Divergent by Veronica Roth [book]

Divergent by Veronica Roth [book]

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books, 2011
Language: English
Paperback: 576 pages
ISBN-10: 0062024035

Plot Summary:
In a world where everyone is split into categories of people there are five factions that a person can belong to: Candor, Erudite, Amity, Dauntless, and Abnegation. Beatrice has grown up with her family in Abnegation, which is the faction of the selfless. They are not able to think of themselves more than others, they cannot look into mirrors, they all must look and dress alike- they are selfless. During the ceremony that everyone must participate when they come of age, the young adults must go through a series of tests that tells them what faction they will be best suited for. They do not have to choose the faction that they test the highest at, but they may face challenges in being accepted into the faction if they do not have an affinity for it. When Beatrice goes through her tests, she finds that she is able to manipulate them and is marked as Divergent (having an aptitude for many factions), however it is very dangerous to be labelled Divergent and her tester hides her results to protect her. Beatrice ends up choosing Dauntless (the brave, and action leaders of the factions) and her brother shocks everyone by choosing to be a part of Erudite (the intelligence).
 The story follows Beatrice chose to change her name to Tris and become part of the Dauntless, get a tattoo, and be one of the people that actually makes it into the Dauntless faction (they must pass initiation to get into the faction or they are cast away to become faction less). Tris meets a boy leader named Four with whom she starts a relationship and eventually, through many experiences, finds out that he too is Divergent. There are a lot of twists and turns in initiation with the leaders of the Dauntless and the initiates but after Tris is part of Dauntless a war is beginning between the factions and in the end all of Dauntless is given a serum by select members of Dauntless and the Erudite leadership that makes them unknowingly become soldiers sent to kill. Because Tris and Four are Divergent they are not put into a trance and they team up with Tris' family to make the trance simulation stop. In the process Tris' parents are killed and Tris must face her enemies and Four in a brutal attack to save the factions and the people that she loves.

Critical Evaluation:
This book was well written and well crafted. I felt that it was an original story with characters that you felt for and wanted to succeed. The only problem that I had with this book was with keeping the factions separated and remembering all of their intricacies- I think that it might have been better to have more in depth story lines with the different factions, or characters that were more involved with the story from their faction. The faction less characters are also intriguing but I felt that it might be better if there was a map included with the book to show where all of the boundaries and factions lie. The themes of belonging and being who you are I felt were very well done and it made the audience want to understand the characters more, and see them all come together.

Reader's Annotation:
In a world split into five factions, everyone must choose their destiny. But when it is Beatrice's turn to choose, she runs into complications that may change the person that she is forever.

Websites to look Into:
http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com/

The Author:
Roth has said that the third book in the series will be out in Fall of 2013.

Awards:
Publisher's Weekly, Best Book of 2011
Amazon.com, Best Book of 2011
Goodreads, Best Book of 2011, Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction

Similar Books:
"Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
"The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

Booktalking Ideas:
Comparisons to dystopian literature novels
A look into segregation and the idea of warfare

Genre:
Fiction, Action

Interest Age:
13+

Challenge Issues:
Violence
This book contains a large amount of war and death. I would say that it can be a challenge issue because it can be hard to read about the violence and corruption in the novel, but I would combat it with the fact that it is a fantasy novel about defying corruption and attempting to make things right in the world.

Why this Book?
This book is very engaging and popular. I think that it is fun and action packed- it is an entertaining read that looks into societies that are segregated by types of people.

The Hunger Games [video recording]

The Hunger Games [video recording]

MPAA Rating: PG-13
Santa Monica, Calif. : Lions Gate Home Entertainment, [2012]
A Lionsgate presentation ; a Color Force/Lionsgate production ; a Gary Ross film
Credits: directed by Gary Ross ; screenplay by Gary Ross and Suzanne Collins and Billy Ray ; produced by Nina Jacobson, Jon Kilik
Performers: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, Wes Bentley, Toby Jones, Amandla Stenberg
2 videodiscs (142 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in

Plot Summary:
In a dystopian world named Panem, the land is divided in 12 districts; district 1 being the wealthiest and 12 the least wealthy. There was a war before the start of the book that caused the districts to rebel against the capitol and when the districts loss the 13th district was destroyed and for further punishment of the districts, the Hunger Games were created. The Hunger Games are played every year and all of the districts must send 2 children between the ages of 12 and 18 (by lottery) to the games at the capitol to play to their death. In the Reaping, which is where the children are chosen to go, Primrose (a 12 year old) is chosen to play, and in desperation her older sister Katniss volunteers to go for her. Peeta is the other boy in the district chosen and they are sent off to compete.
At the capitol they are made of over, made to show their skills to judges, and are coached about how to play the game. The games and the preliminaries are all rated and televised to all of the districts to watch and cheer on their tributes. In order to gain audience attention Peeta and Katniss are involved in a love story that carries out through the game, but one is always left to wonder if it is real or not. In the games Katniss succeeds beyond any one's hopes; she overcomes obstacles, injuries, and deaths of teammates that she comes close to and ends up in the final 3 with Peeta. There are many twists in the game, and in the end Peeta and Katniss refuse to kill one another and agree to kill themselves when the game is ended and they are both declared the winner.

Critical Evaluation:
The movie was very well done and following the book accurately, but not completely (but what movie can perfectly describe a book?). The main difference in the movie from the book was the fact that they focused more on the game makers in the movie and took out subtleties in the book that were short (who gave the pin to Katniss in the book?). The overarching themes of determination, love, and sacrifice carried in the movie well and they did the scene with Rue's death well- it was emotion and it made the audience empathizes with the terror that they lived in. Some of the acting could have been better, and I felt that big name movie stars were brought in for roles that were not as large in the book as they were in the movie (Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson), but that is up for interpretation from the movie goers and the book lovers.

Reader's Annotation:
In a dystopian future Katniss volunteers in her younger sister's place in a game where 24 people go in and only 1 will come out the victor.

Websites to Look Into:
http://www.thehungergamesmovie.com/index.html
http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/

Awards:
Teen Icon Awards, 2012: Iconic Kiss (Jennifer Lawrence & Josh Hutcherson)
Poptastic Awards, 2012: Best Movie
Kerrang! Awards, 2012: Best Movie

Similar Movies:
(soon to be released) "Catching Fire"
"Twilight"

Booktalking Ideas:
Showing clips from the movie
Comparing the movie to the book

Genre:
Action/ Fantasy

Interest Age:
14+

Challenge Issues:
Violence
The movie features many violent scenes of young adults killing each other. To combat this I would say that the movie deals with this subject in the moral and ethical realm of the main character refusing, for the main part of the movie, to kill anyone. It is meant to shock you in order to show the corruption of the culture in the book, and it is important to remember that it is also a fantasy movie and not based on real life.

Why this Movie?
This movie was a box office hit banking off of the popular young adult novel (and series) "The Hunger Games". I think that it is important to add into a collection because of the immense popularity of the movie and the book.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer [book]

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer [book]

New York : Little, Brown and Co., 2006
498 p. ; 21 cm
ISBN: 9780316015844

Plot Summary:
Bella Swan is a seventeen year old girl in high school that moves from her mother's house in Arizona to her father's house in Forks, Washington. Bella is on the quiet side and makes friends at school with small male interests coming her way, but Bella is drawn to a mysterious boy at school. He doesn't mingle with the other kids, he's pale and at first he seems to hate her. However, in a freak accident at school Bella is almost killed and Edward saves her with superhuman strength. This incident is what leads Bella to ask more questions, and Edward to finally divulge that he is a vampire who is insanely drawn to her... and her blood.
Through Edward you meet the Cullen family and find that they don't drink human blood; they hunt animals in the forests near by. Bella also has a friend in the novel, and his name is Jacob, who later goes through changes of his own. Edward and Bella's love progresses through the novel and one day when the Cullens are out playing a game with Bella 2 other vampires appear smelling Bella. One of the vampires decides he wants to pursue her and begins to stalk her, making her feel that no one is safe around her. The book culminates with Bella going to her mother's because the vampire has said he has her and her almost being killed by him- luckily Edward shows up on time to save her life.

Critical Evaluation:
The book is easy to read, and many have said that the writing was poor but I find the book to be entertaining and a good read. There are underlying themes of sexuality because Bella is a seventeen year old girl, but they are never acted upon. I think that the characters could have been developed more and the main point of the novel that concerns me is the fact that Bella becomes near to dependent upon Edward for her happiness in life; I do not think that that is a good message to send young girls. Overall I like the plot and the flow of the book, and you can definitely see how the language and dialogue would attract a young adult following.

Reader's Annotation:
Bella is a seventeen year old girl that moves away from her old life and into a new one that contains Edward- a boy who is handsome, but with issues that she could have never dreamed of

Websites to look Into:
http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/index.html
http://thetwilightsaga.com/

The Author:
A fun fact about Meyer is that because of the Twilight franchise she has been on the Forbes list of 100 of the most powerful celebrities for two years (2009, 2010).

Awards:
Publisher's Weekly's: Best Children's Books of 2005
School Library Journal's: Best Books of 2005

Similar Books:
"New Moon" by Stephenie Meyer
"Eclipse" by Stephenie Meyer
"Breaking Dawn" by Stephenie Meyer

Booktalking Ideas:
Showing the movie and discussing the likenesses and differences
Comparing the book to other vampire novels

Genre:
Horror/ Fantasy

Interest Age:
13+

Challenge Issues:
Sexuality & Violence
This book deals with Bella wanting Edward and thinking about these physical emotions, but I would combat it with the fact that they do not have sex in the novel, or for that matter until they get married in the series. The violence comes from the fact that there are vampires and many battle scenes that result in people being hurt- but I would combat this with the idea that they are fantasy novels and the vampires main source of food in the novel is animals.

Why this Book?
Twilight is a franchise and has become one of the most popular books of our generation. I felt the need to include it because I would also feel the need to include Harry Potter for that very reason.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare [book]

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare [book]

Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2007

Hardcover, 485 pages

Language: English

ISBN: 1416955070

Plot Summary:
Clary is a fifteen year old girl that witnesses a murder at a club that no one else is able to see, and after her life is changed forever. Suddenly her mother vanishes and she must fight demons and is taken into a world of shadow hunters that defeat demons during their days. She is accompanied by Jace (the original murderer in the scene that she saw), Isabelle & Alec Lightwood (also shadow hunters), and Simon (her best friend that is in love with her) for the majority of the novel. All of them have crushes on each other and most of them go unknown for the most part but in the end it is revealed that Alec has a crush on Jace, Simon is in love with Clary, but also has a slight interest in Isabelle, but Jace and Clary love each other until they find out in the end of the novel that they are brother and sister.
They go to the City of Bones (after Clary fights her first demon) in order to figure out why Clary has a lack of memory and about why she can see the supernatural world. During the visit she has a memory of a man named Magnus Bane, and they go to find him. When they reach him he indeed tells them that he placed the block of her memories but cannot undo it- her memories will come back in time. He reveals that her mother was a shadow hunter and that she did not want the same for her child. An object called the Mortal Cup becomes the basis of the novel because in the wrong hands it can create an army of demons, and it turns out that Clary knows where it is and contains the map to find it in her head. When they locate it there is a battle and they get away only to be tricked by Valentine, Jace and Clary's father that takes the cup and then hides it. It is known at the end of the novel that the Mortal Cup is just one of three of the mortal instruments. Clary then finds and saves her mother and the end is left open to Clary and Jace understanding that they cannot be together.

Critical Evaluation:
The book was entertaining, if not somewhat predictable at times do to the fantasy characters and plot line of Clary being the only person that is able to solve the mystery. I think that the writing is good and the story was very inventive, and I also liked the fact that there were many plot twists- my favorite being the one that made her and Jace siblings (it was so unexpected). The characters were very well formed, but it did ring a little bit repetitive that the heroin in the novel has the attention of all of the males in the novel but doesn't ever address it, even though they are constantly making it known.

Reader's Annotation:
When Clary Fray witnesses a murder, she is irrevocably drawn into a world of shadow hunters, demons, vampires and werewolves in which she holds the map and key to the mystery in the memories trapped in her mind.

Websites to look Into:
http://www.shadowhunters.com/mortalinstruments/
http://www.cassandraclare.com/

The Author:
Cassandra Clare is actually the pen name of Judith Rumelt (born July 27, 1973). A fun fact is that she is friends with another author Holly Black (Valiant) and their books occasionally mention other characters from each other's novels.

Awards:
2010 Georgia Peach Book Awards for Teen Readers
Finalist for the Locus Award for Best First Novel of 2007
An American Library Association Teens Top Ten Award winner, 2008
Winner of The 2010 Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Book Award
Winner of the 2010 Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader’s Choice Award
A Texas TAYSHAS title 2010
Oregon Young Adult Network Book Rave Reading List Title 2008
Similar Books:
"City of Ashes" by Cassandra Clare
"City of Glass" by Cassandra Clare
"City of Fallen Angels" by Cassandra Clare

Booktalking Ideas:
Comparing this series with another popular fantasy series
Watching clips from the movie and comparing the movie and book

Genre:
Action, Fiction, Fantasy

Interest Age:
14+

Challenge Issues:
Violence
The only challenge issue that I foresee with this book is that there is a lot of violence, but I do not see it being anymore than a normal fantasy or action novel.

Why this Book?
I chose this book because of its popularity and because it is a good action and adventure novel that is fast paced and very interesting to read.