Insurgent (Veronica Roth)

Title: Insurgent

Author: Veronica Roth

Publisher: Catherine Tegen Books (HarperCollins)

Length: 525 pages

Rating: 5/5

War looms as the factions squabble over their different ideologies. Tris and Four must choose sides, even as enemies loom at every turn, and as their friends keep dying with each new attack. Everyone is keeping secrets though, ones that threatened not just to tear Tris and Four apart, but their whole society. Through her grief and guilt, Tris must embrace her Divergence and decide who can be trusted and who should be killed.

People dying. Tris angsting. Factions factioning. In this much-anticipated sequel, Veronica Roth does it again. I was glued to this book- it was just the right amount of sequel from the first book and tease for the third book. We really get inside Tris’s head and see her guilt, grief, and confusion as she struggles to make sense of her own identity and Divergence, but also as she tries to figure out how to put society back together, and whether society is worth putting back together. Very much Harry Potter book 5 level angst.

You didn’t think it was possible for Tobias/Four to improve from Divergent. But HE DOES. He’s just as flawed as Tris, but when she gives up on life, he’s the one holding her together. There’s really no one word to describe how awesome he is, and he definitely makes the book that much better (especially when Tris is angsting).

And you may have seen on my review of Divergent, but even Lord Voldemort loves these books. Here’s the Dark Lord himself, interviewingVeronica Roth.

And if you're dying to know more about the next book, here's an ambiguous interview with V-Roth. Let the countdown begin!

FFFT: Things that make me squeal

GO AWAY I'M READING. I want these. I want all of them. And you can download them free!

We all know how much I looooooved Divergent. And just released, a sneak peak of the next book in the series, Insurgent! Check it here!

I already covered the best YA books of last year. But how about the best kid's books of all time?? Check out this list of 100 Greatest Books for Kids!

and finally, from Shelf Awareness on 2/15:

             Quotation of the Day

The Art of Publishing 'Good Books for Bad Children'

"I was taken out to luncheon and offered, with great ceremony, the opportunity to be an editor in the adult department. The implication, of course, was that since I had learned to publish books for children with considerable success perhaps I was now ready to move along (or up) to the adult field. I almost pushed the luncheon table into the lap of the pompous gentleman opposite me and then explained kindly that publishing children's books was what I did, that I couldn't possibly be interested in books for dead dull finished adults, and thank you very much but I had to get back to my desk to publish some more good books for bad children."

--Ursula Nordstrom, who was head of Harper's department of books for boys and girls from 1940 to 1973 (from the book Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom, which was showcased by the Brain Pickings blog).

FFFT: It's been too long

1. If you're into lists or looking for books beyond my blog to read, here's a few more BEST BOOKS lists:
The Teens Are All Right: 2011's Top 5 YA Novels from NPR
100 Titles for Reading and Sharing: Children's Books 2011! from the New York Public Library
2012 Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults from the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)

So many books, so little time! Some of books listed on the above lists have been reviewed on the blog- check them out!

2. From the wonderful Cassandra Clare's blog (if you like the Mortal Instruments or Infernal Devices series, you'll love this blog), a definition of YA:

For adults who read YA

“To my mind, YA is a subset of adult fiction, not of children’s fiction, and should be considered as having an entry reading age rather than an age *range*. The entry level is probably 13 or 14, but there is no upper level because the books are also for adults. Saying YA is 13-21, or 13-18 or whatever misses the point, because it suggests that the books are not for older adults, whereas I would say that in fact the core audience of people reading YA (and YA SFF in particular) are in fact 16-35. But this is only the core and the readership extends more broadly upward in age and down as well.” [From Podcast Coode Street Episode 20, second comment]
— Definition by Garth Nix. Love it!
Cassandra, I love it, and I love you!

3. SECRET WORLDS!! What all my favorite books are about. Read about the connection between Narnia, Hogwarts, and more! Quote: "It’s no wonder that these stories don’t just draw teens in droves, they draw adults, too." Brilliance written, of course, by Cassandra Clare.


4. Wonder what goes on behind the publishing curtain? Another favorite author of mine, Veronica Roth, reveals all!

5. Still wondering why George is curious or what the Brown Bear actually sees? Check out this funny article debunking famous children's books! 

FFFT 11/11/11

I have oodles of things to share with you on this Friday!

Put all of these on the TO-READ list: Publisher's Weekly and Amazon have both released their top YA books for 2011 lists.

Ever wonder how a book cover is created? See a sample of the process through Blood by K. J. Wignall. (This book will be reviewed on the blog soon. I mean, just look at the picture below!).

We all do it. We think, do teens actually act this way? Here about the "believability factor" from a YA author. 

Remember my obsession with Divergent (still the best book I've read all year)? If you loved it as I did, you might be interested to hear how Veronica Roth was inspired to write it.

And while I'm aware that it's no longer October, I found these pumpkin carving ideas and just had to share!

CONTESTS! I love them, you love them. Here's one to win free YA ARC's from The Young Adult Literature Review.

Okay finally, this is hilarious: Is YA Lit RUINING Our Children?? Mad-lib style.

Divergent (Veronica Roth)

(Disclaimer: no big spoilers in this review)

Quick back-story: A couple months ago, I was returning from the wedding of a college friend. The Megabus was busy, so I sat down next to a girl who seemed friendly. We began chatting as she was returning from the wedding of a college friend as well. At the time, I was reading a manuscript for the Denver Publishing Institute, so we started talking about publishing. One of her friends she saw at the wedding had just been published, and the book was titled Divergent. It sounded really interesting, so I put it in the back of my mind to read later.

The book kept cropping up until I finally got a chance to borrow it. SO GOOD! I admitted in my first post that I rarely buy books, but I needed my own copy of this one.

Divergent is set in a futuristic, dystopian Chicago that is divided into five different factions. At age 16, teenagers must choose the one faction with which they’ll spend the rest of their lives. Beatrice (Tris) Prior can’t decide which faction she belongs in, the one she grew up in or the one she feels drawn to. At first, this choice seemed a little superficial to me. Doesn’t she have to choose the one that will start the story? But Roth still managed to surprise me, and it wasn’t the last time.

I think part of the reason dystopias are so popular right now is because in them, kids get to DO stuff. It’s the same as in fantasies. Kids get a chance to prove themselves. What I love about these books (which I first discovered with the brilliant A Wrinkle In Time) is that the main character is always the person who is different. But the things that make them different are what make them stronger. And while the situation is fantastical, what they learn is relevant. In Divergent, Tris learns to face her fears and become a tougher person. Dystopias and fantasies aren’t superficial about life either. Choices the characters make have direct consequences. Bad stuff happens, and characters deal with it. Tris learns that being “divergent” instead of perfectly fitting into a faction is what makes her special. What a great message for young adults, and everyone actually…

Another thing that made this book so great was the boy. I’m a total sucker for a good romance, and Roth was brilliant in the growing relationship between Tris and Four. Tris is just the right amount of clueless, while Four (thank goodness!!) isn’t just another protective hero. In fact, he’s so great because he knows Tris well enough to know that she doesn’t need protecting. This doesn’t stop him from showing up in all the right moments though. While I thoroughly enjoyed the romance, I had to wonder if it’s something that would turn male readers off. Let me know if you’re a guy who enjoyed this book.

Now I’m really excited for the sequel (yay trilogies- I’m not done with Four yet) and the movie! In case you couldn’t tell by my enthusiasm, this is probably the most enjoyable book I’ve read all year.

Tell me your thoughts on Divergent, your love for Four, and the appeal of dystopias.