Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Pages: 544pgs

The Story

One choice will define you.

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?

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

Love it or hate it . . . I just have to say that I really enjoyed this book. Even when it comes to that ending that everyone can't seem to stop talking about and even when it wasn't my favourite read out of all three books. Still, it was enjoyable for me.

While I won't get into the major plot details of this book (don't want to spoil you see - that is, if you haven't been spoiled already) but what I am going to talk about is a little bit about the book and well . . . mostly about the ending ordeal thing because I must talk about that! But before I get into that, I have to admit that while I wasn't a hardcore fan of this series - at least not in a big, big way like everyone else was as I was more a Hunger Games dystopian kind of girl than a Divergent girl - but like with those many other readers that were onboard with this series from the get-go, I still very much enjoyed this series and come to appreciate - and even love - all of the characters we were introduced to from book's one, two, and three, and how much they have grown within those three books . . . so I totally understand why so many readers were so passionate and invested with this series. I totally understand in that viewpoint.

So in saying that, it's no surprise to me that this book had really took us on a really wild roller-coaster ride. It's no surprise at all really - in fact I expected it to be quite over-the-top - because when you consider and look back on everything the character's have been through and all of the sacrifices that needed to be made by those characters in question . . . it should not be all that surprising to us when the author, Veronica Roth, decided to take her book's final ending to a very extreme level for this final book, even when she will probably know that most of her readers will not necessarily agree with it and will only want that happy ending thing. It's not our fault for wanting that. We're readers after all. We invest so much time in many, many book series so it's our given right to hope for the best for our favourite characters. Readers after all always want our characters to deserve those kinds of HEAs when the characters have went through hell and back to get to the final point of the book. So yeah . . . I understand that. Completely. But what I really don't understand is all the backlash Veronica Roth has been receiving over the past month. Of course I understand where the readers are coming from and all of that, but this whole death-threat thing (trust me some things that have been said were quite ridiculous) is just something I just don't understand at all. We maybe readers but we're not authors. It's Roth's story after all and she can do anything with it. Even when it's a killer.

Honestly with this particular 'ending' of Roth's, you have to admit that it took guts to write an ending like THAT. Lot's of guts actually. And boy I do love author's who take risks like that. It just makes me admire and respect their writing style even more than I did previously. So while ALLEGIANT's ending was heart-breaking, shocking, unsettling and well something that may not have been totally expected by most readers, but it was written in that way and I totally respect it. For sure, it was definitely sad but I did suspect this ending was coming our way (from the sequel you could definitely tell something major was building up to the boiling point for the final book) and for sure I didn't really want my predications to come true because it's just . . . awful, but in the end if the author thought that this was the ONLY way to end her beloved series . . . then again I respect her in many ways for that decision. Inspires me actually in my own writing.

But moving along, while I really liked the ending (well maybe not the epilogue because I kind of wanted to see more emotion from it), I think the only reason why I'm not rating this book five stars is because of Four/Tobias's perspective that we finally get to read in this book. Now I've really come to love our main character's perspective, Tris, because her voice was so interesting and so honest, but for some insane reason and as much as I love Four's character, his perspective kind of ruined my enjoyment of the book. Of course I still enjoyed this book as previously ranted on above, but I felt - at least for most of the time - that Four's perspective was completely unnecessary. And perhaps had made me not like him as much as I did in books one and two. Still, Tris is what made this book extra special and in the end it only showed me just how much she had grown in this series. She's definitely going to be a well-respected heroine by the time you finish this book. So whatever happened to her and to the other characters around her, especially in the end which I don't want to giveaway, but Tris, in the end of it all, had really showed me what it takes to be selfless and brave . . . and I respect the author for how she dealt with Tris's character. It was brave indeed.

Overall, ALLEGIANT may leave you with many emotions indeed and whether you're a fan of the ending or not, I really came to enjoy this book and I'm looking forward to reading whatever else Veronica Roth has up her sleeve next. She's a gutsy author  - that's for sure!

The Rating

4/5 stars

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Release Date: Out now!

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 525pgs

The Story

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 celebrationn 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

Veronica Roth's debut novel Divergent had taken the book industry world by storm and because of such high praises, everyone couldn't wait to get their hands on her next upcoming sequel, INSURGENT, which was one of the most anticipated books of 2012! Not only did this book step it up a notch but it also delivered something of the epic factor and if not more than that!

INSURGENT begins shortly after Divergent had ended at and it instantly grabbed my attention from that point onwards. For the remaining and surviving characters, Tris, Four (Tobias), Marcus, Caleb and Peter, having just narrowingly escaped the horrors of Erudite's attack on the factions, the group start to head towards the faction of Amity where they try and seek refuge from, only there are all sorts of trouble that follows them into the unknown. I won't get into too many details concerning the plot but every bit of this book was well worth the wait and it's emotionally and just as thrilling as the first novel was in this dystopian series! I utterly adored this sequel!

Tris is a great heroine. There's no doubt about it. After everything she's been through, what with the death of her fellow faction peers and not to mention with the death of her parents, she still remains to be one of the strongest heroines I know of, but she doesn't go without her faults which makes her even more human to me and someone that I can relate to one way or another. For the first half of the book, Tris is a very difficult character to begin withm, as she's still fighting off the grief from book one, and despite many other tortures that she will soon experience in this sequel, she still manages to push through those tough boundaries that she has because . . . she's a survivor. In its her nature. It's in the inner core of her character arc. While at times I disagreed with how she dealt with some situations and even how she pulled away from her love interest, Four (Tobias), but she is a character that is constantly changing for the better and I love her for that.

As for our delicious, adorable and total hottie on the block Four - or Tobias as he's now often referred to as, he was someone who'd totally stolen the spotlight for me! More so than Tris ever did. He was a true soldier in this book and a boy with a true heart of gold, and much like Tris's character, he had also matured far more in this installment and had developed into someone I could respect because he used every bit of his street smart that he possessed, leading him to make the best decisions possible. And really, Tobias was the only person using his brains and I didn't find Tris appreciated him for that - not like she should have in the first place. But hey, what's love without their complications, right?

Overall, Veronica Roth's INSURGENT was a non-stop wrecking ball machine with action scenes, romantic one-liners and earth-shattering secrets that were flying out in all sorts of directions! If you loved the first book Divergent then what are you waiting for?!?! Go grab a copy of this sequel pronto if you haven't already done so!

The Rating

5/5 stars

Giveaway - Insurgent by Veronica Roth

To my dear lovely readers . . . guess what? Not only do I have yet another giveaway up for my Aussie blog readers but I have not one but TEN COPIES of Veronica Roth's upcoming sequel to her debut novel Divergent, Insurgent, to giveaway and it's all thanks to the amazing HarperCollins Australia! Yup, for those people jumping up and down right about now as they read this giveaway post . . . I know exactly how you feel and how much you're ALL dying to read this book!

To enter you must follow four simple rules (I used a Four reference on purpose if you didn't already notice):

- You must be an Australian resident (sorry international folks!).

- You must fill in the form below with all of your details.

- You must also answer the question in the form of 'What faction would you choose to be in and why?' which I can't wait to read all of your answers!

- And while you don't have to be a blog follower, but I would love it if you were one.

FILL IN THE FORM HERE

Contest ends May 9th 2012!

Good luck to everyone!

Insurgent Cover Reveal

Veronica Roth made her YA debut earlier this year with Divergent. Now the sequel won't be out until May 2012 and while the wait might be a killer . . . but to keep your excitement under control, let me present to you the cover of INSURGENT!

So what do you think? Personally for me I love that they kept the city down at the bottom of the page and I love the beautiful Amity symbol . . . but I think this sequel's cover isn't as strong as Divergent's fiery flame. Nonetheless I'm loving the vibe of this cover and I'm looking forward to seeing what Tris and Four will be up to next. Also be sure to check out an exclusive interview with Veronica Roth at EW which you can find here.

Divergent ARC Giveaway Winner!

Considering this is my second giveaway, I'm still pretty stoked that people entered! Anyway, a big thank to all those aussies who had entered the giveaway because ALL OF YOU GUYS gave some brilliant answers to my Which fraction would you choose and why? question. If I had magic powers, I would wish to give each and every one of you a copy of Divergent, because it's an amazing dystopian book. As for those who haven't read it, be sure to check it out next month! And as for my international folks, sorry about making it for AUSSIES ONLY, but I wanted the book be shipped to the winner as quickly as possible and I thought it would be fair since some aussies wouldn't have a copy as of yet and since the likes of America get so many goodies! hehe.

But one lucky aussie has scored themselves an ARC copy of DIVERGENT! Since all of you guys gave some pretty awesome answers and while I found it hard to choose the winner, I let random.org to decide for me (it only seems fair). So, the winner is . . .

*drum roll please*

Rachel S

Congrats to the winner! I've sent you a quick email, so just reply back within 24 hours with your address details and I'll send the book to you ASAP! Once again, thank you to everyone who entered!

Win an ARC copy of DIVERGENT!

Okay, with the release day so close and for my faithful fellow blogger readers -both old and the new - in celebration of this debut novel, I have ONE ARC copy of Divergent to giveaway! This is an amazing book and I know a lot of people are excited to read this debut novel by Veronica Roth! Mainly because of the hot Four love interest . . . but nonetheless it's a great novel! You can check out my book review here if you're curious!

Unfortunately . . . this giveaway is for Australians ONLY!

To win, all you have to do is just put your name down at the bottom of this post and your email address so I have a way to contact you, and also answer the following question . . .

Which fraction would you choose and why?

Are you Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Erudite (the intelligent), Amity (the peaceful), or Candor (the honest)?

To give you an idea on how to answer this question, I'll post my opinion on what fraction I would choose:

While the five fractions seem appealing - because each and every human possesses these different qualities - but I would have to choose the Dauntless. To be brave it requires the most heart; you can be brave to be wrong, brave when you're scared, brave when you're trying, and you can even be brave when you're simply being honest. It takes a lot of self-sacrifice and knowledge altogether, and while the Dauntless fraction can be pretty extreme in their tactics . . . but what's wrong in facing your fears? Eventually, you'll have to face everything that brings you down in order to become a stronger and a more independent person.

You get the idea . . . ?

Be sure to follow my blog and I'll follow back (for those who have blogger), be sure to check out Divergent's facebook page here and you can also check out the fraction quiz here too!

This giveaway ends April 30th, 2011!

Divergent by Veronica Roth

ARC REVIEW!

Big thanks to Paper Lantern Lit for giving me this ARC book!

Release Day: May 3rd, 2011

Publisher: Harper Collins/ Katherine Tegen Books

Pages: 496pgs

The Story

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society has been divided into five fractions, 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 fraction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she 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 to determine who her friends really are - and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into her life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's 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 save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

The Review

Honestly, I was very lucky to receive an ARC copy of this book since I was dying to read it! Out of all the dystopian books I've read in the past, I have to say that DIVERGENT is probably one of my top favourites of all-time - 1) because it's a little different to what's out there at the moment, and 2) because there is some gun action, and finally, 3) because there's a hot guy waiting inside this really cool debut book.

The only thing that I was confused about, was that people compared this to the Hunger Games and The Matrix. I can definitely see The Matrix in this book but as for the Hunger Games . . . I couldn't see the similarities. While I still think the Hunger Games is better, but DIVERGENT follows it close behind!

Moving on with the story, I love the world that Veronica Roth has created . . . what with these five different fractions that are dedicated to five different virtues. A very clever idea indeed. And at the center of this world is Beatrice Prior, or as she renames herself . . . Tris. Before the whole story evolves into chaos, at the beginning Beatrice must take her aptitude test which will determine a result, but ultimately she must decide which fraction she should belong in: Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and/or Erudite (the intelligent). But there is also another, one that only a few know about and one that is considered very dangerous to the five fractioned society . . . a Divergent.

Without giving too much away, since this book hasn't been released yet, I will say that whatever fraction Beatrice/Tris chooses is where the entire novel setting will be set out in. And since Beatrice chooses an entirely different fraction from her families fraction - the one she currently lives in along with her parents and brother - she is then pulled into a crazy new world where she must adapt to the vastly of rules that her new fraction has set out for her and her fellow initiates, one that prepares her for a shocking new way of life. I mean that literally.

What I loved most about DIVERGENT is Tris's new fraction. The whole reality of it is crazy and terribly exciting, all that is very confronting and almost dangerous. Just what I like. Each fraction is moulded together with each virtue's traits, and even the clothing's colour are strictly contained to one fraction to the next. Either way, this world that Tris is surrounded with makes her always stand on her toes, and soon enough she quickly learns how to toughen up. But then this leads me to her love interest, FOUR!!!! He definitely ranks at the top five of my favourite fictional boys! He's strong all the way through and the whole relationship between him and Beatrice seemed real and honest, unlike most YA books. They both have a balance with each other, they know exactly when to support each other and when to also let them do what they do best . . . recognizing their own strengths and weaknesses. They were pretty awesome, more so FOUR!!!!

My only complaint of the book is that the MAIN ACTION happens after the 400th page and when people said it was the next "Hunger Games", I was left disappointed with that comment. While the heroine is strong like Katniss and there are moments of violence, but I can't really see the Hunger Games inside this particular story other than a bit of violence. Despite that, Veronica Roth has done an amazing job with her debut book and I'm sure a lot of people will be excited to grab their hands on a copy of DIVERGENT!

I was going to give the book four stars, but considering the fast-paced-and-addictive ending, five stars seemed more than fair! For those who haven't read it, be sure to grab yourself a copy in May and for those who've been lucky enough to read ARC versions of the book, guess you already know about the movie deal with Summit! Can't for that and DIVERGENT's sequel that is due out sometime next year in 2012!

The Rating

5/5 stars