of my priority list.

Set in a society divided into five distinct factions, one young girl must make a decision that will change her life forever… and that’s just the beginning! Admittedly at first, it was a tad slow. I wasn’t terribly invested in the story because it read like a lot of other books on the market. Then somewhere in the middle, I’m not quite sure what happened but I suddenly found myself unable to stop reading. Exhausted beyond belief and sick with an awful cold to boot, I managed to keep myself awake an extra couple of hours to finish the book.

There were several elements that I liked about this story. I’ve mentioned before that I really enjoy books where the characters learn new skills, and the training that the main character goes through was interesting, intense, and fun to read about. The pacing was also great, and I thought the second half of the book really took me on a snowball’s ride to the end. Surprisingly, my favorite element of Divergent was the love story. Granted it wasn’t the biggest element of the plot, but I found the relationship that developed between the two characters to be incredibly natural in its progression throughout the story. I was pleased because I’ve rarely seen it done so well in the teen genre. It provided a lovely balance to the harsh realities the girl faced, and put the book near the top of the charts for me.

Recommendations: While there are many other dystopian novels that are appropriate for younger teens, I would probably only feel comfortable recommending this one to the 16+ crowd. There many elements that younger readers might be a little too… mature. As always, use your own discretion.

by Niki Hawkes

Other books you might like:

Matched by Ally Condie
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Partials by Dan Wells
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
The Maze Runner by James Dashner (I didn’t care for this book but because so many people liked it, I feel okay including it in this list. Divergent was actually sort of like what the Maze Runner could’ve been with less false tension and a lot more action.)