The idea to start this blog was a fantastic one and I am
glad that you guys thought of it! It will be great for us to express
and share our excitement over the books we are reading without having our wives rolling their eyes in the background (okay lets face it, they are still rolling their eyes).
That being said, finding some sort of masculinity while reading a young adult novel with a female lead, is not an easy thing to do, but so far "Divergent" is a very good series! The Author, Veronica Roth, is following what I consider to be George Lucas's formula for a great trilogy.
Book 1 (Divergent) Sets the stage, by introducing you to the characters and the world they live in, which can best be described as a faux utopian society. Like "A New Hope" the story begins slowly, but then BOOM, you are on the Death Star rescuing the princess, and the main characters world is completely turned around. This process continues into Book 2 (Insurgent). Like "Empire..." There is a lot of action, and most importantly revelation about the world the characters live in...
Next time your in the mood for a young adult series, I certainly recommend this one!
Update: Finished "Insurgent" last night... Can't really say much more than that.
The tag line for this story is "One choice can transform you." It leads one to think about this idea of transformation in the context of these particular characters. Teenagers are faced with these choices that can transform them on a daily basis, and with all this college readiness mumbo-jumbo cherry-topping their lives the pressures put on one particular choice is unfairly overwhelming. I haven't read "Divergent" yet but this alone distinguishes it from "The Hunger Games" in that one is about choosing your destiny and the other is about being thrust into it. Either way, luck has a whole lot to do with your future.
ReplyDeleteIn that one transformative choice, it sounds like your future boils down to the odds being ever in your favor.
Agreed, I think I compare it to "The Hunger Games" only because it's a young adult trilogy with a strong female lead. I believe these comparisons will come up as the movies start to come out as well, but maybe it is an unfair comparison.
DeleteThe "choice" the tagline mentions is the interesting part, because you are essentially choosing who you will be for the rest of your life. Imagine choosing what your major will be in college (based on an aptitude test) at the age of 16. Once that choice is made, it can never be changed, the only option you have is to drop-out.
Unfortunately, that's how it's presented to kids these days. Sad, really. That's the power of a novel like "Divergent." Heck, that's the power of all science-fiction - taking a simple, yet profound idea or trend and presenting it in not only an intellectually challenging way but also an entertaining one - thus, momentarily stopping the motor of YOUR world, so to speak.
DeleteSo this is on my list of books to get. Unfortunately, the books that I have been reading are for my masters program and not for fun.
ReplyDelete