Book Club

In the sixth grade, I had to read The Giver for summer reading. Yes, I was the kid who actually did the required summer reading every year and really did read all of the books in their entirety, not just the SparkNotes. What can I say, I absolutely love to read and I will give any book a fair chance. I secretly loved summer reading because I discovered some of my favorite books that way and I actually enjoyed many of the books that were assigned to us. I'll admit, some of them were terrible and painful to get through, but I'm sure that I am a better, more well-rounded reader because of them. Then again, I'm an English major and literature nerd so I enjoy reading all kinds of stuff that normal people hate.

Back to The Giver...the summer before sixth grade, we had to read this book and it quickly became one of my favorite books ever. The whole concept of a dystopian society and the psychological impact that this type of environment has on human beings seriously fascinated me for some reason. I've never really enjoyed Science Fiction, but I was even more enticed by the genre when we had to read Anthem by Ayn Rand two years later. The dystopian theme has really been the only type of Science Fiction that I have ever enjoyed, and both of these books have remained favorites of mine to this day. I think that I am most impressed by this sub-genre because of the author's ability to create an intricately designed fictitious world completely from his/her imagination and then watch how the human characters adapt to or defy this environment. I think that this type of literature speaks volumes as to how culture and society can influence the human condition. Remember, English nerd over here...I just can't help but over-analyze everything I read...even teen fiction.

As you can imagine, I was super excited when The Hunger Games series came out because it reminded me a lot of the other dystopian books that I had previously enjoyed so much. It did not disappoint. Now, another young adult dystopian series has recently taken over our culture and I have decided to jump on the bandwagon.

Today I am sharing...

Here is a synopsis/review of the book from Amazon:

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, 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 initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating 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 unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the YA scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

My thoughts...

I read this entire book in one day. Yes, one day, start to finish. I just couldn't find a good place in the story to stop reading, so I kept going. Jared was shocked that I actually managed to sit all day and read a 487 page book. I don't know why he would be surprised, he's knows I'm a super focused speed reader when I want to be...especially when something is really good. This book was fantastic in one of those addicting, can't-put-it-down sort of ways. It was so good and I am very anxious to read the rest of the series. You can't help but love the main character, Tris. She's your typical independent, rebellious, take-no-shit kind of heroine (think Katniss from Hunger Games) who of course refuses to conform to the standards set forth by the dystopian society. You just have to root for her. One thing I especially liked about Divergent that is different from other traditional dystopian novels is that the characters have a choice about where they belong in the society. Typically, status and roles in these societies are assigned and the characters really have very few options when it comes to changing their fate. I like how the characters in this book have to choose where they think they belong and then live with the extreme consequences that come with their eternal choice. I can't imagine that kind of pressure. What if the path you choose does not turn out the way you thought it would? There's no turning back.

I can't wait to go see the movie version of this book, even though I know that the book will be better because it always is. Plus, I've heard that they changed the ending for the movie. Why do they have to do that crap? If the book is that popular, it's for a reason, so don't go changing important details. Duh.