Showing posts with label YA Novels by State. Show all posts
Showing posts with label YA Novels by State. Show all posts

12 November 2013

Book Review: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Allegiant (Divergent, #3)Book: Allegiant
Author: Veronica Roth
File Type: Paperback
Release Date: October 22, 2013
Publisher:  Harper Collins Children's Book's
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

synopsis: 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. 

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.


 "But the fire, the fire. The desire to live. I am not done yet, I am not."

Veronica keeps screwing me over. It isn’t even funny anymore.

I’ll tell you what I feel about Allegiant:

Allegiant isn’t as engaging as Divergent.
Allegiant isn’t as badass as both Insurgent and Divergent.
In fact, In approximately 400 pages, it was when I reached the two-hundredth page that things actually started move. Before that, the pace of the book was grossly tedious and I was struggling to get on track with it.

Some may debate that the start of the book was absolutely fine but here’s the thing, I’ve been busy for a while and I try to read every chance I get now and then but that disrupts my routine. But I have come across books which have compelled me to sit still and read the entire book in one sitting. And obviously, Allegiant didn’t do that for me until the two-hundredth page.
But Allegiant is something.
At the end of the day, it is the very end and THAT end. Oh my God.
That end hasn’t stopped screwing with my mind.
It’s safe to say that at a point of time, I had even thought about that end but I didn’t think that it would happen because it was just a passing thought, BUT I DIDN’T THINK THAT IT WOULD ACTUALLY HAPPEN.

Honestly, I’m shattered.
I don’t even know where to start from and where to end. That end keeps playing in my mind.
That end impacted my emotions in a huge way. THAT end screwed me over and I loved it.
That end made all the fucking difference.

But Allegiant isn’t just about that end. It’s also about several other things. Allegiant consists of Tris’ and Tobias’ PoV and I finally understand why Ms. Roth decided to bombard our minds with not one but two different perspectives. We met Tris in Divergent , when she was still trying to find herself and was still fighting to be brave. The circumstances changed her in a drastic way. She became sharper, stronger and deadlier. Life altering moments transformed her from this insecure flame to a full blown explosion and honestly, if Tris irritated the hell out of you in Insurgent, then you’re in for a surprise. Yes, I’ve forgiven her. And for those who have already read the book, they know exactly what I’m talking about and for those, who have yet to read the book, you’ll see.
As for Tobias? When we met Four in Divergent, he was this broody, strong and resolute guy who knew what was what and knew his way around a mess. He was HOT. He was fantastic. Tobias went through some life altering moments himself. As a child, as a sixteen year old and finally as an adult. You have to see, these things had to have affected him too and they did. You meet a broken man in Allegiant and it’s so refreshing to see how nicely this has been incorporated in the book. There will be times, when a person reaches a stage where you have to make decisions which can change your life in a split second. There will be times when the situation you’re in can lead to dangerous and deadly consequences. And these decisions and consequences shape your present as well as your future. These decisions and consequences can break you, but they can also, make you stronger. Appearances can be deceiving and it all comes full come circle in Allegiant.

Ms. Veronica Roth promised me a stunning conclusion. She promised me that the Allegiant would be worth waiting for. And trust me ,it is.






16 January 2013

Book review: Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel


Title: Infinite Days
Author:  Rebecca Maizel
File type:  paperback
Release date: August 3rd, 2010
Genre: YA, Vampires, paranormal romance

“Throughout all my histories, I found no one I loved more than you... no one.”
Those were some of Rhode’s last words to me. The last time he would pronounce his love. The last time I would see his face.
It was the first time in 592 years I could take a breath. Lay in the sun. Taste.
Rhode sacrificed himself so I, Lenah Beaudonte, could be human again. So I could stop the blood lust. 
I never expected to fall in love with someone else that wasn’t Rhode.
But Justin was... daring. Exciting. More beautiful than I could dream.
I never expected to be sixteen again... then again, I never expected my past to come back and haunt me...

My Goodreads friend Stacia was right when she said this book was weird. I can’t even explain it how I felt about it. Did I like it or not? I’m really not sure. There were some things that caught my eye but there were some things that made me mad.

Let’s start with bad things, since they are easier to remember. It’s an understatement to say this book was filled with clichés such as new mysterious girl in school, most popular guy as a love interest, his bitchy girlfriend, spunky best friend who is the voice of reason and a bad guy. Main love interest, Justin did nothing for me. He had no personality at all. Why did Lenah fall in love with him so fast? His possibility to score some points with me disappeared the moment he agree with his girlfriend when she called Lenah a whore. Slut shamming? No, thank you. The bad guy wasn’t really a bad guy. He was just a frustrated lovesick vampire with a lot of time on his hands.

Now, there were two things I liked. Those are Rhode and just the feeling I had while reading the flashback scenes.  I really don’t get it why Maizel killed off the most interesting character in the book so early. This actually isn’t a spoiler since he died in the first 20 pages or so. Rhode was Lenah’s lover and maker and pretty much the only interesting vampire or human character in Infinite Days. My fingers were crossed that somehow he would turned out to be alive so I would learn more about him. Also, those flashback scenes were mostly with Rhode or Vicken. Tony (BFF), was an ok dude, I guess. After all, he did help Lenah a lot with her transition from being a vampire to a completely normal girl. Well, a really pale girl which know too much about everything.

Even after I got a lot of bullying and slut shamming I think I’ll try to read the second book when it comes out because I hate leaving things unresolved. 

This book was a part of 2013 Paranormal reading challenge hosted by Megan Likes Books and Auntie Spinelli Reads.