Divergent (Divergent Trilogy, Book One): Veronica Roth

"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.

"During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

"Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the YA scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance."

*Thank you Amazon.com for the book info - I didn't have any because I happened to listen to this one on an audiobook app.

This book marked my first foray into the world of audiobooks.  (I'm not sure that statement is entirely true...part of me seems to recall listening to Winnie the Pooh audiobooks -- on cassette tape, mind you -- as I went to sleep as a child...but I digress.)  We were teaching this book in the Children's Lit course I'm co-teaching this semester and I had to read this book...and fast...  I wasn't quite sure when I would find the time to read it with all of my other work, but then I had an epiphany:  I spent at least an hour each day, Monday through Friday, on my commutes to and from work.  Why not spend the time listening to books?  I listened to music anyway and I was getting tired of some of the morning talk shows on the radio, so I thought a change might not be so bad.  Luckily for me, there was a Living Social deal (kind of like Groupon, for those of you who are unfamiliar) for two months free subscription to Audible (which I HIGHLY recommend - very user-friendly and worked great when I wanted to listen from my phone through the Bluetooth in my car!).  I jumped on that deal and immediately snagged a copy of Divergent.

I feel like it's only right to talk about my impressions of the format of the book first.  I was unsure about how I would like listening to a book.  I usually go off into my own little world when I read, so distracted driving was a very real possibility -- and something that would have made me stop listening to an audiobook (no distracted driving please!).  I quickly discovered that it was something I really enjoyed!  It made my drives so much more pleasant.  I actually couldn't wait to get in my car and battle traffic!  I will admit that my comprehension and retention of the material were noticeably lessened.  I found myself having to rewind 30-60 seconds every time I started listening to the book again to remind myself where I was in the story.  I'm a visual person and have an extremely good memory for things like where the words were on a page.  I've never really been an auditory learner, so this took some getting used to.  It did not really lessen my enjoyment of the story, but I do think the narration helped a lot.  Emma Galvin was the narrator of the audiobook and (though I don't really have too much experience in this area) I think she did a fairly outstanding job of it.  At first, I was a little uneasy with a single narrator doing all of the character's voices, but I caught on and soon grew to appreciate how easily she maintained her continuity of tone and inflection for each individual character.  Considering how many there were, this could not have been an easy task!  Kudos to her.

As for the story, I wasn't quite sure what to think when I first heard we would be teaching it.  I was such a fan of Hunger Games that it almost fell disloyal to pick up another dystopian teen fiction (silly, I know).  I knew there was a lot of hype going on about the movie, but I'd never even made an attempt to see it. Being from the Chicago area, I think that was what eventually drew me into this book.  I know all of the places Roth describes and it was really disturbing in a thrilling sort of way to "see" the city in such ruin.

(The idea of factions was really interesting from sociological and psychological standpoints, but I won't get too much into that here for fear of putting you to sleep!)

I liked Tris as a character.  She was strong, but not without some weaknesses; she was selfless, yet selfish; and she had just enough "girl" in her to make her relatable to her readers.  Tris walked a fine line between "character" and "realistic," but I think Roth manage to pull it off nicely.  I think she was extremely relatable for female teen readers.  Had Tris had no conscience, then she would have been flat; had she been too strong, then she would have been intimidating to the readers; and had she not had a love interest, then I think the story would have lost an important facet in appealing to a certain teenage demographic.  Who doesn't love a little bit of romance?  I enjoyed the way Roth presented it -- it wasn't too over-the-top or a love-at-first-sight, which I really appreciated.  (Those of you who have read other installments here realize I don't have an issue with these kinds of things in books.  I just don't think they would have fit well with the character of Tris that Roth created.) 

I enjoyed Four as a strong male presence in the book.  He was strong without being uber-masculine.  His character shows readers how men can be both "men" and have depth of emotion and empathy as well.  Even though the story was told from the first-person point of view of Tris, I didn't feel like Four was lost or "less important."  His back story was about as rich as that of Tris, so he was an extremely well-developed character.

(I will say that it bugged me more than a little about how many times characters remarked on the age difference between Four and Tris -- as if two years equated two decades!  This seemed a bit juvenile.)

The book dealt with some pretty powerful issues in ways that teens can comprehend them.  ***Possible spoilers to follow!***  Four's mistreatment at the hands of his father unashamedly confronts child and spousal abuse.  The factions deal with identity, loyalty, cliques, and conformity issues so many teens are confronted with each day.  It openly deals with sex and violence, anxiety and death.  As most dystopian books do, Divergent makes teen readers wonder what will become of their world if solutions aren't found.  I think this book allows for an opportunity for them to see the bigger picture.  Their mental development doesn't always allow them to see outside of their own "bubble," and it's easy to see how a book like this might trigger broader thinking.  Roth is unafraid to hit on a great deal of powerful and emotional situations. ***End of spoilers***

In general, I very much enjoyed the story.  I think the writing style was very enjoyable and the pacing was just right.  It sucked me in and lingered in all the right places.  Keeping in mind that the book is teen literature, I think it was well done.  I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would.  The characters were fun, and the plot was interesting and exciting.  I'm definitely going to have to rent the movie now!

The House on Mango Street: Sandra Cisneros

"Acclaimed by critics, beloved by readers of all ages, taught everywhere from grade school to universities across the country, and translated all over the world, The House on Mango Street is the remarkable story of Esperanza Cordero.  Told in a series of vignettes--sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes deeply joyous--it is the story of a young Latina girl growing up in Chicago, inventing for herself who and what she will become.  Few other books in our time have touched so many readers."

Yet again, this is a book that was assigned for my Multicultural American Novel course I am enrolled in at my university.  This book was an extremely quick read for me, due in part because I am such a quick reader, but probably also because it was easy.  I don't mean "easy" in the sense that it was simply written in the "poorly done" sense, but that its structure was pleasingly simple to read.  As stated in the synopses above, it is told in a series of vignettes.  While I went into reading the book knowing this, I do not think I would have appreciated it nearly as much had I not read the introduction.  If memory serves me, the author stated that she intended for the book to be accessible to someone who does not have a lot of time to read.  The book was structured so it could be picked up sporadically and at any point, and the reader would still be able to understand and enjoy it.  I tested out this theory and opened the book to a random page before I began my initial reading of the work.  It was a little one-page passage and I was surprised that I understood--and even enjoyed it a little bit--without having any backstory or context.  As an avid reader and writer, this structure was an entirely new concept to me.  I believe that it is what made this book interesting.  To be honest, I think it's what made me finish it so easily.  Here I go again sounding like I don't really enjoy multicultural literature, but I feel like I've heard this "struggling Latina girl" story so many times before.  The fact that this one was told in a new fashion made it fresh.  There wasn't really a cohesive story being told, so I don't feel right in commenting on "plot" and whatnot.  I do believe that the snippets (that seems like an excellent descriptor here) were relatable and--while they seemed to sometimes chronicle the most mundane of things--they managed to maintain my attention because they didn't linger on themselves for too long.  The fact that they were most often not longer than a page meant that a new story would begin shortly; and, if I didn't like the one that was currently being told, then something else would start in a few lines.  Esperanza appears to be the story's narrator but, because of the unorthodox way this story was told, it makes it difficult to really know a lot about the other characters and get a "feel" for them.  I had a bit of a difficult time even determining who Esperanza was, other than the Latina girl who wanted to be free of the bad neighborhood.  Overall, this was not a bad read.  To those that are apprehensive, I want to remind you that this book is a quick read.  If you don't like it, it doesn't take up too much of your time.  I didn't think it was a bad read, but I don't think it was "excellent."  I know there are many out there who would disagree with me, but I DID give this book a chance and I believe I am giving Cisneros her dues for the unique and interesting writing style.

The Time Traveler's Wife: Audrey Niffenegger

"A most untraditional love story, this is the celebrated tale of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who involuntarily travels through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Henry and Clare's passionate affair endures across a sea of time and captures them in an impossibly romantic trap that tests the strength of fate and basks in the bonds of love."

I actually finished this book a few weeks ago...I know...I know...I'm really slacking in my reviews. But, anyway, I LOVED this book! Initially, I only read this book because I saw a commercial for the movie that was based off of it. I wanted to see the movie, but had several weeks to wait for it. I ordered the book and began reading it immediately.

I was very quickly sucked into Niffenegger's unique writing style and her amazing characters. Henry was so easy to love--despite his many faults--and Clare was an easy heroine to feel for. (However, in the movie adaptation, she is made out to be a real bitch, but she's really not that bad. That's another story...)

I laughed. I cried. I fell in love with the personalities. I cursed fate right along with Clare and Henry. This book is right up there with some of my favorites.

Love at First Bite (Contains Dark-Hunter Series, Book Eighteen): Sherrilyn Kenyon, L.A. Banks, Susan Squires, Ronda Thompson

“PRIMAL KISSES. EROTIC SECRETS. ETERNAL PASSION.

“Sink your teeth into these sexy supernatural stories from some of today’s hottest authors.

““Until Death Do Us Part” by Sherrilyn Kenyon

“Over five hundred years ago, Esperetta’s soul was bound to her husband’s by dark magic, and when Velkan became a Dark-Hunter, to her horror, she became immortal as well. Now, they must come together to fight an old enemy…and the passion that threatens to consume them once more.”

Need I say how much I love Kenyon’s works? She’s the reason I bought this book!!! Anyhow, this was a fantastic short story! I loved the characters and the plot was unique—even for her Dark-Hunter Series. I was very impressed! I thought the story behind this tale was brilliant and so well-thought-out. Her characters were very likable (as always) and they easily become very dear to the readers. So far, this is one of my absolute favorite short stories by Sherrilyn Kenyon!

““Ride the Night Wind” by L.A. Banks

“Dark dreams haunt Jose Ciponte, dreams of a woman so beautiful he aches for her—and a deadly enemy who stalks them in the night. And now those dreams have become a reality…”

Well…another work by L.A. Banks…I still feel bad about reviewing her works whenever I read them… I don’t think it’s very fair because—as I have stated before—the writing is just not for me… I will admit that this is the best work that I’ve read by this author, but that’s where I will stop.

““The Gift” by Susan Squires

“All major Davis Ware wants to do is propose to the beautiful Emma Fairchild. Instead, he is called back into battle, and a desperate fate. And Emma will venture into hell itself to save him.”

This story was a bit hard to follow at first, but it quickly got me caught up in the fast-moving plot. I liked the characters and the story a good deal. The plot, itself, was unique and fun (Well…as fun as a vampire war can be!) It had new twists and I really liked that a lot. Overall, it was a sweet, fun, and interesting short story.

““The Forgotten One” by Ronda Thompson

“Lady Anne Baldwin longs to break free from her proper bonds. When she meets the mysterious Merrick, whose eyes glow like a wolf’s, she may have found more than she bargained for.”

I’ve read Ronda Thompson before and this short story definitely lived up to my expectations. I really enjoyed her writing the other time I read it and this was just as good. I like her style and her characters are very, very likable. Her plotlines are captivating and (though there was a little bit at the end that I wish she’d explained a little better). I very much look forward to reading more of Thompson in the future.

A Dark-Hunter Christmas (Dark-Hunter Series, Book Eight): Sherrilyn Kenyon

***As I noted in the post just before this one, Sherrilyn Kenyon's site was updated and some of the stories were even completely removed from the reading order. This was one of them. In fact, in the list of a couple of weeks ago, this book was supposed to be in the back of Dance With the Devil, but it wasn't...I had to scour websites to find it and it was a HUGE headache... I'm really sorry, but I can't find the site where I originally found it because my laptop is freaking-out and I have been downgraded to the desktop. I do, however, have an electronic copy of the short story and can post the whole thing if you guys need me to. It wouldn't be too much trouble at all.***

Anyway, this is a short story (not technically a book...and therefore doesn't have a cover for me to post) that I had to find online. It was short and sweet. The readers were introduced to a more "modern" Dark-Hunter. His story was sad and believable for the time-period in which he was created. (Living in the Chicago-area myself, I know a good deal about its history and it was cool to see that come into play.) What was really neat was watching Acheron and Simi in this story. I don't want to give it away, but we get to read about a much softer side to them. The main character, Jamie was probably one of the Dark-Hunters who had to relive the most pain on a day-to-day basis. Since he was created in the first-half of the nineteenth-century, he actually has easily traceable and detectible relatives that he cannot come into contact with. I can't even imagine how difficult that must have been. Overall, the story was short and sweet. It had a very important underlaying lesson that rings true to all of the other Dark-Hunters and I think I might even like to see more of Jamie in the future!