Divergent series by Veronica Roth

I've been rereading a lot of my favorites lately, hence the lack of blogging. I actually finished the first two parts of the Divergent trilogy months ago but there was a wicked-long wait for Allegiant at the library. Now that I've finished, I can't say I'm all that impressed with the series as a whole. It has a few redeeming qualities, but overall I don't think Veronica Roth distinguishes her novels to stand out among the vast collection of other dystopian trilogies out there.

Definitely my favorite book of the three is Divergent, where we are introduced to Beatrice "Tris" Prior and the world in which she lives. Each year, all 16-year-olds take an aptitude test that will tell which faction he or she is best suited for. The brave go to Dauntless, the honest to Candor, the peaceful to Amity, the smart to Erudite, and the selfless to Abnegation. Tris's results are inconclusive, revealing an aptitude for 3 different factions. Unfortunately, it's not safe to be different and Tris must hide who she is if she wants to survive. She joins Dauntless, meets Tobias and other friends who help her realize her strength and desire for justice in the world.

Insurgent is all about revolution; the people rise up against their oppressors and strive to make their city better for everyone.

Allegiant continues after the revolution reveals that nothing has truly changed because the problems run deeper than they realized. Tris and co. learn what's outside their city and continue to fight the good fight for freedom.

My primary problems with the series are mostly in book 3, Allegiant, though Insurgent isn't too fantastic either. I felt the overall story (in book 3) was really weak. Its basically book 2 plot but on a larger scale. The main characters are running around the whole book but not accomplishing anything. Their end-all solution to the "bad guys" in charge who are about to do horrible things is just as unethical and wrong as what the bad guys are doing. If I'm going to root for the underdogs, they better have the moral high ground. It's inconsistent because, in the previous books, Tris and her friends do honor ethics, so it's weird that they all of the sudden abandon right and wrong in the name of the greater good.

I also don't enjoy what Roth does to the main character in the end. I don't want to give any obvious spoilers, but I'm an advocate for happy endings and I can't think of a single character who truly got a happy ending. That's depressing. I also always liked Tris's brother, Caleb. While their relationship is rightfully strained, it annoys me how Tris never takes an opportunity to make amends with him until it's too late. What a waste.

I think the first book is probably the best because it feels new and different with lots of mysteries still to uncover. In book 3 all your questions are suddenly answered in the first several chapters, leaving no more intrigue and a weak story line. I'm disappointed in the series as a whole; it showed so much potential but lost momentum and became a trilogy that I will forget about in no time.

Divergent: 4 out of 5 stars
Insurgent: 3 out of 5 stars
Allegiant: 2 out of 5 stars

Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs

Ah, now this was a fun series! My aunt recommended these so I put them on my list for future reading. Then my parents went to visit her in California and she sent my mom back with the first 3 paperbacks to give me, so they got bumped to the top! Once I started reading I didn't want to stop. Now, don't misinterpret me--these are not amazingly well-written, sophisticated stories. But they are a whole lot of fun and I enjoyed them immensely.

Our heroine is a one Mercy Thompson, a shifter who can change into a coyote. Abandoned as a child by a teenage mother who had no idea what to do with a coyote pup, Mercy was raised by a pack of werewolves in rural Montana. As an adult, Mercy lives in the tri-cities Washington area and works as a mechanic in her own garage. Despite her best efforts, Mercy can't seem to keep herself out of trouble. Throughout the series she has run-ins with vampires, fae, ghosts, demons, Native American monsters, government conspiracies, and even her own werewolves.

With plenty of action and a healthy splash of romance, these books kept me thoroughly entertained. Book 6 got a little sleepy, but the rest were great. Really, the only negative for me was the somewhat promiscuous book covers. Not that I really mind for myself, but it was a little embarrassing to read these at the gym or have people come over to my house and wonder what the heck I'm reading. The covers are a whole lot more suggestive than the actual reading material. Overall, fun books! Thanks Aunt Mary!

4 out of 5 stars

Children of the Promise series by Dean Hughes

I wish I could have found a better picture of these books because I absolutely love the cover art for each one. These are some of my favorite books. I first read them when I was in high school and fell in love with the Thomas family. I have since read them a few times all the way through.

Children of the Promise follows a family, the Thomases, through World War 2. We learn of the experiences of a paratrooper fighting in Europe, a prisoner of war in the Philippines, a nurse in the navy, a German family fleeing their country, and life at home during the war.

One thing I really love about these books is how historically accurate they are. Dean Hughes did a ton of research when writing and I liked knowing that the circumstances surrounding the fictional characters were true. As someone who gets bored extremely quickly when it comes to history, I'm always excited when I find entertaining ways to learn about the past, particularly a war as interesting/disturbing as WW2. There is also a strong Christian influence in these stories which I find uplifting, though I think it's fair to warn someone who might not be expecting religious books. There are some bits that get a little cheesy but overall I find the story to be inspiring, entertaining, and educational. I definitely would recommend these books!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

I've been putting off this review because I don't really know what to say. Back in high school (about 10 years ago) a friend told me this book was amazing and I simply had to read it. Somehow it kept getting put on hold until a little while ago.

Quick summary: Charlie is a freshman in high school and a social outcast, a "wallflower." He prefers to watch from the sidelines rather than participate in life. The book is a series of letters written by Charlie to an anonymous recipient (presumably us, the readers) describing his experiences during a year of high school. We witness Charlie growing up, uncovering pieces of his past, and learning how to be actively involved in his life.

I really liked Charlie. He has a sweet innocence and his perceptions of the world around him are very mature and insightful. I think Chbosky did a great job at telling the story from a 15-ish (can't remember his exact age) year-old's point of view.

Now for the negative.... perhaps this book has been built up too much, but I didn't like it nearly as much as everyone seemed to think I should. It had way too much explicit material for my taste and was somewhat hard for me to relate to because my high school experience was nothing even remotely like Charlie's. While I appreciate the story for it's own merits, it just felt a little too artsy-fartsy for my preferences. I can see why this book has an almost cult-devoted following, but I have never identified with those people.

Anyway, I don't want to offend anyone who does like this book. I enjoyed it. I finished it and was interested to see how it ended. I just am not in love with it like a lot of people are. To each his own.

3 out of 5 stars

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

Another book recommended by my friend Stephanie and it was definitely another success. In fact, this might be the best book I've read in months...

The Forgotten Garden, by Kate Morton, introduces us to a little girl who is left alone on a ship sailing from London to Australia in 1913, sent with nothing but a small suitcase containing a new dress and a book of fairy tales. She is taken home by the dock master and his wife and, unable to learn of any family, is raised as one of their own. On her 21st birthday, "Nell" learns the truth and her sense of identity is shattered. She begins a quest to discover who she is: where did she come from? Why was she abandoned? Who is her family? Nell is lead to the Blackhurst Manor on the Cornish coast and begins to uncover the secrets of the Mountrachet family. Unable to solve the mystery in her lifetime, the search is continued after Nell's death by her granddaughter Cassandra, who is finally able to put all the pieces together.

It has been a long time since I've read a book that is as intelligently crafted as this one. Each chapter contains vital information to the story. To make it even more complex, the chapters are not chronological and are pieced together in the way only a truly gifted storyteller can. The mystery unfolds for the reader gradually by following 3 primary storylines: Nell--abandoned in 1913 and sets off to England in 1975 to find her history; Cassandra--granddaughter who picks up the mystery after Nell dies in 2005; and Eliza Makepeace and Rose Mountrachet--cousins in the late 1890s whose stories hold all the information Nell needs to find out who she is.

I found the characters to be richly detailed and authentic, each with a vibrant personality and voice.
-I loved Cassandra and her personal journey to not only discover her grandmother's past, but to find peace and healing for things that had happened in her past.
-I also loved Eliza; she was an incredibly strong and imaginative individual, the kind of person I would be lucky to be friends with. Though she was also kind of an idiot when it came to those she loved, allowing her affection to blind her to the behavior and feelings of others and getting hurt in the process.
- I like Nell and understand her need to know her past, but I was mad at her when she tossed her adoptive parents and siblings aside when she learned she was abandoned as a child. She became so focused on what she had lost that she was completely blind to all that she had.
-At the beginning of the book I liked Rose well enough but by the end I despised her. She used the people closest to her to get what she wanted. Manipulative and cruel and the worst kind of selfish.
-Though I suppose Rose gets is from her mother, Adeline, who is essentially the reason why there is any mystery story at all. Adeline came from humble beginnings and is obsessed with fitting into society and being a proper lady. This results in an irrational need to cover up anything that might cause the slightest scandal. Her perceived inferiority makes her spiteful and bitter and makes life extremely difficult for those around her, particularly Eliza.
-There aren't as many male characters. Linus, Adeline's husband, is a total creeper and I'm glad there weren't too many details about his incestic obsessions.
-Christian is the only truly respectable central male character and becomes the love interest for Cassandra. Woohoo!

I feel like I could write a pretty thorough essay on the characters and themes of this book. I won't, for all your sakes, but I could. It's that great of a story. I tend to read books that I can breeze through in a few days so I had to remind myself to be patient and allow myself to get truly invested in the characters and the delicious mystery. I absolutely, whole-heartedly recommend The Forgotten Garden! It took a few more chapters than normal to get hooked because of all the year/character jumping, but I got there and I know you'll love this book too.

5 out of 5 stars!

The Giver by Lois Lowry

I'm not sure how I've gone my whole life without reading this book. Most people read it in elementary or middle school, but somehow I missed it.

**spoiler warning--I figure most people have read this book, but if you haven't and don't want to know the ending, you probably shouldn't read this post**

The Giver is a dystopian children's novel about a boy named Jonas. In his society, there are no emotions, good or bad, and it is set far in the future. Everyone is pretty much the same and everything is controlled. There is no color, no snow, no hills, no hot or cold. There is one person in the society who holds all the memories of these kinds of things and he is called the Receiver. Jonas is called to be the new receiver and is slowly given memories from the old receiver, who he calls the giver. They come up with a plan to change their society so one person wouldn't have to hold all the pain and memories for everyone else. Jonas escapes the society to give the people a chance to experience the memories for themselves. The story ends super ambiguously with Jonas weak and cold and climbing a big mountain searching for another civilization.

When I finished the book I was mad at how unclear the ending was. What happened to Jonas? Did he find people? Did their plan work? Or did he die there on the mountain? He was freezing, starving, and in the middle of nowhere. I'm inclined to believe that Jonas died up there, still believing that he was close to a new life.

What do you think the ending meant?

4 out of 5 stars

My Fairy Godmother series by Janette Rallison

 It took me a day per book to read these gems. I'm always up for a good teen-lit fairy tale and these didn't disappoint! Chrysanthemum Everstar, aka Chrissy, is a Fair Godmother, not quite good enough to be a Fairy Godmother, which is why her teacher has assigned her to do some extra credit assignments to boost her grade. In book 1, Chrissy is sent to help 16-year-old Savannah who has just been dumped by her boyfriend for her older sister. Unfortunately she's already bought the perfect dress and now needs someone to take her to the prom, only a few weeks away! Savannah gets three wishes and the first two get her sent to the middle ages to play the part of Cinderella and then Snow White. When she wishes a "prince-type guy" will take her to the prom, she learns that a cute but quiet guy from school has been sent to the middle ages by Chrissy so that he can become a prince. Savannah must go and help Tristan become a prince so they can all get home, hopefully avoiding too much trouble along the way.

Book 2, My Unfair Godmother, is much like the first but still lots of fun. Her first extra credit project wasn't enough, so Chrissy is back to help another mortal with their dreary life. When her parents got divorced when she was a kid, Tansy didn't cope very well. She wouldn't talk to her dad on the phone and stopped reading novels because it used to be something they did together. She did things with the sole purpose of annoying her father. So when she is sent to stay with her dad, stepmom, and stepbrother for the summer, she finds Bo, who she believes is just misunderstood. After an already bad date gone wrong, Tansy finds herself in the police station and in a whole lot of trouble. Chrissy comes to grant three wishes, resulting in Robin Hood and his Merry Men showing up in Tansy's town and holding up local convenience stores. Further wishing lands Tansy and her family, plus gorgeous Hudson the police chief's son, in the middle ages. Tansy is forced to spin straw into gold for the king where she meets the manipulative Rumpelstiltskin. In order to get herself and her family home, Tansy must learn the moral to her story before it's too late.

I loved these books. They were witty, fun, had cute romances, and were so enjoyable to read. I love fairy tales and these were very fulfilling. Not too serious, though book 2 had a few serious moments, and perfect for a light and entertaining read. I highly recommend!

4 out of 5 stars