Review: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Title: Allegiant Author: Veronica Roth Series: Divergent #3 Reading Level: Young Adult Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books | October 22, 2013 Pages: 526 Add it: Goodreads Buy it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Books-A-Million  Synopsis:  The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories. But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love. Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

The Scene

The last book in the Divergent trilogy finally takes place outside the walls of dystopian Chicago. Going into this, I was pretty excited to know what was outside. I was predicting like desolation and waste and survival stuff.

I was really off.

What's outside is the government. Apparently, there's like experiments in certain cities that the government (the United States of America, yeah that government) holds to try to "cure" genetically damaged people. And the Divergent are genetically pure people. I don't know, this plot line felt kinda insignificant especially because of the ending.

The Girl

If I start talking about Tris, it's just gonna be a crapload of spoilers. Or a ton of gifs. That give away said spoilers. All I'll say is I'm NOT happy with what happened.

The Boy(s)

Reading from Four's perspective was quite interesting. I always wondered what went on inside his head. I don't know if I liked the dual perspectives all that much. I kinda just liked reading from Tris' POV but it was still cool.

What went on with Peter really irked me. I had like a love/hate relationship (okay, maybe a amuse/hate relationship) going on with him after the events of Insurgent and while reading this book I was starting to like him a bit more. Until the end. It actually reminded me of his cowardice from the first book especially so it was like a wake up of some sorts. I mean he didn't do anything like really horrible but it disgusted me because he took the easy way out.

The WTF?!

1. The Ending
2. The Ending
3. The Ending
4. Uriah
 5. THE ENDING

The Buzz

If you get over that wretched ending, then you could say that Allegiant was really good. I enjoyed reading it for the most part although at times I was a tiny bit bored. I have to say I liked Divergent and Insurgent better than the last book. I think it might have something to do with that ending...

Rating

Movie Review: Vampire Academy

Vampire Academy
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
Director: Mark Waters
Genre: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Released: February 7, 2014
Duration: 1 hr 44 min
Cast: Zoey Deutch, Lucy Fry, Danila Kozlovsky, Gabriel Byrne, Sarah Hyland
Rated: PG-13

Synopsis:

Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir: half human/vampire, guardians of the Moroi, peaceful, mortal vampires living discretely within our world. Her legacy is to protect the Moroi from bloodthirsty, immortal Vampires, the Strigoi. This is her story.






My Thoughts {bzzzzzzzz}:

Guys. So, I watched Vampire Academy last night. I don't know if the trailers were any indication but IT WAS FUCKING HORRIBLE.

No, really like totally down the toilet bowl needs desperate help deserves a painful slow death needs to DIE cringe-worthy awkwardness really really really fucking awful shit.

I don't usually swear that much but man does this movie warrant that.

But now let's backtrack to BEFORE Vampire Academy the Book was even going to be made into Vampire Academy the Most Horrible Movie on the Planet.

Okay, ready?

Good.

I read VA and then I was like "Wow this is actually pretty good."

Then I read the next 5 books and was like "WOW this is a damn good series. Really Richelle Mead YOU deserve an award."

Fast foward a few years later. Me: 

"Oh, finally VA is being optioned film rights! Took you long enough to make the awesomeness that is Vampire Academy being made onto the big screen."

  

Then, we finally get the casting and blah blah blah.

But then one of the most important part comes:

the trailer

And my reaction was like "ehh...it doesn't look too bad but it doesn't look great either. I'm still excited though!"

Then, the second trailer comes out and I'm like "NOW this is more like it. Give me somethin' more like this."

Now, I'm generally pretty excited for February 7th and can't wait to see the movie. Finally, after a long awaited wait, I get to go the theater.

So, I sit down watching a blank screen (I got there around 45 minutes early don't ask me why), munching on my popcorn and anticipating this movie. I'm thinking, "I hope they really portray the quality of the book onto the big screen well" and "this is so cool, I can't wait to see Rose kick some ass."

Whoa, was I so very, so THOROUGHLY disappointed. 

Don't get me wrong, I had some doubts before I went to see the movie as I do with all YA book to movie adaptations. But did I ever in my wildest dreams think that VA would be THIS horrible as a movie? The answer would be no. I didn't think the movie people would or could screw it up this bad. Honestly, this was one of the worst movies I've ever seen and not to mention THE worst book to movie adaptation I have ever seen.

It's really a shame because the Vampire Academy series is one of my favorites and the movie was nothing like it. Not even close. The line of offenses are so long I can't even count. My tweets after the movie will give you just a few: 

I just watched Vampire Academy. I don't really know what to say. It sucked so badly that I have no words. No pun intended.
— Brianna (@briannabookbuzz) February 9, 2014

Please can I just unsee this horrible horrible film.
— Brianna (@briannabookbuzz) February 9, 2014

That was one of the most horrible movies I've ever seen. No joke. #VAMovie
— Brianna (@briannabookbuzz) February 9, 2014

Ohmygosh I just can't get over it. Richelle Mead's books are NOTHING compared to the movie. They totally RUINED it.
— Brianna (@briannabookbuzz) February 9, 2014

There were so many things wrong with VampireAcademy but 1 thing that was just horrible was the acting. Freakin atrocious that was. #VAMovie
— Brianna (@briannabookbuzz) February 9, 2014

I hate to say it but Twilight was better. Yes. TWILIGHT. and I absolutely HATE Twilight. #VAMovie
— Brianna (@briannabookbuzz) February 9, 2014

Ugh I just.... so bad, so unbelievably bad #VAMovie
— Brianna (@briannabookbuzz) February 9, 2014

The whole thing sucked but a huge thing that irked me was the acting and rushed pacing. It just blurred from one scene to the next and the scenes itself felt very rushed as well. Oh, and the acting. Couldn't you guys just get that one thing right? Is that too much to ask? That was HORRENDOUS.

The bottom line is when you go see a movie you really shouldn't be cringing and rolling your eyes every other second. That's just poor.

The really sad and disappointing thing for me was that the movie didn't do the books justice AT ALL.

@Ldnicolescu yeah it really was. And I  thought it was gonna be so much better. Very disappointing. Didn't do the book justice at all :(
— Brianna (@briannabookbuzz) February 9, 2014

The only best part I can think of was The Fault in Our Stars and Divergent trailers (if that counts). Oh, and the ending.

Have any you guys seen the movie? If you have, tell me what you think. Don't worry I won't bite your head off if you do happen to like it. It just wasn't my cup of tea.

Review: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Insurgent by Veronica Roth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: Divergent #2
Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books May 1, 2012
Pages: 525

Synopsis:

One choice can transform you, or destroy you.


Every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves, and herself, while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love. 

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

My thoughts:

Remember my review of Divergent? You know, the one where I couldn't form a coherent review? Yeah, well I think I might have the same problem with Insurgent. In that case, I'll keep this one brief. So, basically this is all you need to know about Insurgent:

It's a REALLY GOOD book. It's NOT boring. Tris and Four are awesome. (Notice how I say Four and not Tobias.)

Now here are my favorite quotes from Insurgent.

Favorite Quotes:

"Sometimes I feel like I am collecting the lessons each faction has to teach me, and storing them in my mind like a guidebook for moving through the world. There is always something to learn, always something that is important to understand."

--Tris

"By the time the fight dies down, my clothes are more paint-colored than black. I decide to keep the shirt to remind me why I chose Dauntless in the first place: not because they are perfect, but because they are alive. Because they are free."

--Tris

"I look at the mirror. It's not so difficult to pretend that I'm speaking to Jeanine when I speak to my own relfection. My hair is blond like hers; we are both pale and stern-looking. The thought is so disturbing to me that I lose my train of thought for a few seconds, and instead stand with my finger in the air in silence.
I am pale-skinned, pale-haired, and cold. I am curious about the pictures of my brain. I am like Jeanine. And I can either despise it, attack it, eradicate it...or I can use it."

--Tris

"What did you do?" I mumble. He is just a few feet away from me now, but not close enough to hear me. As he passes me he stretches out his hand. He wraps it around my palm and squeezes. Squeezes, then lets go. His eyes are bloodshot; he is pale.
"What did you do?" This time the question tears from my throat like a growl. I throw myself toward him, struggling against Peter's grip, though his hands chafe.
"What did you do?" I scream.
"You die, I die too." Tobias looks over his shoulder at me. "I asked you not to do this. You made your decision. These are the repercussions."

--Tris and Four

"I read somewhere, once, that crying defies scientific explanation. Tears are only meant to lubricate the eyes. There is no real reason for tear glands to overproduce tears at the behest of emotion.
I think we cry to release the animal parts of us without losing our humanity. Because inside me is a beast that snarls, and growls, and strains toward freedom, toward Tobias, and, above all, toward life. And as hard as I try, I cannot kill it.
So I sob into my hands instead."

--Tris

"People, I have discovered, are layers and layers of secrets. You believe you know them, that you understand them, but their motives are always hidden from you, buried in their own hearts. You will never know them, but sometimes you decide to trust them."

--Tris

TTT = Top Ten Character Names I Love

Top Ten Character Names I Love

1. Aisling Grey from  

  You Slay Me by Katie MacAlister

2. Ezekiel Crosse aka Zeke from

 The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

3. Ethan Sullivan from

Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill

4. Beatrice Prior aka Tris from

Divergent by Veronica Roth

5. Hermione Granger from

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

6. Zoey Redbird from

Marked by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

7. Dru Anderson from

Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow

8. Magnus Bane from

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

9. James Carstairs aka Jem from

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

10. Siobhan Grainne MacNamarra Walkingstick aka Joanne Walker from

Urban Shaman by C.E. Murphy

I was really excited for this Top Ten Tuesday because for some reason I really like names. Especially from books. There's just something about a name that flows together, has a uniqueness to it, or is just plain kick ass. Leave me a link to your list!

Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent by Veronica Roth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Series: Divergent #1
Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books May 3, 2011
Pages: 496

Synopsis:

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.


Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

My thoughts:

"I believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another."

Wow. Really good book.

I read a review a little while back that said that writing reviews for books you really love is hard as opposed to writing reviews for books you didn't like because it's easy to write about things you didn't like. This is kinda true because, let me tell you, I can go on long winded rants about all the bad things in a book. But, then I read a certain young adult dystopian book that goes by the name of Divergent, and I sit down to go and review said book and I have no idea what to say other than:

I LOVE this book!!
Divergent is awesome!
Tris is such a strong and kickass main character!!
I LOVE this book!!
Divergent is fast paced, fun, and intriguing!
I LOVE this book!!
Did I mention that I LOVE this book?!?

See what I mean? It seems I can't form a coherent and well written review for books like Divergent.

Yeah, Divergent was that good. So, go read it. I HIGHLY recommend it!


And I can't freakin wait for the movie coming in 2014!!! Yay!!

Favorite Quotes: 

"I believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another."

"What was your first hallucination?" I say, glancing at him.
"It wasn't a 'what' so much as a 'who.'" He shrugs. "It's not important."
"And are you over that fear now?"
"Not yet." We reach the door to the dormitory, and he leans against the wall, sliding his hands into his pockets. "I may never be."
"So they don't go away?"
"Sometimes they do. And sometimes new fears replace them." His thumbs hook around his belt loops. "But becoming fearless isn't the point. That's impossible. It's learning how to control your fear, and how to be free from it, that's the point."

--Tris and Four

"I didn't jump off the roof because I wanted to be like the Dauntless. I jumped off because I already was like them, and I wanted to show myself to them. I wanted to acknowledge a part of myself that Abnegation demanded that I hide."

--Tris

*Spoiler*
"I shake my head. Courageous? Courageous would have been admitting weakness and leaving Dauntless, no matter what shame accompanied it. Pride is what killed Al, and it is the flaw in every Dauntless heart. It is mine."

--Tris

"We believe in bravery. We believe in taking action. We believe in freedom from fear and in acquiring the skills to force the bad out of your world so that the good can prosper and thrive. If you also believe in those things, we welcome you."

--Dauntless