Tag Archives: veronica roth

Divergent – Book vs. Movie

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NOTE: SPOILERS AHEAD

Recently, I got the chance to watch the movie Divergent over Thanksgiving break. I was curious to see how this movie was since Divergent is one of my favorite books. I was pleasantly surprised by the film.

A Quick Introduction

Divergent, written by Veronica Roth, is a dystopian novel in future Chicago. To give you some context, Divergent is about a young teenager named Tris who has to decide between five factions. These five factions value different things and organize society. Abnegation – selflessness, Candor – truth, Erudite – intelligence, Dauntless – courage, and Amity – peace. To determine which faction Tris is to be placed in, she takes a test that tells you which factor you belong to. However, the test determines her to be Divergent–meaning she belongs to multiple factions. Unfortunately, this is extremely dangerous; the government cannot control divergence. After contemplating her results, Tris decides to join Dauntless. The story continues to describe her struggles as a Divergent and the corrupt faction Erudite.

My Ratings

Book – 10/10

Movie – 8.5/10

Comparing the Two

After watching the movie, the plot follows the story, but minor details are left out. For example, the film does not show how the evil leader of Erudite almost drowns Tris. While this scene is intense, it is crucial for Tris’ character development. Her character development changes her relationships with family and friends, which makes the story more engaging. The movie did a great job of bringing the book ‘to life’ and had accurate portrayals of the characters. However, as I mentioned earlier, the movie leaves out important plot details essential to making Tris a stronger, more determined character.

In comparison, the book dives into Tris’ more profound thoughts and emotions. In contrast, the movie doesn’t intricately show her graduation process from childhood to adulthood. In the part of the plot when the trainees attempt to murder Tris, the book describes the scene more graphically and shows Tris’s inner thoughts, which lead to her hatred towards other important characters. These parts of the story help to strengthen (and loosen) the bonds between Tris and her friends. I thought that these minor details made the story more interesting. Since the movie did not include these details, the plot was weaker. While Divergent is a great movie, the book is significantly better. Both of the book + movie are worth reading or watching. However, you should read the book first.

Divergent by Veronica Roth is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby

The film Divergent is also available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

A Different Ending To Veronica Roth’s Novel, Allegiant

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*Warning! This post contains spoilers. If you have not read the end of Allegiant, you might not want to read on*

So, I was really disappointed when I read the end of Allegiant. I’m sure a lot of people were. I was almost in tears, and I threw the book across the room. (Never harm a book like that.) I don’t blame Veronica Roth for the ending, because I do think the Divergant series is well written. Instead of hating Roth forever, I decided to write a different ending. I’m not going to change every single chapter. Whatever page numbers I skip, it means that I’m keeping that part of the book the same. With all of what has happened to Tris, I don’t think she deserves to die. (Personally, I wished Peter would have died instead. He’s a total brat.) Anyway, this story isn’t about Peter. This is Tris’s story, with the ending she deserves.

I start on page 455, where Tris is taking the backpack away from Caleb.

Tris pg. 455-458, 467-476

Caleb bent down to whisper in my ear. “Tris, I’m going to have to go, or this will all be for nothing.”

“What, no! I can come a little bit farther with you,” I whispered back.

“Tris. Please don’t make this harder than it is. Distract them.” With that, Caleb turned on his heel and sprinted down the hall.

I can’t be breaking down and crying now. Instead, I point my gun at one of the guards and I pull the trigger. He goes down, clutching his shoulder in pain, but only one goes down to help him. The rest approach me, with their guns taken off safety mode.

I brace myself to fight them fist to fist, but they just push me aside. I get knocked to the ground, and the last guard crushes my left hand.

I’m sorry, Caleb, I think, as I struggle to breathe.

I feel the small bomb go off. When I hit the ground, a searing pain goes up my spine. My eyes are starting to lose focus, but right before they close I can see Matthew and Cara towering over me, their expressions worried.

Tobias 489-492

I rounded the corner, and breathed a sigh of relief. Tris had an arm around Cara, her face wet with tears and blood, and her other hand clutching an ice pack to her side. Her facelit up when she saw me. I ran to her, and hugged her gently so Tris wouldn’t be in pain.

“Is Caleb with you?” Tris asked quietly. “I know that the city has been reset, but he’s got to be alive! I-“

I put a finger to her lips. But before I could speak, she moved my hand away.

“Don’t try to silence me!” He’s my brother, and I should have gone in his place,” Tris said, and then broke down crying.

“Tris?” Cara interrupted. “Caleb… well, he didn’t make it. I was supposed to bring you back, and Matthew was supposed to retrieve Caleb’s body if he didn’t make it.”

This made Tris cry even harder. I shot Cara a dirty look as I led Tris to sit down. I hugged her and let her cry into my shirt. Minutes, hours, or days could have passed, but it didn’t matter to me.

Days pass, as I try to cope with the grief. Sometimes I train, and sometimes I just sit there. Christina won’t hand around with me anymore. She told me, to my face, that she understands that I need a friend right now. Instead, she drifts away, not understanding how I can let my own brother die, almost in front of me. I don’t understand either.

Cara’s been trying to help Peter, which I don’t know why. He’s just going to turn into that brat again, so why bother?

Uriah is getting unplugged today. I walk silently, hand in hand with Tobias. Evelyn, Zeke, and Hana are there, but I don’t notice them. I can only focus on Uriah, my best friend. When the doctor starts flipping switches, I turn around. I don’t want to see another person I love die right before my eyes.

Tris 509

We have to be brave in this world. Sometimes being brave can mean being selfless. Even though one choice can destroy a brother, another choice can avenge him. Between Tobias and I, we’ll avenge Uriah and Caleb’s lives. They will never be forgotten.

Epilogue 2 ½ years later

I had to keep a record of what really happened. The people of Chicago deserve to know, if they didn’t know already.

I’m training George’s police force, while Tobias is being an assistant to a politician.

Tobias and I have a child, a beautiful baby boy. He’s about a year and a half years old, and is trying to chase his father on his short, chubby legs. I laugh as I write this, but also think of the memories. His name is Uriah Prior Eaton. His first name named after the first Uriah, and Prior for my brother. May they rest in peace. His last name is Eaton because Four thinks that his last name doesn’t remind him of Marcus anymore.

I’ve gotten over the fact that Caleb has passed away, but I haven’t forgotten him. Life damages everyone, but we can heal.

-Rebecca V. 8th grade

Book Review: Four by Veronica Roth

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fourI have been following the Divergent series for a long time and I was so excited to finally get a copy of Four.  I’m sure many of you have heard, read, or watched the Divergent series.  It follows the adventure of the heroine, Tris Prior, whose life is intertwined with the mysterious Four.  The fourth book of the series goes through the Divergent experience through Four or Tobias Eaton’s, eyes.  I highly recommend if you have not finished reading the series to do so before reading Four.

In the novel Four by Veronica Roth, we find out what really happened between Marcus Eaton and Tobias Eaton.  We see what caused Tobias to choose Dauntless as his faction and new home.  Veronica shows us Four’s true feelings about Tris Prior. We also find out about the old rivalry between Four and Eric.  The book bounces from major events in Four’s life. We see his childhood, his life as an initiate at Dauntless, and his personal undercover mission to see what the Erudite want with the Dauntless.  Many of these events are already known or assumed by the readers of Divergent but it is awesome to know what actually happens.  But the most interesting part that I didn’t think about and almost forgot about was when Tobias meet his mother again for the first time.  It was interesting to see his reaction to actually having a mom who has just been hiding in the Factionless.

I think this book was a really fun and it was quick read.  I finished it in 5 days.  It is not my favorite Divergent book because it was just revisiting major events and you basicay knew what is happening and what will happen but it was a great novel to get lost in.  To revisit the world Veronica Roth created but in Tobias’ perspective was interesting.  If you liked the Divergent series and haven’t read Four yet you should definitely read it.

-Erika T., 8th grade

Something for Everyone: 5 Top Summer Reads

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Are you bored out of your mind this summer? Feel like spending the day watching movies or playing video games? Instead, give one of these books a try, and you’ll be instantly entertained.

huck1) Huck by Janet Elder

Huck is a true story that is not only for dog lovers but for anyone looking for a heartwarming read this summer. Huck, a toy poodle, is bought for Michael, a young boy, while his mother is going through breast cancer treatment. When Michael and his family go on vacation and leave Huck with family members, Huck runs away. The story line follows Michael and his family through their ups and downs, times of both joy and sorrow, as they search all over New Jersey for their beloved dog. Through the family’s searches, it is revealed how kind people can really be.

divergent_cover2) The Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth

The Divergent series is a great series for bringing on a long car or plane trip, or for just reading at home, as it can keep you easily entertained. Divergent takes place in a dystopia that is divided into four sections/clans as a result of a war, and follows a girl named Beatrice through her teenage years, first as she moves out of the clan in which she grew up; then as she becomes involved in another war that will wipe out two clans. Divergent and the rest of the books in the series can really make time go faster, and is nearly impossible to put down.

hokey_pokey_cover3) Hokey Pokey by Jerry Spinelli

Everything about Hokey Pokey, Jerry Spinelli’s latest book, will remind you of summer. In a land where grownups don’t exist, boys and girls hate each other, there is no school and only playtime, every kid is under twelve, and the hokey pokey man (think snow cone in the shape of a cube) comes every day, live three friends; Jack, the “leader” of the hokey pokey land boys, and his two companions, Dusty and LaJo. Only there are a few small problems. Jack’s beloved bike has been stolen by a girl, and Jack is becoming too old for hokey pokey land. This book will bring out the inner kid in you, and you will be reading it over and over all summer.

captain_bluebear4) The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers

This is a book that is not very well known; however, the Washington Post accurately captured its essence when it deemed the book “Equal parts J.K Rowling and Shel Silverstein.” This book is perfect because it won’t take up a lot of room in a suitcase, but it will take up plenty of time on the plane ride during your summer vacation. The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear is about a blue bear named Bluebear (what else?) who goes on all kinds of adventures during his 13 1/2 lives and has a talking encyclopedia in his head. Bluebear begins his life in a nutshell in the sea with minipirates, and from there goes through all kinds of adventures, such as living on an island with every kind of food growing on it; think pizza plants and chocolate milk streams. The island later turns out to be a carnivorous monster. Bluebear also becomes a professional liar, along with many other things. This book is fun and playful, and is for all ages. Just like the rest of the books on this list, The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear is something to read over and over all summer.

eragon_cover5) The Eragon series by Christopher Paolini

The Eragon series has plenty of books to keep you entertained for a few weeks, and is a great series for fantasy lovers. Even if you have already read the Eragon series, it is great to reread. Eragon is a young boy who discovers a “magical stone” that turns out to be an egg holding Saphira, or dragon. Eragon then continues to learn to become a dragon rider and how to trust Saphira in order to defeat the evil king that rules Eragon’s kingdom. Like The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear, the Eragon series is great for teens age 12 and up.

-Will R., 9th grade

Strong Heroines in Fiction: Katniss and Tris

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I love both of these heroines because they play the perfect part for women. Usually, you see men as the heroes in books, while women are mostly played as the love interests. The Hunger Games and Divergent trilogies have great examples of women who are heroic and brave. They are shown as the person to look up to in their books.

katnissKatniss Everdeen, from Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, is a daring and wild girl in her series. She is the one girl who everyone either sees as an enemy or a hero because she is so powerful and takes charge. She is the inspiration for a revolution even though she came from humble beginnings. Although she is pretty, and many guys like her, that isn’t the reason for her existence in the books. She was written as a strong character who can fight her own battles and isn’t afraid to say or do what she wants.

trisTris Prior, from the Divergent books by Veronica Roth, is also a major rebel who doesn’t play by her society’s rules. She is a great role model for people, not because she is a rebel and rule breaker, but because she is strong and independent. She is the ultimate rule breaker and won’t have someone boss her around. She is also a leader of her own rebellion. She could’ve easily been portrayed as a love interest in the books, but luckily that wasn’t the case. Her strength and wisdom also make her the brave woman that she is.

These two amazing rebels are just some examples of the many great heroines in other books. Some other books with strong female heroes are: Unbreakable (Kennedy), Harry Potter (Hermione), Percy Jackson (Annabeth), and–my mom’s favorite–Pride and Prejudice (Elizabeth). Are you reading a book with a great feminine hero? If you are, I’d love to hear about it in the comments! Finally, I want to thank all of the authors who write about great heroines.

-Sabrina C., 9th grade

The Hunger Games vs. Divergent

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COMPARISON

Most people have read either Divergent or The Hunger Games before, since both were a sensation because of the movies that came out based on them. However, that’s not the only thing that these two book series have in common. In fact, there are many different ideas that could be compared to.

similarities

Number of books: they are both a trilogy, no matter how many short side stories there are.

Genre: They both are set in a future America where there is slightly more advanced technology and something has gone wrong, so all the laws were changed.

Main hero: Both have a girl as their hero and main character. For The Hunger Games, it’s Katniss Everdeen. For Divergent, it’s Tris (Beatrice) Prior.

The government’s thoughts: The main ruling government would later be after the heroine (as in most books).

Inciting incident: These two heroines start the route of their story by doing something that the government doesn’t expect.

Of course, if we are comparing these two books, we should know their differences, too.

differences

The heroine’s views of their society: Katniss doesn’t like the government and wishes that there were different rules, for she is of the poorest district, and has to feed herself, her four year younger sister, and her sort of there mom. Tris, on the other hand, while she does wish to be with a different caste, she is okay with her government’s rulings.

The love story: I felt that Katniss was forced to love the guy. Even though he loved her, it never seemed like she loved him in the same way. However, Tris and the guy she likes definitely loved each other. Whenever, one of them needed emotional help, the other was usually there to give it to them, and whenever they kissed, the detailed descriptions showed that they meant each and every kiss.

Hero’s development: Katniss doesn’t learn much; she keeps her traits throughout her story. Tris, however, does change her beliefs; by the end of book one, she has clearly not feel the same way as she had in the beginning of the book.

Endings: I want readers to firstly know that this is my opinion, and everyone is entitled to their personal opinions, whether or not they agree with me. I felt that while The Hunger Games trilogy had a somewhat short and boring ending, it resolved the plot in a good way. However, the Divergent trilogy ends in a long, detailed, but very disappointing and terrible resolution.

In the end, I can say that these two series are awesome, no matter what their pros and cons are. I’d advise you to try them both!
-Megan V., 8th grade

 

Short Stories And What They Could Be

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Short stories are somewhat out of style. Who cares about a short book when there is a full length novel to read? Recently, however hard they are to find, I have discovered their appeal. They encompass a moment of a character’s life, a scene that can be taken out of context of the overall story that gives a glimpse at an author’s style, the situation the characters are in, and who those characters are.

life_before_legendWhat that short story is can vary. There are the prequel stories that give background to the full story. Life before Legend by Marie Lu shows June and Day back when they were twelve, giving insight on the great characters they would grow to be. This kind of short story could be read before to discover the series or read after when you just never want it to end. Or in the middle, like I did.

grim_short_storiesSometimes short stores are collected together into a book, linked together by an underlying common thread. Grim, written by way too many authors (this is by no means a bad thing), contains all sorts of twists on fairy-tales, some darker, using the bare minimum from the source, while others are an inventive retelling, staying true to the fairy-tale it came from. The best part of a collection of short stories is the variety. Even if you don’t like one author or story, a few pages later, there’s a new one. There is the flip side, of course, when it ends too soon, but I think that’s kind of the point. They aren’t supposed to have a satisfying ending; the taste of potential always makes you want more.

free_fourAnother possibility short stories present is insight into another character’s mind, especially from first person point-of-view novels. Free Four: Tobias Tells the Story takes, obviously, the perspective of Four (or Tobais, but I’m going with Four) from Veronica Roth’s Divergent in the knife throwing scene. I don’t want to ruin anything by saying anything else about it. These types of short stories give other characters a chance for the reader to see their thoughts and mindset for a change. It’s nice to know how other character think and perceive the same situation differently.

Just like full length novels, some short stories are better than others. Find something that interests you and give short stories a chance. They won’t take long to read.

-Nicole G., 10th grade

Book vs. Movie: Divergent

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divergent_bookvsmovieThe night Divergent was released, I was there, excited and anxious with anticipation.. I went in with high expectations, as I have been in love with the book series since it was first released in 2011.

So perhaps it was my unrealistically high expectations of a book that I am thoroughly devoted to and invested in that contributed to the fact that I thought the movie was a big disappointment. People who I have talked to that did not read the book first before watching the movie have told me that they thought it was great, and maybe if I’d never read the books before watching the movie, I would have felt the same way.

Let’s start with how startlingly different it was from the book. I know book to movie adaptions are difficult to accomplish, but in this case it was significantly different. First off, they left out very important scenes from the book- scenes that are pivotal and important for the rest of the series. They also changed scenes– and not little scenes. Major scenes that, too, would affect the whole series.

-Edward. He barely has a presence in the movie (I think his name shows up on the scoreboard for a second?) and there is no book scene where he gets stabbed in the eye by Peter.

-Will and Cristina?!! It hardly shows their relationship, they’re pretty much portrayed just as friends, which is problematic, because in the books, it affects the plot and characters (especially Tris and Christina) in major way.

-There’s no Visiting Day in the movie, and some important information is found out from that scene. In the book, Tris never meets her mom in the shipping yard.

-Rachel L., 10th grade

Four Reasons NOT to Read the Divergent Series

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divergent_coverThe Divergent series by Veronica Roth offers three very unique novels. However, despite how much I liked, no LOVED, them, there are still some drawbacks to the series. You may want to consider the following if you are thinking about reading the series, if you have not already. Here are four reasons NOT to read these books:

#4. The books are each SOOOO long. The shortest book of the three is Divergent, at 487 pages. Wait a second– did I say the length of the books was a bad thing? Because it isn’t. The books kept me captivated throughout the whole series. The length of the books did not bother me at all. It just gave me a chance to stay immersed in the dystopian world even longer.

#3. Your outside life will SUFFER. At least mine did. I read them on a road trip over Spring Break, and let me just say, my sister was not pleased to see my nose in a book practically every second of the trip. I read at restaurants and at the pool. In fact, Divergent rode in the bicycle basket all around the town. Insurgent weighed down my backpack on a hike. And Allegiant kept me company on the long drive home. So much for that quality family time… I was a little QUITE isolated from them. But you know what, it paid off. I don’t have any regrets… Well, almost no regrets. My sister insists that she saw a waiter wearing a fedora fall backwards into a pool, but because I was deep in the Dauntless compound with Tris and the other initiates, I never saw a thing!

#2. Your heart WILL break. In at least one part of the series, you are practically guaranteed to cry. However, sometimes you need to cry. It adds interest to the story. That said, just don’t read that part of the book in public, unless you want to be seen with tears streaming down your face.

#1. Ummm… The final reason NOT to read Divergent? Honestly, I can’t think of another reason. If you are a younger teen, the romance aspect of the later books might be a little too much, but that depends solely on the reader. Other than that, I can’t come up with any other reason. That just goes to show how much I enjoyed the books.

As you can see, it was really hard for me to even come up with four reasons not to read Divergent, so I guess the conclusion you can draw from all of this is that, in my opinion, these books are worth reading. The moment you finish one book, you find yourself tearing into the next book. Each of the books truly hold your interest.

(P.S. To those who have read the books, yes, there is a reason that I chose ‘Four’ as the number of reasons, and I’m sure you know why…)

-Leila S., 8th grade

Book Review: Gone and Divergent

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I recently have discovered multiple new series that I have enjoyed, as well as great books that stand alone on the bookshelves. I have been trying to read all 100 books on NPR’s list of top teen books.

Some of my recently discovered favorite series are Gone by Michael Grant and Divergent by Veronica Roth.  I have only read the first book in the Gone series, coincidentally also called Gone, because some other library-goer is taking forever to read the only copy of the next book and is, rudely interrupting my reading schedule.  Ranting aside, this book is seriously ah-mazing.  I have grown to love the end of the world, apocalyptic type books like The Hunger Games and this is at the top of my list.

gone_coverIn the blink of an eye,  everyone disappears.  Gone.  Everyone except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not a single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Gone, too, are the phones, internet, and television. There is no way to get help.  Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.  It’s a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen and war is imminent.  The first in a breathtaking saga about teens battling each other and their darkest selves, Gone is a page-turning thriller that will make you look at the world in a whole new way.

I repeat; AH-MAZING.  Makes me want to re-read it.

divergent_coverAnother post-apocalyptic book, as mentioned above, is Divergent by Veronica Roth.  In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, 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 alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating 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 unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Both of these series are must-reads.  And, if you have a lot of time on your hands, go through the 100 book list from NPR and pick out what sounds good.  I promise, all of these are worth reading.

– Kaelyn L., 10th grade