Short & Sweet: Free Four by Veronica Roth

And to the point! Sometimes it is nice to read a short story or a novella, but it is not always fair to compare them to longer stories with more time for plot and character development.
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Genre:  Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopian
Free Online: Facebook 

Author Info: Website | Goodreads
Rating: 3 stars
Novella available for free at link above.  

In A Nutshell:  
I am glad I read this after reading Insurgent because I would not have wanted to have the surprising fact I learned in Insurgent ruined for me.  But I am also very glad that I read this novella because I think it gave me much more insight into Tobias.  The only downside is that it made me crave more written from his perspective!

Review:  
I just learned about this novella--which meant that I read it after reading Insurgent, and I am not sure that I would have wanted to read this first.  There is an important aspect of Tobias revealed in this novella that is also revealed in Insurgent.  And I am not sure I would have wanted to know that aspect of his feelings about Dauntless before I found out about them in Insurgent.  I enjoyed learning the truth at the same time Tris did.

However, I did really enjoy getting inside Tobias.  I would love to see more stories told from his perspective because in many ways I think they compliment each other well.  Tris seems much more naive and sheltered than Tobias does, but I think that is because she is younger and been away from her family for less time.  In comparison, I think Tobias knows more about what is going on around him but is not always as perceptive as Tris.  Together--I think they give unique, and in important ways, different perspectives on the events going on around them.  And with the complex world that Veronica Roth has created, two different perspectives give us so much more insight into the truth.

Recommendations:
I need recommendations!  I want to find more novellas to read.  Do you know of any good ones?  Please share (pretty please with sugar and honey).  :)

The Book Addict Reviews: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Genre:  Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopian
Order Online: Amazon.com  
Author Info: Goodreads | Website
Rating: 4 stars   
Borrowed book from a friend. 

Note: There may be spoilers to Divergent in this review.  If you have not read Divergent, please see my review. 

In A Nutshell:  
I do not think I have eagerly anticipated a book this much since the last two Harry Potter books.  I was on a countdown for months waiting for this one to be released.  And all I can say is I was not disappointed--but now I am on another countdown for Book 3 because one again Veronica Roth left me begging for more!

Review:  
Dauntless is divided--those that have aligned themselves with Erudite are wearing blue arm bands and acting as guards.  Those that have not are in hiding, planning, waiting for the ideal time to show their fearlessness and the leadership to make a stand.

Tris is divided--she is hiding the fact that she murdered one of her best friends from everyone (even the person she loves most).  She is struggling with how to honor the sacrifice her parents made with their lives.  She is not sure how to best handle her feelings for Tobias.

Tobias is divided--he does not necessarily want to tell the world who he is but more and more his true name is gaining him access to information.  He is cautious about his feelings for Tris--and the more he feels that she is hiding something important from him the more he feels he needs to pull away.  But he made the decision to stay in Dauntless based in part on his feelings for her--he cannot throw that away lightly.

What I wanted most when I started the book was more information about Tobias.  I loved that Insurgent allowed me more insight into who Tobias was, where he came from, and how all of that affects how he approaches the world.  As much as I loved Four in Divergent, I found Tobias in Insurgent more interesting and more compelling.

At some points, I was frustrated with the lack of trust between Tris and Tobias.  Every time they going got tough or the answers were not readily given, they seemed to be willing to drop each other or at least believe the worst of each other.  For people who claim the level of love and dedication that they do, it seemed they had very little faith in that love, that dedication or each other.  But the more I thought about it, the more I realize that this wish-washiness is more of a sign of their background.  Tobias had very little experience with true love or true dedication.  Tris, as a Divergent raised in Abnegation, came from a family who displayed love in a way that she either did not fully understand or did not fully meet her need for love.  

And that is probably what I love the most about Veronica Roth's writing.  She reveals a lot of the details in subtle ways.  A careful reading of her books is rewarded with more insight and more connection with the characters and the story she has woven. 

And then at the end she drops a bomb--now I cannot wait to read the next book!

Recommendations:
According to Goodreads--Book 3 (still untitled) will not be out until Fall 2013.  I do not know how I can possibly wait that long!  But in the meantime, I just found this short story about Four--and really is there ever enough of him?
Free Four: Tobias Tells the Story

Follow Friday (18)

First I want to thank everyone for their support during this very difficult time for me. Your thoughts, prayers, and well wishes have been very much appreciated and shared with my family. (if you are unsure of what I am talking about please see Taking A Break)

Q: Have you had a character that disappointed you? One that you fell in love with and then "broke up" with later on in either the series or a stand-alone book? Tell us about him or her. 

This is a great question--and one I am really struggling to answer. My first thought is Scarlett from Gone with the Wind, but the more I thought about it the more I realized it was more that I wanted to like her but I never really did. I admired her determination to survive and to do what she had to in order to beat the odds. But the way she stole her sister's beau, the way she treated Rhett (who is one of my literary crushes), and even the way she pawed after a married man--oh it makes me angry and annoyed just to think about it.

So then I thought about Bridget Jones from Bridget Jones's Diary. Initially, I thought she was a funny character, but as the story continued and particularly as it continued into the second book I started to really not like her at all. She comes off as stupid and incompetent on many occasions. Do people really see her as a modern day Elizabeth Bennet? Irk! And throughout Pride and Prejudice, I never doubt what Darcy sees in Elizabeth. But I question many, many times what Darcy sees in Bridget Jones!

But finally I settled on Al from Divergent. In the beginning, I really felt for Al. He made a very tough decision when he changed factions--that takes courage. He openly showed his vulnerability--which I also think takes courage. But as the story progressed and as Tris started to describe some of the changes in Al, I became more and more unsure of him, of his motives for changing factions, of his motives regarding Tris, of his motives in general. So I came to not like him very much at all by the end.

Now I cannot wait to hear what characters disappointed you?

Follow Friday (17) and Hunger Games Movie Countdown Trivia and Giveaway (8)

Q: Have you ever looked at book's cover and thought, This is going to horrible? But, was instead pleasantly surprised? Show us the cover and tell us about the book.

Hmm.  This is a very hard question because I do not usually try to remember the books with covers I do not like.  But here are some that I felt like the cover did not really tell me much about the book:

I had not heard about Ellen Hopkins until I started watching the book blogging community. At the bookstore, it did not draw me in. I kept looking past it. Then I heard other people talk about Ellen Hopkins and I just had to try her for myself. I love her now! And I guess the consistency in her covers have made it easier for me to recognize her books.


Another book where I felt like the cover did not give a lot of clues about the book, but now that I have started I can easily identify that the books are part of the series.

But now that I have answered the question, I feel like I need some of my favorite covers to balance it all out:

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My blogging buddy, Jen, and I have been working on a sequel to our Valentine's day celebration (the Famous YA Couples Trivia Quiz). 

So everyday I will post a trivia question about either a YA dystopian novel in general or the Hunger Games in particular.  Everyone gets one opportunity a day to answer--and it does not matter if you are right or wrong.  Any answer is worth a chance to win a prize!  This contest will continue until March 16.

The prize:
1) The Girl Who Was on Fire
2) The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook
Since these books are available from the Book Depository, I will open this giveaway internationally to any place that BD offers free shipping to.

What does Katniss' mother always say is the first treatment for burns?
A) Herb compound
B) Butter
C) Salt Rub
D) Cold Water

Please fill out this form to submit your answer.

Follow Friday (16) and Hunger Games Movie Countdown Trivia and Giveaway

Q: What book would you love to see made into a movie or television show and do you have actors/actresses in mind to play the main characters?

As we enter March, the month where my most anticipated movie of the year is coming out, I have been thinking a lot about a lot of the books I would love to see as movies:

Anyone who knows me well--yes Jen I am talking to you--know I have a little bit of a literary crush on Valek.  Him on the big screen...all I can say is *sigh.*


Veronica Rossi created a world of such vivid visual details that I would love to actually see it on the screen!


I have been sharing this one with everyone I work with (who is a big reader) and now we all want to see it on the big screen.

And Now To Announce:

My blogging buddy, Jen, and I have been working on a sequel to our Valentine's day celebration (the Famous YA Couples Trivia Quiz). 

So everyday I will post a trivia question about either a YA dystopian novel in general or the Hunger Games in particular.  Everyone gets one opportunity a day to answer--and it does not matter if you are right or wrong.  Any answer is worth a chance to win a prize!  This contest will continue until March 16.

The prize:
1) The Girl Who Was on Fire
2) The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook
Since these books are available from the Book Depository, I will open this giveaway internationally to any place that BD offers free shipping to.

What is the first line of The Hunger Games?
A) "Look what I shot," Gale holds up a loaf of bread with an arrow stuck in it, and I laugh.
B) When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold.
C) One time, when I was in a blind in a tree, waiting motionless for game to wander by, I dozed off and fell ten feet to the ground, landing on my back.
D) When I was younger, I scared my mother to death, the things I would blurt out about District 12, about the people who rule our country, Panem, from the far-off city called the Capitol.

Please fill out this form to submit your answer.

The Book Addict Reviews: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Genre:Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopian
Order Online: Amazon.com
Author Info: Goodreads | Website
Rating: 4 stars
Picked book up in a Paperbacksawp game.

In A Nutshell:
Since the popularity of The Hunger Games Trilogy, I have seen so many dystopian books coming out that I have started getting a little hesitant to jump into another one.  I kept putting off reading Divergent and now I wholeheartedly regret that decision.  Divergent is one of the best books I read in 2011.

Review:
Beatrice Prior has a big decision to make--a decision that will shape the course of her life.  In the society she lives in, at the age of sixteen each person has to choose a faction that best suits their nature.  And it is a choice they must take very seriously because if they do not choose correctly and do not make it through the initiation into their faction they will be factionless--poor, friendless, uncared for, and considered by many to be the worst drain on society. 

Veronica Roth creates an interesting cast of characters in Divergent.  They feel authentic because they are struggling with some of same issues that all teens go through (finding a place to fit, identifying love) but the world Veronica Roth created makes some of those decisions so striking.  Finding a place to fit in may mean leaving their family forever.  Finding a place to fit may mean doing things that they do not believe in to prove their loyalty.

The reader learns and explores the society that Veronica Roth created, but it never feels boring.  The story is full of twists, turns, and expected revelations.  I was on the edge of my seat the whole time--and now I will not wait so long to read the next installment.

Recommendations:
The next installment is available for pre-order here, but they do not have the cover up yet.  If you want to see a picture of the cover you can see it here.