10/28/13: Allegiant: Oh gods.

*spoilers: be warned* 
Allegiant

Author: Veronica Roth

Genre: Dystopian, Romance, Female lead

Goodreads Blurb: 

One choice will define you.

What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

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.

Published/ing: Harper Collins October 22, 2013

Rating: 4.5/5

Review: 

I was hesitant to write this review. This book was quite interesting.

Before we start, this a spoiler filled review. You have been warned.

I think I am going to do this review the same as I do most the others so we'll start with characters.

Character Development:

I actually felt that this was not Veronica's strong suit.

We do get to see our main characters, especially Tris, really develop throughout the series. But I was kind of let down to see that we didn't really get to see any of the other, extremely important side characters develop.
I did enjoy seeing Tris grow to her full potential and become someone, I feel, people can look up to.

I also thought it was interesting seeing Tobias become more human. He reacted to his imperfections and developed insecurities. He made a mistake. He felt ashamed. He felt heartbreak. And I don't believe we see that to often with strong male characters like Tobias. I'm glad Roth took the time to develop Tobias in that way.

I'd also like to talk about Evelyn and how she CHOSE HER SON OVER POWER AND HOW THAT WAS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL MOMENT. We get to see a character we thought was a villain also develop a human (motherly) side.

Let's also mention the side character, Amar.
We didn't really know too much about this guy until he rose from the dead.
We get to see him as a sweet, strong, caring guy (although a little oblivious) throughout Allegiant in subtle ways. At the end, Veronica does reveal that he is gay and he was in love with Tobias at one point, but, unlike Rick's revealing, I didn't think it mattered that much. It didn't change anything necessarily. But I like that authors, especially middle grade/young adult authors, because it is showing kids and teenagers that it is OKAY to be whatever you want to be. These authors are making sure that homosexual relationships aren't going to be considered "adult material". And I adore that. Three cheers for Rick and Veronica!

Plot:

Oh goodness. I did not know what to think about this book.

I liked that it was fast paced right at the beginning. The factionless are rebelling and Tobias and Tris are conflicted and Evelyn is leading and all that jazz.

And then we get outside the fence.

And boom. The world.

I liked how Veronica developed the outside world. Genetic warfare. That's a new one. And an interesting one. She really took the time to develop it and do her research. And I liked that.

The whole middle of the story was a little--angsty--for me. There was a lot of inner conflict. It was good at first; necessary. But as it drawled on, I felt there needed to be a little more action.

Now the ending. I know a lot of people were really pissed off about this ending. I was extremely depressed afterwards. But some people went to the length and said it was weak. That's a lie.

Veronica took a big step killing off her main character. Not many authors would take that step. But I liked how it ended (besides the whole death part). It ended with a whimper, not a bang. The battle was won. But the war was raging on. Tobias and Christina and everybody else have wounds but you know they will keep fighting.

I think the ending was satisfying because it was realistic. And when you read books that are futuristic and fantasy and romantic, you need a bit of realism. 

Future News:
The Divergent movie will come out March 21, 2014.

I only have a few more posts before I start my NaNoWriMo adventure! Have a great week!
~Monty

10/22/13: Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Character Names

This meme is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. 

October 22: Top Ten Character Names I Love or Top Ten Unusual Character Names

• Thomas
• I know there are so many Thomases (I'm sorry I totally incorrectly made that plural) but I just think that is such a great name
• Percy or Perseus 
• The only hero who has a relatively happy ending. I love that. I love that Percy Jackson is named that.
• Quentin
• He is from John Green's Papertowns. I think this is just such an interesting name and it is so unusual. I love it.
• Remus Lupin
• Remus is from the Harry Potter series. And *SPOILER* he is a werewolf *SPOILER*. I just think his name is clever in relation to his character. 
• Eleanor 
• I think this is a name for an intelligent person. I like when authors use this name, because I think you are describing a character without actually describing the character.
• Tobias 
• The Tobias I am thinking of is from Divergent. His name was actually a mystery for quite a while. And I liked that. Names can reveal a lot about a person. But this name is also very unique. I didn't know really how to pronounce it at first (I still think I say it wrong).  
• Xander
• I did not like hte Matched trilogy. But Xander was definitely a name that caught my attention.
• Atticus
• Atticus, from To Kill A Mockingbird, is a name that, since the character is so, represents wisdom and knowledge. I love when people name their children this. 
• Jem
• I like this name as a shortening of James. Whether it is in The Infernal Devices or To Kill A Mockingbird, I think it is a unique name. 
• June and Day
• These characters from Marie Lu's Legend trilogy and I love their names. They play, I believe, as metaphors and symbols.

Have a great day guys!

~Monty

10/23/13: W...W...W... Wednesday: So Much to Read, So Little Time

Wednesdays meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

• Currently Reading
• I am reading Allegiant (most likely becuase I am writing to you from the past) by Veronica Roth. This is the third and final installment in the Divergent Trilogy. 
• Finished Reading
• I've hopefully finished Torment by Lauren Kate *fingers crossed*. 

• To Read
• I have a huge amount of books I want to read. I recently bought a lot of books with birthday money. Since there are so many books, there is a picture down below of my book pile.

~Monty

10/16/13: Waiting on Wednesday: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Allegiant

By Veronica Roth

October 22, 2013

One choice will define you.

What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

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 final book to a magnificent trilogy. 

What decision will Tris have to make?

Will violence continue to in sue? 

 Will loyalties be shattered?

Will love be?

Or will it all be renewed?

What will lie beyond the fence?

What were they hiding?

Life?

10/15/13: Top Ten Tuesday: Forcing Me to Read?

This meme is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. 

October 15: Top Ten Books I Was Forced to Read (either by teachers, friends, other bloggers, reviews)

• The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
• Honestly, I was forced to read this because my cousins were reading the last book when I picked up the first. They kind of just continuously shoved them into my hands. 

• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
• Ugh. This was the worst book I have ever read. Plot was messed up. Characters were stupid. I learned nothing at all. Thanks a lot, school.

• The Hush Hush Series by Becca Fitzpatrick
• This was more of pressure from my friends to read. But gods it was so worth reading. 

• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
• A lot of these books have something to do from my friends pressuring me to read them. This was also one. Once again, totally worth it. 

• Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
• I don't really know about this one. John Green had a raving review so I felt a personal responsibility to read this. 

• Island of Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
• This was one of my aunt's favorite books and she gave it to me as a gift, so I felt an obligation to read it. Turns out to be one of my all-time favorite stand alone books. 

• Shine by Lauren Myracle
• Another forced-to-read-by-friend book. Although, I didn't like this one as much as I did the others. 

• Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
• This was a forced summer read, but it was just exceptional.

• To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• I had to read this this year and I think I enjoyed it, but not as much as I really wanted to.

• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• I accidentally watched the Lizzie Bennett diaries created by Hank Green on Youtube without knowing that it was based on Pride and Prejudice. So I felt another obligation to read this book, and gosh, it was amazing. A truly exceptional classic. 

Sorry this was posted on Wednesday rather than Tuesday, I kind of had a hectic night. 

I will post a waiting on Wednesday today, too!

~Monty

Waiting on Wednesday: Allegiant

Hey mis amigos!

So since I've talked about House of Hades a great deal, I decided to talk about one of the other books I cannot wait to have on my Kindle. Yes, you guessed it, Allegiant by Veronica Roth.

Title: Allegiant

Cover: I was very excited when I saw this cover. It was unexpected and non descriptive. It still leaves us guessing. 

Author: Veronica Roth

Genre: Dystopian, YA, Romance

Goodreads Blurb: One choice will define you.

What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

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.

Published/ing: October 22, 2013 Kathrine Tegen Books

Page Count: 544

Rating: IDK BUT I BET IT'LL BE 5/5

Review: 

So from what I've gathered so far, I think we are going to get the full throttle. We'll get to see what's outside of the gates. What's happened to the rest of the world. And we'll see Tris and Four. Their relationship fully flourish. 

I am extremely excited. 

Future News: 

Well, this is a futuristic post. But the Divergent movie itself will be out in March, so another thing to just get freaking excited for. 

That's it for this post. I'll see you guys on the flip side. 

~Monty

Top Ten Tuesday: Turn offs

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. 

October 1: Top Ten Book Turn-Offs (thanks to Michelle for this idea! You know..you are reading and then SOMETHING happens to completely turn you off -- cheating, absent parents, multiple POVS etc.) 

• "I couldn't get the words out of my mouth"/not being able to do something
• WhAT IN HadEs?! You can't speak? Just say it! Just kiss him! Just do what you need to do! Shoot him! Blah!

• Week characters
• Someone who is extremely flat and static. Someone who relies on one emotion. Someone who relies on a single person. 

• Vague settings
• The "it was a sunny day" will not do it for me.

• Poor plot lines
• I can't stand that stereotyped plot line. I tend to have this problem with zombie novels.

• Chapter Titles
• This is always a peeve of mine, but i need to mention it. When a book's chapter title is literally "Chapter 1" or "Chapter 35". I greatly dislike that. Why can't it be "Chapter 1: Blood" or at least a Roman numeral.

• Unbalanced themes
• Too much romance of too much dystopian or too much fantasy. I thin kthat's the reason I have yet to get into Lord of the Rings.

• Repetitive Conflicts
• If you have "and his car broke down" and "this is how he fixed that" multiple times in the book, I won't stand for it.

• Not accurate
• If your physics aren't right or your situations are right (Ex: the nerd falls in love with the jock but then gets her heartbroken when the jock falls for the popular girl because the popular girl was cooler than the nerd) 

• BOOKS WITHOUT SUITABLE ENDINGS
• FOR EXAMPLE BOOKS THAT LEAVE IT HANGING BUT NOT THE GOOD KIND LIKE THE HUNGER GAMES
• Seriously Suzanne, you have them solve the revolution and then they have kids? 
• I was not pleased with that.

See ya'll tomorrow for my WAITING ON WEDNESDAY all about ALLEGIANT.

~Monty

Top Ten Tuesday: Seriously Sequeals

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. 

September 24: Top Ten Best Sequels Ever (thanks Tiff for this suggestion!)

I haven't really read that many sequels, so I'm actually going to do sequels in series and what I thought of them.

• The Time After Us by Tamera Ireland Stone
• I enjoyed meeting her and reading her first book, and it'll be interesting to see how she continues the interesting love between a time traveler and a mortal.

• Sadie Walker is Stranded by Madeleine Roux
• I am currently reading this book, and so far, I am really enjoying it. 

• Catching Fire by Susanne Collins
• This was my favorite book in the Hunger Games trilogy, because it really caught my attention and was quite the plot twist. I was hesitant to read it at first because I did not get how the series would continue on.

• Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margret Stohl
• Oooo Yessss... This was an exceptional series. I adored these books for their character descriptions and fantasy aspect. I think Kami and Margret ended Beutiful Creatures, the first book, well enough that Beautiful Darkness just took it away. 

• Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
• I adored how Jk took each book and made it it's own story instead splitting the full story up throughout the books. Like think if Harry was still looking for the Sorcerer's Stone in the Deathly Hallows?

• Insurgent by Veronica Roth
• I thought this book really brought forth the world. In Divergent, we only got to look at the two factions closely, but we didn't get to see the rest. But in Insurgent, just BAM, social societies and world politics and YES BEAUTIFUL POLITICS.  

• Prodigy by Marie Lu
• Like Insurgent, BAM WORLD POLITICS. I love knowing what's happening everywhere. Not just in the small little Dystopatic area, BUT THE WHOLE FRENCH THE LLAMAN WORLD. 

• Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
• I could feel the cold hard tension throughout this book. I felt the angst and the pain and the love. I loved the fights and the references. It was exceptional sequel and it is part of an exceptional trilogy.

• The War for Banks Island by John Green
• All I can do is laugh. I love that John Green took the liberty in writing zombie novels. These are both exceptional. 

• Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
• I adored this book. I was not too much of a fan of the first one, Delirium, but this one really showed the rebellion and the struggle and the fight, that was happening in this dystopian world.

Notes:
This was fun. Have a great Tuesday guys, and a good night. Tomorrow, I will do a W...W...W...Wednesday. I will switch each week for Waiting on Wednesday and WWW Wednesday.

~Monty

Top Ten Tuesday: Fall TBR

Hey Guys! So yes, I decided to try this. It's going to take some easing into but I want to start blogging more often. So here we go! Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. 

September 17: Top Ten Books On My Fall 2013 TBR List (you could do top ten fall releases you plan on reading or just your planned reading list)

*Just gonna say this is extremely hard for me*

     

Books I am Awaiting: 

• House of Hades by Rick Riordan: October 8, 2013
• There are no words to my love and desire for this book. I have waited a total of 371 days for this book and I honestly cannot wait. Four days after the release I will actually be going to see him and I will be getting a signed copy of House of Hades. My excitement is to much to contain.

• Alliegant by Veronica Roth: October 22, 2013
• Also a highly anticipated book. I just cannot wait till October. 

• Champion by Marie Lu: November 2, 2013
• I just recently read the first two books and really enjoyed them. I think the author really cut it off so the third book will just flow into it completely. You can read my review here.   

• The Rest of the Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare and Maureen Johnson: September- December 31, 2013
• I have read them the day they come out. I love how each one is just a different Magnus and a different time frame. I will continue to read these and hopefully do a full out review on January 1st! 

• Untitled by John Green: Janurary 2, 2014
• I have no idea what this is but it's by John Green, and that's all that matters.

Other Books:

• Sherlock Holmes by Sir Conan Doyle
• Just always wanted to read the Sherlock Holmes series!

• Sadie Walker is Stranded by Madeleine Roux
• I loved the first book in the series Allison Hewitt is Trapped, so I can't wait to read this! You can read my review for Allison Hewitt is Trapped here.

• The Memory of After/Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans
• I met this author last year, and she was very nice. They also just replaced the cover and the title so it'll be interesting to read!

• Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
• I've heard a lot of great things about this book in the blogoshpere, so I'm going to definitely get to it!

• Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
• Heard a lot of great things about this book, so I'm excited to read it!

~Monty

8/15/2013: Looking Forward, Kathrine, and Gatsby

HAPPY THURSDAY!

I have many thing to go over today, but first I'll discuss countdown dates!

First off, Rick Riordan's House of Hades comes out on October 8th, which is in 53 days. This book is the fourth installation in the Heroes of Olympus series and will hopefully resolve last falls tragic cliff hanger. Rick has said there to be tartarus Percabeth scenes, and this book has been critically viewed to be the Percabeth Book that fans have been waiting for. Rick has announced tour dates, and I would get them while they're hot! He is turning into quite the J.K Rowling icon, according to the signing I attended three years ago. Here is the list of locations:

http://rickriordan.blogspot.com/2013/08/house-of-hades-tour-dates.html

For your information, I will be attending the St.Louis Public Library Event, so if you see someone wearing a Camp Half-Blood shirt that's me! Hmm... that might be a little vague... I will probably have some way of advertising my user in the public, but for now, I suggest you come (ONCE IN A LIFE TIME PEOPLE I SWEAR HE'LL GO INTO HIDING LIKE ROWLING!)

The second thing we are patiently (not) awaiting is Veronica Roth's Alliegant. This is aimed to come out on October 22nd, which is in 67 days. We have a good wait ahead of us. It is to be told in not only Tris's point of view, but Four's (ohmygods yes). It is going to be the stunning conclusion to the Divergent trilogy. All I've heard is that we will get to see the other side of the famous fence! Time to get excited my friends!

Other Events to look forward to:

Catching Fire: November 22nd, 2013: 98 days
The Maze Runner Movie: February 28, 2014: 196 days
The Divergent Movie: March 13, 2013: 209 days

ON ANOTHER NOTE THOUGH~

I did finish rereading the original Percy Jackson series, and instead of reviewing it on here (because that would take forever) you can read them here. Let's just say it was amazing as always. Absolutely brilliant.

I DID read An Abundance of Kathrines by John Green. 

I have to say it was an amazing book. We take a nerdy, obsessive, child prodigy, Colin, who got dumper by his nineteenth Kathrine. Yes Kathrine. He has dated nineteen girls with the name K-A-T-H-R-I-N-E. He takes this one pretty hard, so his chubby and Judge Judy obsessed friend, Hassan, takes him on a Road Trip. They take an exit that leads them to Gutshot, Tennessee. And this exit changes their lives. We watch character's develop and crash and burn. We read determination and love and heartbreak. We see sides of people we never thought we'd see.

Another thing that really grasped my heart and got me into this book was the math (don't freak out). Colin, within the development of the book, creates a Theorem, trying to predict relationships, and help you figure them out through equations.

It was a spectacular book and I was hooked right off the back. Honestly, John Green has never failed at capturing my heart, even reading his zombie novels (which are free here).  I suggest you read all his books.

That's it for this Thursday guys! See you after I start school and read Looking For Alaska!

Dearest,
        Monty

Percy Jackson and The Singer of Apollo and The Transfer and The Lightning Thief Original Movie Script (It's worse)

Hey Guys!
Happy Thursday (Or Thor's Day)!

Small note before we start: I'am going to regularly post every Thursday.

Okay! Let's Start:

The Book News for this week starts with Rick Riordan's upcoming short story Percy Jackson and the Singer of Apollo!

It is based right after The Last Olympian, at Grover's Birthday. It will be the first time we've heard from Grover since the end of the Percy Jackson series. It is targeted to come out September 17th of this year, less then a month from our long awaited House of Hades.

Listen to Rick Riordan himself read the first chapter here!

The second Book News this week is the soon to be release of Veronica's Roth's first part in the collection of short stories in Four's POV! Just recently the cover was released.

Absolutely beautiful graphics! Can't wait to see Part 1/4 September 3rd!

And finally, this you have to read. The ORIGINAL LIGHTNING THIEF MOVIE SCRIPT.

http://screenplayexplorer.com/wp-content/scripts/The_Lightning_Thief.pdf

May I suggest pages 63, 115, 59.

That's all I have for this post this week, but catch me next Thursday!

Free Four: The Transfer, The Initiate, The Son, The Traitor.

A new update from Veronica Roth tells us that there will be more FOUR POINT OF VIEW BOOKS!

Now if you haven't read the first one, I suggest you do. It is thirteen pages of Tobias's point of view from the knife throwing. What was going through his head as he threw knives at his future love interest?

The name of the book is Free Four and it is exceptional.

BUT NOW THERE"S MORE!

There will be four books over the fall and winter months. They will each tell a slightly longer story of our beloved Four.

The books are:

The Transfer coming out September 24th.
The Initiate coming out December 17th.
The Son coming out January 21st.
The Traitor coming out February 11th.


Can't wait to see these books come out with Allegiant coming out this fall too!

Have a good summer!