Friday, July 19, 2013

Divergent

General Analysis

Book Title: Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth

Publish Date: February 12, 2012

Genre: Young Adult Dystopia, Science Fiction

Similar Author/Books:  This book is very similar to the Hunger Games series.  The writing style is similar to that of Suzanne Collins (see Writing Style below).  It is a dystopian novel that has factions that are meant to make the world a better place.  Each faction is meant to have a different type of person, each type seeking to reduce the risk of war.  That being said, the plot and writing style is still very original and unique.

Plot:  At the age of sixteen, every teenager must choose which of the five factions they wish to join.  Each faction values one virtue (honesty, selflessness, courage, peace, or intelligence).  Up until this point, each child has been raised in one of these factions.  To leave their faction is seen as betrayal.  Will Beatrice chose to stay with her family in Abnegation, known for their selflessness, or will she leave her faction and join another?

Overall Thoughts: This is one of the best books that I have read in a long time.  It is full of action and has a tinge of romance.  It has a wonderful writing style and an amazing plot.

In Depth Analysis

Characters: The characters are each unique and very complex.  Some characters you love to love and other characters you will love to hate.

Writing Style: I believe that the writing style is one of the best that I have read.  Each word is carefully placed to leave you with a little curiosity, but with enough knowledge as to not be confused to what is happening.  The action in this book keeps you reading long past the time that you decided that you wanted to go to bed.

Likes:  The plot, characters and suspense are carefully planned.  The romance leaves you delighted.

Dislikes:  In one section of the book, there was a reference to sex outside of marriage.

Final Statements

Recommended Reading Age:  Because of the violence and the mention of sex, I believe that this book is best for mature teenagers and adults (14-15+).

Overall Rating:  5/5

Future Reviews and Reads

I am currently reading two really good Christian Nonfiction books, The Language of God by Francis S. Collins and Jesus Freaks by dc Talk.  The Language of God is a wonderful book by a leading Human Genome Project scientist that seeks to show how someone can believe in a benevolent God that wants to be involved in our daily lives and also believe in science.  Jesus Freaks is a compilation of martyrs that have died for Jesus Christ.  So far, both books are getting a 5/5 from me.

I also intend to start another YA book soon.  I may start the second book in the Divergent series.  I can borrow the ebook version from my library for my Kindle.  I really enjoy that you can get not just hard copies of books from libraries but also get Kindle (or other ebook reader) versions also.


Monday, July 15, 2013

Every Day Deserves a Chance

General Analysis


Author: Max Lucado

Publish Date: May 1, 2007

Genre: Christian Nonfiction

Overall Thoughts: This was an amazing book, although most of the messages were very similar to those that are in Come Thirsty. This book shows that every day can be a good day. It also shows how you can have hope and happiness when the situations that you currently are in are not very good.