Divergent Trilogy Review

      The Divergent Trilogy takes place in a Dystopian version of Chicago. In this version of Chicago, everyone is divided into what they call factions. These factions classify what type of personality you have. There are 5 factions and the faction less. The faction less are similar to homeless. The five factions are Candor, Dauntless, Abnegation, Amity and Erudite. Each faction have its own ideals and values. The Abnegation value selflessness, Candor value honesty, Dauntless value bravery, Amity value peace, and Erudite value knowledge. Every person gets to choose their faction. At the age of 16 every person takes aptitude test, this is to see which faction you would be best suited for. However, it is not mandatory to choose the faction that your aptitude test says you are be best suited for.

     Beatrice Prior was born into a Abnegation family, but consistently struggles with being selfless. When she takes the aptitude test she receives results that are startling. Her results give her 3 factions that she is suitable for. This is because she is Divergent. Beatrice had never heard of Divergent. This is because being Divergent is not only rare, but extremely dangerous. At the choosing ceremony, Beatrice chooses to leave her birth faction to join Dauntless. Beatrice not only leaves her faction behind, but also her name. She changes her name to Tris. During the initiation training period, Tris meets and begins dating one of the trainers, Four. 

     Throughout the trilogy, Tris, Four, and many of their friends fight to save the city from destruction multiple times, they discover the truth about Divergents, whats outside their city and so much more than they ever expected to learn. They shared this truth with the city, which eventually led to the city to become a metropolis where the citizens are free to come and go as they wish. 

     I rated this series a 5 of 5 stars. It is written incredibly well. The world building is phenomenal. Character development was amazing. I definitely recommend the series.

Book Review: Witch and Wizard

     Last night, I finished reading Witch & Wizard by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet.  I picked this book up because I heard that it was "the next Harry Potter".  Although overall I did like the book, it is most defiantly not "the next Harry Potter". It is a sci-fi/fantasy type book with magic as the central theme but that's about as close to Harry Potter as this book gets.

 

WARNING MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS 

 

     Witch & Wizard is written from the preservative of brother and sister, Wisty and Whit Allgood, whom are accused by the New Order of being a witch and a wizard. Much to Wisty and Whit's surprise is true. The book begins with  New Order Soldiers busting into their home in the middle of the night to arrest them for the crime of being a witch and wizard. As far as Wisty and Whit are concerned none of this is true and they are a normal family. Until...Wisty get angry for being charged with such ridiculousness, and sets herself aflame. Which to the New Order Soldiers justifies their accusations. Upon distinguishing the Wisty's flames, the New Order Soldiers advise their new prisoners that they allowed to take 1 personal belonging (each) with them to prison. Wisty's mother gives her a drumstick to take with her, and Whit's father gives him a blank journal. 

     Later they discover the New Order is being ran by a man calling himself  'The-One-Who-Is-The-One' and his Council of the Ones, and they are implementing a totalitarian government, that is fearful of magic. While imprisoned in the New Order Reformatory Wisty and Whit explore their powers, while attempting to break out of the prison. Whit meets his dead girlfriend Celia, while exploring the limitations of his abilities. She later comes to visit Whit and Wisty in their cell. She explains a little bit about the state of things, and how she died. Celia assisted Whit and Wisty in a breakout, she took them into another realm called Shadowland.

     In Shadowland, the trio met up with Sasha, who lead them to the portal out of Shadowland and to a department store, Garfunkel's, where several hundred refugee children are camping out while they plot the downfall of the New Order.

     At Garfunkel's Wisty and Whit are educated on the actions of the New Order, and the refugee's plot to break out a new influx of captured people, who are sentenced to be vaporized. Wisty and Whit are tricked into assisting in the break out by Sasha, who told them that their parents are among the captured.

     Whit assists in the kidnapping of the new prisoners, while Wisty turns herself into a mouse to go in and locate their parents. while on her mission Wisty discovers that she has been duped by Sasha and proceeds to breakout every child imprisoned at the Reformatory by setting it ablaze. As the Wisty joined Whit and the rescued children outside the Reformatory, they where joined by The-One-Who-Is-The-One, where he enlightened them on the prophecy about them.  

     After the great escape they orchestrated. Wisty and Whit came across the location of where their home once stood. Using old lullabies their parents used to sing, which turned out to be spells, they were able to meet with their parents, who where in magical form, to get some guidance and encouragement.

 

   

Zanette

Book Review: Forever Odd by Dean Koontz

Forever Odd is a riveting account of Odd Thomas' experience in saving his dear friend from an beautiful yet deranged woman and her 3 devoted companions.

WARNING SPOILERS BELOW!!!

 

In this book a sex line operator that is obsessed with the paranormal gains the trust of Odd's crippled friend, Danny. Danny meets Datura through her sex line that he began calling. Danny eventually tells about Odd's 6th sense in an attempt to keep er interested in him. Datura becomes convinced that Odd can show her what he sees even though Danny tries to tell her otherwise. Datura and her 3 minions kidnap Danny and kill his father in an attempt to force Odd into showing her the ghosts that he sees. They take Danny to an old deserted casino that was the place of death for many people due to a fire. On the way to the casino they killed one of Datura's disciples.  Odd tracks Danny and his kidnappers to the casino with the help of his 6th sense. He manages to make his way around Datura's men, only to find his friend strapped to a chair that's wired to a bomb. Odd leaves Danny strapped to the chair while he goes off to locate Datura in hopes of convincing her into releasing his friend. He than tricks her into ticking off one of the resident ghosts who than puts on a rather destructive show for Datura, which allows Odd to escape from her and free Danny using the remote detonator to shut off the bomb. Odd proceeds to stash Danny in a hiding place and go bk to lead Datura and her companions off the track of Danny. While doing this he encounters each of the kidnappers separately, where each meet their untimely death. Odd survives to get help and bring Danny back to safety.