Tag: review

‘Divergent’ by Veronica Roth – Dystopian Must-Read

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Divergent by Veronica Roth is a gripping Sci-Fi story full of action and suspense, an unforgettable novel for those who read it.

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Dystopian Fiction, Science Fiction

Description:

At the age of 16, all teens must choose which of five factions they belong in. Erudite, Amity, Dauntless, Candor, or Abnegation (intelligent, peaceful, brave, honest, or selfless).

Beatrice Prior is faced with a difficult decision; choose her family’s faction, or embrace who she really is? When she’s made the decision, she believes that it was the right choice.

But this whole time, she’s been hiding a dangerous secret from her family and friends. It could cost her life if anyone found out. Is her city as harmonious as it seems, or is there something darker happening within its walls?

When I first began reading Divergent, I had no idea that I would love it as much as I do. I was first told about it by a friend of mine, who said that she’d heard that it was a great novel.

When I was looking for books to read, her words came back to mind, and I decided to try it out.

I was pleasantly surprised!

Divergent is set in a fictional dystopian world, yet still finds ways for us to relate to the characters. I immediately fell for the protagonist as soon as I began reading, as if I were a friend of theirs. The main characters are overall good role models, and the story has good morals.

Since I still couldn’t get over having finished the Hunger Games trilogy at the time that I began Divergent, and it helped me move on to a different group of novels. You get similar feelings while reading both of the stories, but overall their plots are quite different.

Trying to find your niche, your style, a job – it’s all very stressful, which is why I can relate to Beatrice when she has tough decisions to make. She is forced to make difficult choices, which her entire future relies on.

The book drags you into the story as soon as you begin, and you may even end up reading it in one sitting.

There is a lot of violence, involving people getting shot, and someone getting stabbed in the eye, which could be disturbing to younger readers. Characters fight each other, and are often injured. A girl is groped and insulted at one point by two guys. Someone commits suicide by jumping from a height. There are also mentions of sex, and some suggestive scenes.

I would recommend Divergent for ages 13+, or mature younger readers.

Let me know in the comments; Have you read Divergent before? What did you think?

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‘What Kind of Girl’ – A Moving New Page Turner

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Released February 4th, 2020, What Kind of Girl by Alyssa Sheinmel is a moving and unforgettable read about what it takes to be brave and stand up for yourself.

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Description:

She has finally decided to confess to the principal of her school, North Bay Academy, about how her boyfriend, Mike Parker, had hit her. Now, students are beginning to take sides for who they believe. Mike Parker, the popular, perfect athlete, has always been the star of the school. How could he have done something like this? After his girlfriend appears at school with a bruise of her face, they have to decide for themselves; is she lying, or has Mike been keeping this side of himself secret all this time?

What Kind of Girl follows the lives of eight different people; the Popular Girl, the Girlfriend, the Best Friend, the Bulimic, the Burnout, the Anxious Girl, the Activist, and the Cool Girl. Alongside the characters through their ups and downs, you begin to discover the underlying connection in each of their stories.

It is a grasping read, about characters who are struggling to overcome their problems and differences. Though they aren’t always great role models, the story overall has important and positive messages for teens and adults.

This book deals with a lot of difficult topics including self-harm, abuse, drugs, and eating disorders.

What Kind of Girl has a plot that is easy to understand, and settings that are descriptive but still leave you to imagine the details yourself.

Character development and growth is common throughout this book, as they discover more about who they are. Though I had felt confused as I wondered what significance some of the characters had to the story, the question answered itself for me the more that I read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and was unable to put it down until I’d finished. There are parts of the story that many readers will be able to sympathize with. It’s important to learn about a lot of the issues that people, especially teens, are facing today.

This book has helped me to reflect on how others may not be as perfect as they act. It’s unfortunate that people might go through similar issues as the characters from What Kind of Girl are experiencing, and how getting help or breaking apart from the toxic people in your life can be difficult.

A lot of issues that the characters deal with, as well as how they overcome them, could be shared with teens, as to help them feel safe when revealing complications in their life to those who can help.

This book was reviewed by Elli, from NeedtoRead.

Introduction

Elli4 Comments

Hi! My name is Elli, and I’m the blogger of NeedtoRead. Blogging is a new experience for me, and I’m excited to join this community!

Why did I decide to start a blog?

I’ve always been a fan of writing and reading, and have been wanting to do more in this field. I was researching ways to do this, and then I came across blogging, so here I am! I thought that this might be a fun idea since I get to do something I love – reviewing and writing about books – along with connecting to a community of people who have similar interests to mine.

What is this blog about?

Don’t we all just love finding that perfect book, where the characters, settings, and plots make you keep turning the pages? Sometimes it can be difficult to find another story that captures your interest. Here, I’ll be posting reviews and lists on my favorite (and maybe not so favorite) stories, and hopefully, my posts will help you to find a new book that you love!

Who is this blog for?

This blog is mostly targeted towards a teen and adult audience who enjoy reading and writing. If you would like to contribute, please comment on books that you would like me to review, or what you thought about a book that I reviewed. Subscribe to be notified when the next posts are published.

Thanks for reading!