We do know something about dystopian government. But what if the government who controls you is all selfless and works for the good of everyone involved..?? This is what happens in Veronica Roth’s ‘Divergent’. Where you know exactly what to expect from people, where every emotion, every norm, every action is defined, or is it?
Beatrice Prior of Abnegation never feels like she belongs. And her aptitude test before the choosing day proves this. But is she brave enough to leave behind everything she has known, because even thinking so means going against everything she has been taught. The city has been divided in five factions, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, Candor and Erudite. These factions are exactly as their names suggest. Where the abnegation are selfless and form the government, the Dauntless are fearless, and provide protection, the Amity are happy go lucky, the Candor believe in truth, and the Erudite who provide technology for these factions. There are also the factionless, who do not belong anywhere, and then there are the Divergent, and being Divergent is dangerous. And though everything is defined, something is not right. Something is changing.
It’s hard to believe that a society can be divided so rigidly. But it’s also interesting to see how it will function if so divided. The characters are likeable, if somewhat extreme sometimes. (But I am sure you won’t mind that by the end of the series.) The book is fast paced, and thankfully you don’t have to go through the dissection of every emotion faced by every character. Though the starting of the initiation might come across as violent, later it makes sense. The concept is quite different from the ones we have come across. The book is a quick and interesting read. And other than a few deaths, which I find unnecessary, I would suggest this book for your to read list.
If you like this book, check out its sequels ‘Insurgent’ and ‘Allegiant’.
The Fault in our Stars
Post the release of its film, people have been talking a lot about John Green’s ‘The fault in our Stars’. To be fair, it has been famous since the book was released and there is no stopping it’s fans raving about the book. And one such fan put it in my hands.
Being forced to attend the support group, feels like torture to Hazel Grace Lancaster until the day she meets Augustus Waters who has come to support their mutual friend Isaac. Inviting Hazel for a movie, Augustus and Hazel become instant friends, and something more. Hazel and Augustus exchange their favourite books. And soon even Augustus agrees that Hazels favourite book ‘An Imperial Affliction’ is the best that they have come across. And though they have a lot of questions about the book, they cannot be answered as the author Peter Van Houten has become a recluse after the publishing and no one knows where he is. After this conversation, Augustus miraculously finds the author through his secretary, and using his cancer wish, arranges a trip for him and Hazel to meet the author. What follows is a beautiful date, disastrous meeting and life changing revelations.
Though people swear that some of the parts were funny, I couldn’t find them. A lot of life philosophies are spouted in the book by the protégés, but even though they are dying, they are still teenagers and it feels odd imagining them say such things. ‘The marks humans leave are too often scars.’ Okay…who says that…and what’s with Augustus’s way of living life in a metaphor…?? Some of the obsessions are insanely weird, like the swings and breakfast. As for their cute love story, feels like just another ‘beautiful, tragic love affair’. I won’t stop you from reading this book, but if it doesn’t live up to your expectations then don’t say that you weren’t warned.
School Spirits
A spin off to the much loved Hex Hall series, Rachel Hawkins gives us School Spirits. Finley has disappeared and Isolde and Aislinn seem to be the only Brannicks left, when after 6 months of following clues and suspects lead to nothing, Aislinn decides, to return back to their ways. Ideal is a small town in Missisippi, with a haunting of its own, which is Izzy’s next task.
Adjusting to a normal life (for us that is) is hard for Izzy. It’s a constant turmoil of how to fit in with the school and keep a low profile. For someone like Izzy who has never been to school and never had friends other than her older sister (who is missing) it is hard. What she finds surprising is how quickly she makes friends and even develops a crush. Torin(guy in the mirror) and Izzy try to guess the power behind the ghost, taking help from the PMS(Paranormal Management Society). But it turns out that this haunting is not as easy as it seemed.
This book is totally different from what I expected it to be. Izzy is lovable, but I missed Sophie’s Sarcasm. Though Rachel Hawkins tries to make it funny, it is nothing like Hex hall. The characters I feel are not as well developed, and Torin is the only one who makes you want to read the sequels. And since the book does not deal with other prodigium, basically is about a ghost haunting it feels like a sublime version of R.L Stine books, except with a happier ending.
just say books 