Review- Divergent

Title: Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads

Source: Purchased

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, 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 that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating 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 a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves...or it might destroy her.  

My thoughts:

I bought this book because everyone was raving about it, pretty much saying that it is one of the best books they've every read.  I brought it home and it literally sat on my shelf for at least a month.  I was so hesitant to pick it up because I didn't really know what it was about, the raving reviews gave it a lot of expectations, it's almost 500 pages long and I didn't really like the cover.  Now I wish I had started reading it the day I bought it because I already want to read it again!

Divergent absolutely blew my mind! I was sucked in by chapter two because it's so believable and realistic that I was thinking that the world could possibly end up like this.  Dystopian novels really get me thinking about what could happen if we're not careful or if the government becomes too powerful.

I loved Tris's confidence and determination to prove herself in Dauntless especially coming from Abnegation, the selfless.  Although she had her moments of weakness where she would cry and miss her family, she continued to be true to herself through all her struggles.  I also loved that Four was there to push her every step of the way.  They seem so perfect for each other because Tris needs someone that is going to do what it takes to bring the best out of her and Four isn't going to hold her hand through the difficult obstacles.  

I thinks the factions are so intricate and unique and so very different from one anther to their dress, haircuts and distinct attitudes toward the world.  I was so wrapped up in the story that the nearly five hundred pages flew by! Divergent is absolutely brilliant and one of the best books I've read this year!

Review- Hereafter

Title: Hereafter

Author: Tara Hudson

Publisher: HarperCollins

Rating: 3/5

Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads

Source: ARC via Netgalley

Can there truly be love after death?

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life-or her actual death-she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their new found happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world....forever.

My thoughts:

I felt there was something missing in this book. It was the typical boy meet girl, girl's a ghost and now they have to figure out how that's going to work. Well, I guess that's not so typical but I felt like that was the whole plot line. I also lacked the emotional connection to the characters that makes the story memorable. It didn't win a place in my heart.

My favorite parts of the story were the fact that she only knew her name and nothing else and her trying to figure out her life and how she died. I'm really a sucker for a good mystery so I was very intrigued when different aspects of her life started to be revealed.

Of course, there was a bad guy, Eli, and he was the spirit who was charged with watching over the river and meadow area where Amelia died. He wasn't all that scary and I expected Amelia to win out in the end now matter what happened. I didn't really worry for her like I have for other characters in stories I've read before. When I read this type of book, I want to be sitting on the edge of my seat, unable to anticipate the next move or the next scene. But I didn't feel that anxiousness in this book.

Even though the story line was really good and very interesting, I just didn't feel the chemistry between the two main characters; I couldn't get a solid sense of their feelings. Although I was left unsatisfied, I was intrigued enough to continue reading the series if it should continue.