Four

For all you Divergent fans out there, Four is a must read!  It is a collection of novellas about everyone's (mostly) favorite character.  I always loved Four/Tobias in all the books and was excited to get a deeper look into his head and learn more about his past.  If you haven't read the Divergent trilogy yet, this post and the book itself contains spoilers.  So, if you intend to read/finish the trilogy, do so before reading on.

In the first story (The Transfer), we learn about Tobias' aptitude test, his Choosing Ceremony and his transfer to Dauntless.  In the second story (The Initiate), we are right there with Tobias as he meets Eric for the first time, gains his nickname, and wades through the initiation process before becoming a full-fledged member of Dauntless.  The third story (The Son), takes us through the failed recruitment of Four into Dauntless leadership, his discovery of the connection between Erudite and Dauntless leaders, and the discovery that his mother is still alive.  The final story (The Traitor) takes place during Four's second year as an instructor (the year Tris is an initiate).  Some of the events are the same as those in Divergent, only from Four's point of view.  It tells of his growing attraction to Tris, his uncertainty about what to do with the knowledge of the upcoming attack on Abnegation, and his developing realization that he doesn't really belong in Dauntless.

There are also a couple scenes thrown in from Divergent, retold from Four's point of view.  It was very interesting to see Tris through Four's eyes.  We hear from him in Allegiant, but his character is very different in the beginning, as well as his relationship with Tris.  I really enjoyed seeing that initiation process through his eyes.  All four novellas, as well as the bonus scenes, where quite enjoyable.  It has been a long time since I immersed myself in the world Veronica Roth created, and I rather liked going back there.  The books are all good, so if you liked them (even if you only liked the first book), these stories are definitely worth reading.  I just love the character of Four, so getting to know him better was awesome.  Happy reading!

The Giver Quartet

It has been years since I started The Giver Quartet, but I finally finished it the other day.  After Messenger I though it was over, but then Lois Lowry added Son to the end.  It wrapped up the story quite nicely.  Questions that went unanswered in Messenger were flushed out more in Son.  It brought together characters from all three previous volumes.  This is a strange series because each book seems unrelated to the others until it is tied in at some point.  The first book, The Giver, is the best by far.  Jonas is a very interesting character.  Gathering Blue follows Kira and Messenger follows Matty.  All are tales of survival in a dystopian world.  Son pulls them together.  I wish I had reread The Giver before reading it though.  Actually, I wish I had reread all of them.  I didn't remember lots of stuff and probably would have enjoyed it even more if I remembered more.  Son follows Claire, the birth mother of Gabriel (the little boy from The Giver).  I really enjoyed how it tied all the books together.  This series is definitely different and may not appeal to all.  If I'm being totally honest, The Giver is the only one that is a must-read.  The other three aren't as good, but definitely worth reading.  This was my first foray into dystopian fiction.  As you may know, I am a huge fan of that genre.  The Giver was my gateway drug.  Even if that genre doesn't interest you, I think The Giver is a book everyone should read.  If you like it, continue the series.  I think it is a worthy education.  Happy reading!

For Darkness Shows the Stars

For Darkness Shows the Stars will appeal to fans of Jane Austen.  It is a futuristic, dystopian retelling of Persuasion.  As far as everyone knows, the inhabitants on the two large islands they live on are the only survivors left in the world.  It is a couple generations since daring scientists/innovators tried to make themselves and all their followers into gods.  They replaced body parts with better working ones, tapped into the human brain to make it better, etc.  The result was catastrophic.  The Luddites (those who didn't embrace the technology), thought God punished them by Reducing them to little more than simple-minded people who couldn't take care of themselves.  It fell to the Luddites to care for and protect the Reduced.  In reality, the Reduced are now little more than slave labor to most Luddite lords.  A new generation (Children of the Reduced, or CORs) has been born unaffected by Reduction.  These Posts are starting to rebel against life on the estates, striking out to make lives of their own.

The story takes place on the North estate.  Eighteen year old Elliott North is left to make sure the farm and its inhabitants survive.  Her father is power hungry but has no sense of how to run a farm.  Her older sister doesn't want to have to get her hands dirty.  Elliott spends her days working the land and taking care of the Reduceds and Posts on her estate.  Her energy goes to convincing herself she didn't make a mistake four years earlier when she chose to stay on the farm instead of running off with Kai, the Post boy she grew up with and came to love.  One day the famous Cloud Fleet, a group of Post explorers, comes to rent out her grandfather's land in order to build a new ship for renowned captain Malakai Wentforth.  He turns out to be none other than her Kai, only he is very angry and hostile toward her.  The boy she knew is long gone, replaced by a man she almost doesn't recognize.  Can the two learn to be friends again, or did her decision to stay end all hope of any future?

For fans of Persuasion, you will know how the story goes, but it was still rather enjoyable.  I really liked Elliott.  She was a very strong and interesting character.  Between chapters there were letters from Elliott and Kai's youth that they had left for each other.  It was a lot of fun reading them and getting to know the younger versions of them.  It was a clever way of filling in back story while remaining in the present tense.  Baron North was a horrid individual.  I wanted to strangle him.  I hated seeing Elliott impotent under his reign.  There is a sequel I am very interested in reading.  I want to know what becomes of all the characters.  Even if you aren't a fan of dystopian, but are a Jane Austen fan, I think you will enjoy this story.  Happy reading!

The Testing

A friend recommended this series to me.  It wasn't even on my radar before that.  The Testing is a Dystopian adventure quite reminiscent of The Hunger Games.  It is a bit more psychological though.  It takes place in a future society decades after the world fell to war.  Bombing and fighting has left the earth devastated.  Most human life erased, animals dead or mutated, and plant life destroyed.  America is broken into colonies, relatively independent of each other.  The central government holds a yearly Testing that takes the top students from each colony and weeds them down to select the top few for university study.  They are trying to pick the best future leaders to help continue the revitalization efforts.  When Cia is one of four picked from the Five Lakes Colony, she is ecstatic.  No one has been chosen in years from her home town.  After warnings from her father, she soon realizes that perhaps the students were being protected from a less than safe and friendly testing situation.  You see, over a hundred are selected to begin with and only twenty will move on.  No one knows what happens to those not selected for University.  They never return home.  Those who do pass, have their memories wiped in order to keep the Testing secret.  The first round of Testing encases a couple days of intense written examinations.  The second round is hands on problem solving.  The third round is an exercise in teamwork.  The fourth round is all about survival and perseverance--the remaining candidates are dropped, by themselves, in the ruins of Chicago.  It is 700 miles away from the Testing grounds.  They have to find their way back.  Some band together, some choose to eliminate the competition.  Of all those who return alive, twenty are chosen to attend University.  Throughout the four rounds, Cia experiences many things she would rather forget, but at the same time doesn't want to ever forget.  She thinks there is something horribly wrong with the Testing process.  She is very smart and recognizes the importance of surviving so she can try to change things.  The only problem, if she does survive, her memory will be wiped out.  I really enjoyed this book.  Book three in this trilogy just came out.  I plan to read the next two books soon and hope I am not disappointed in how it turns out.  I've mentioned before that I am often disappointed in Dystopian trilogies.  They often start out strong, but can't maintain the world they set up.  I'm hoping this series is not one of the disappointments.  I'll let you know.  For the time being, if you are a fan of the Hunger Games and looking for more like it, then this is definitely a book you will like.  Cia is an awesome character, one I would definitely like to get to know more.  Happy reading!

Under the Never Sky

The Under the Never Sky trilogy is not entirely my kind of series, but I gave it a try based on a recommendation.  I love dystopian books, I just prefer less science fiction heavy ones.  That said, I rather enjoyed this series.  It was probably because the majority of the series takes place outside the domed, technologically advanced cities.  In the beginning, Aria, a "Dweller" from the city of Reverie, is tossed out into the wasteland to die.  There she reluctantly teams up with Perry, an "Outsider."  They need each other, although neither wishes to rely on the enemy.  They soon grow to be friends, and then fall in love.  Shocker, I know.  The main struggle throughout the series is the fight for survival.  The world is being ravaged by Aether storms.  The amount of safe land is diminishing.  Worse yet, the Dweller cities are starting to fall.  Their only salvation, a rumored land known as the Still Blue where Aether never lights up the sky.  It is literally a fight to the death to try to get there first.  Outside tribes are fighting for the coordinates and safe passage.  The Dwellers have the ships, but one Outsider is crucial to survival.  Whoever can control him, controls the fate of all mankind.  These books are filled with interesting characters.  One of the best villains I have encountered in a long time is the big bad Sable, Blood Lord of the Horns.  He is pure evil.  My favorite character is Perry's best friend Roar.  He is funny and entertaining, yet quite complex.  I really enjoyed watching him grow and change as his life is turned upside down.  Aria is a fun character to watch develop as well.  She goes from being a Dweller that is totally dependent on technology, being completely tough and self-sufficient.  I love strong female characters, and she is definitely one.  Cinder and Talon are also characters I love.  They are young boys with entirely too much weight on their shoulders.  You just want to wrap them up in a hug and protect them, which is exactly the instinct Perry has toward them.  The books are told in alternating chapters from Perry and Aria's perspectives.  It works because Aria and Perry are often not even in the same settlement half the time, so we get to have multiple story lines going at once.  Their love story is at the heart of the story, but there is definitely a lot more going on.  You route for them to make it work, even when the very world seems to be against them.  It is a tale of star-crossed lovers fighting until the very end, more than willing to die for each other.  While the romance is obviously at the core, the book is primarily science fiction/dystopian in nature.  If any of those genres interest you, I recommend trying out this series.  Happy reading!

The Selection Series

I first picked up The Selection because I liked the cover.  I thought it was about a beauty pageant or something.  I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.  It is a dystopian series about the competition to become the crown princess.  Whenever a prince comes of age, a lottery to select candidates among the people to compete for the crown is held.  It is sort of like the Bachelor.  The chosen girls are moved into the palace where they are introduced to the royal family.  It is about more than just girls trying to beat out the competition though.  You also have the unrest in the land they live in.  Rebels continuously attack the palace.  Some girls are trying to outlast each other because their families are being sent food and money as long as they are in the running still.

The world is set up in a numbered caste system.  The royals are ones, the homeless are eights.  There is really no opportunity to move up castes either.  Your duties/careers lie within whatever caste you are born into.  Sixes are the servants, fives are the artists/musicians, etc.  The twos and threes and even fours have wealth and prosperity.  The chosen girls represent a variety of castes.  The narrator, America Singer, is a five.  In the beginning, she has no desire to be princess.  She gets talked into entering the lottery on a whim.  When she is chosen to represent her state (or whatever it is), she agrees to go, solely for the purpose of providing for her family and finding a place to lay low and try to get over a broken heart.

The prince, Maxon, immediately finds her hostility and disdain refreshing.  She isn't playing games with him.  The two strike up a friendship.  He agrees to keep her in the competition because he knows how much her family needs it.  Also, he really likes having a friend.  From the beginning it is obvious he prefers her to the other girls, but she isn't in it to be his wife.  Over the course of the books, America repeatedly makes herself stand out with the public.  Her impulsiveness and good heart make the people love her and the king hate her.  He is not a man to cross.  It becomes harder for Maxon to keep her in the competition with his father wanting her sent home.  America and Maxon have their ups and downs, in and out of friendship, hovering around romance.  They have a lot of misunderstandings that cause all sorts of set backs in their progress.

To make matters worse, Aspen, the boy she left behind, follows her to the palace.  He joins the guards, quickly excelling and making a new home for himself, all the while trying to win America back.  Thus begins the obligatory love triangle.  These books are filled with danger and suspense.  Every time you think you have a character figured out, the author surprises you.  There are a lot of twists and turns.  I really enjoyed the characters, getting to know the different girls, trying to figure out who the real Maxon was.  I was constantly falling into the traps the author set.  One minute you love a character, the next you hate him/her, only to go back to loving that character again.  The only character I never wavered on was the king.  I always hated him.  He is awful.  I really enjoyed getting to know America and watching her grow.  She really is a great character.  I'm sad the series is over.  It is time to bid farewell to America, Maxon, and all the other friends I made along this journey.  Happy reading!

Thursday Three: Dytopian YA Favorites

Ever since The Hunger Games hit it big, Dystopian novels have flooded the Young Adult market.  In honor of the movie release of Catching Fire (tomorrow), I'm going to tell you about three of my favorite dystopian young adult novels.  So far a lot of series have started really strong, and not been able to live up to it, in my opinion.  There are a lot of dystopian trilogies that fell short for me.  I'm hoping these three don't do that too. 
1.  Shatter Me
I'm going to start out by saying you will either love this book or hate it.  I have friends on both sides of the spectrum.  Like all books, this series isn't for everyone.  When I first read it, I loved it.  The main character, Juliette, is very Rogue-like (X-Men).  She causes torment and eventually death to anyone who dares to touch her.  The Reestablishment wants to use her as a weapon.  All she wants is freedom and to be normal.  This is a very character driven first book.  Most of the book is a glimpse inside Juliette's tortured head as she stays locked up in an asylum.  When Adam is assigned as her new roommate, she soon discovers that perhaps he is the one person who can save her from herself.  We only catch brief glimpses of the dystopian society this takes place in, but the rest of the series focuses a lot more on it.  The villain, Warner, is one of my favorite book villains of all time.  I absolutely love him.  He is what made this book really interesting to me.  The possibilities for this series have me excited.  There is a novella told from Warner's POV and book 2 is also available.  The trilogy will conclude in February. 
2.  The Darkest Minds
This book also has a main character who is terrified of her powers.  In this dystopian society, all kids either die at age 10 or develop powers.  The survivors are locked up in what their parents are told are "rehabilitation camps."  In reality they resemble the death camps of Nazi Germany.  Powers are color coded.  All the kids with Red and Orange disappear (most are killed).  Ruby is an Orange, but is able to disguise herself as a Green.  At age 16, Ruby escapes and finds herself on the run.  She is highly sought after by the government, who want to use her and her powers (she can erase memories and more) for their own good.  She teams up with other kids on the run, all seeking out the mythical East River--a camp for kids like her, run by kids like her.  Only, when they find it, the camp is not at all what they had in mind.  Most of the book is spent on the run.  Ruby, Zu, Liam and Chubs are just trying to survive.  Unlikely friendships are forged and alliances made.  Boy what a cliffhanger.  I really have high hopes for this series.  Book 2 just came out and I can't wait to see what happens next.
 3.  Legend
 This book kept popping up on "best" lists and I finally gave it a try.  I was not disappointed.  From alternating points of view, the story follow two 15-year-olds that couldn't be more different.  June is a privileged child prodigy, on course to be a top government/law enforcement agent.  Day is the countries most wanted and notorious criminal/hero to the oppressed people.  When June's brother is murdered, Day is the prime suspect.  June will stop at nothing to take Day down.  When the two actually meet though, they discover they may not be as different as they thought, and perhaps everything they have always thought about their government/society is not as it seems.  This first book focuses more on Day and his background.  Book two focuses more on June's character.  Book three just came out and I'm excited to find out how the trilogy wraps up.  The characters are fantastic and the story is both suspenseful and engaging.  None of the characters have powers in this series, so survival depends on brains and guts alone.