Divergent by Veronica Roth



Tris lives in a world ruled by five different factions - Erudite seeks knowledge and values intelligence, Abnegation is self-sacrificing, Candor is truthful at all cost, Amity is friendly and peaceful, and Dauntless is brave and fearless.  At the age of 16, each child is tested to see which faction they should join, but after the test, they can still choose a different faction.  However, if they fail the initiation process to the faction they choose, they must live factionless - poor and on the street.  Beatrice grew up in Abnegation, but she has always had a hard time with thinking of others before herself.  She knows though, that if she chooses a different faction then she will have to leave her family forever, because factions come before blood.  When she takes her aptitude test, it does not go as planned.  The tester tells her that she could fit in more than one faction, which is not supposed to happen.  She is told that she is Divergent, which is dangerous.  Her tester tells her that she should not tell anyone this information ever.  When the time comes for her to choose her faction, she has to make a choice between her family and the Abnegation life she grew up with, or Dauntless. 

If you enjoyed The Hunger Games, then you will probably enjoy this book as well.  It seems that dystopian novels are the fad right now, but I think that some are definitely worth reading.  This book has similarities to The Hunger Games, but it also has some really unique twists.  It was an enjoyable read, and I look forward to reading the next two in the series.

The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars is the third John Green book that I've read recently.  I must say that I've come to expect a lot from John Green.  I think he is one of the wittiest young adult authors I've read.  With that being said, I have to admit that this book, in my opinion, did not live up to Looking for Alaska.   That's not to say that this isn't a phenomenal book, because it is.  It is definitely worth reading.  However, parts of it were predictable for me.  I've seenI can't really say more about that without spoiling the end.  The story revolves around Hazel, a 16 year old girl with thyroid cancer.  Hazel knows that her story has no happy ending.  She realizes that at some point she will cease to exist.  She and her parents know that no matter what they do, they are only going to be able to prolong her life.  Hazel is forced, by her parents, to attend a support group.  One day at support group, she meets Augustus Waters.  Augustus is in remission. He was diagnosed with osteosarcoma at a young age and lost his right leg to the disease.  He is immediately drawn to Hazel.  However, Hazel is afraid to become close to anyone, because she wants to minimize the damage she leaves behind when the inevitable occurs and she dies.  The story continues to follow the relationship between these two fascinating characters.
 The dialogue between Hazel and Augustus is the high point of this novel.  Some people have complained online that Green's teenagers don't act and speak like real teenagers.  I have to disagree with them there. No, his teenagers don't interact with each other the way many teenagers do today.  However, as an English teacher, it has been my privilege to work with many kids in my Pre-AP class who do think about deep topics and express themselves in much the same way that Green's characters do.  Green's novels may not be for everyone for that very reason, but I can guarantee you that his large fan base shows that there are kids out there who not only enjoy his work, but who can relate to his characters.  Those fans wouldn't be there if his characters came across as fake. 

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a unique book.  I wouldn't actually call it a graphic novel, although it is close.  It is a 526 page book that tells a story through prose and beautifully drawn illustrations.  Twelve year old Hugo Cabret is an orphan who lives in the walls of a Paris train station.  After Hugo's father died in a museum fire, Hugo went to live with his uncle in the train station to maintain the clocks.  However, one day Hugo's uncle leaves and never returns.  Hugo is terrified of being sent to an orphanage, so he continues to maintain the clocks on his own.  He also works on trying to fix a mechanical man that used to be in the museum where his father worked.  He uses drawings that his father made of the man and steals toys for parts. Hugo feels certain that if he can repair the automaton by using his drawings, the mechanical man will write a message from beyond the grave. Hugo soon finds himself working off his debt to the shopkeeper he stole the toys from.  Soon the reader learns that this shop keeper has many secrets of his own.. Through twists and turns, a stolen notebook, a new and unlikely friends, and silent films, Hugo begins to uncover the secret of Georges Melies's past. 

I enjoyed this story eventhough it is in an unusual format.  I will say that this story does target a younger audience, but it is a good story for all ages.