Insurgent

 



Insurgent by Veronica Roth is the second book in the Divergent series and picks up where the first leaves off.  As Tris and Four flee the Dauntless compound with Peter, Caleb and Marcus, they are swept up into another revolution.

The City is in uproar.  Jeanine Matthews and the Erudite, along with the corrupt Dauntless, have more or less taken over.  The few Abnegation that managed to escape the slaughter of the simulation attack are on the run, staying at various safe houses, including the Amity compound which has resigned itself to being neutral.  The Dauntless remaining loyal to their faction took refuge with the Candor and the Erudite are not exactly thrilled about it.  They still search for the Divergent, certain their ability to be more than one thing and resist the simulation will interfere with their plans.

Meanwhile, the Factionless population is larger than anybody knew and they are far from being satisfied just waiting in the shadows. 

Because of this unease and Tobias's surprising connection to the Factionless, he and Tris get sucked right back down to the center of all the death and destruction that comes with revolution. 

In this sequel to the bestselling Divergent, Roth doesn't disappoint---at all---and I flew through it faster than I did the first.  Action, intrigue, death, scandal, passion, love.  This book has it all.  You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll love and you'll lose, and in the end, you will be desperate to know what happens next. 

My stubborn rating system: 10 out of 10. 

Divergent

Divergent by Veronica Roth is the story of a girl in the midst of a dystopian society named Beatrice Prior.  In this futuristic setting, the city is divided into five factions.  The Amity, who live for peace and love.  The Candor, who value honesty.  The Erudite, who above all value knowledge.  The Abnegation, Beatrice's home faction, who believe in selflessness.  And the Dauntless, who live to conquer their fear.

In this divided city, when children reach the age of sixteen, they are give a choice: remain in the faction they grew up in or leave their family to join a new one.  However, if you fail initiation into your chosen faction, you become factionless.  You live as an outsider from society, doing the jobs no one wants to do.  You become nothing, unable to remain in your new faction nor return to your old one. 

In order to see which faction a person would best be suited for, each teenager takes an aptitude test.  Beatrice's test is inconclusive.  She has an aptitude for three of the factions and is declared Divergent.  This is not a safe thing to be, however, and she is warned against ever sharing it.  If those in power of the city knew, she would be killed. 

On Choosing Day, Beatrice stands before her friends and family.  And chooses to leave them. 

Enter the world of the Dauntless.  As Beatrice literally takes a blind leap into her new life and her new faction, she adopts the name of Tris and discovers new secrets about herself, including the depth of her feelings for one of her instructors, Tobias, who goes by the nickname of Four.

Yet everything is not as it seems.  With the leaders of the Dauntless faction searching for and killing the Divergent and a city-wide hostile takeover on the horizon, Tris finds herself fighting not only to get through initiation, but for her life.

By the time I read this book, there was so much hype that I was prepared to be disappointed.  I was not.  I devoured this book, inhaled the words like they were my life's blood, like I needed them to survive.  Roth weaves a world so rich in action and the deeper issues of humanity that it was near impossible to put down.  The story is about identity, trust and standing up for what you believe in.  It instantly jumped to the top of my favorites list, and I, for one, cannot wait to see the movie.

My rating system: 10 out of 10.

Revealed

 

 

Revealed P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast is the latest installment in the House of Night series.  It chronicles the most recent adventures of the fledgling vampyre High Priestess, Zoey Redbird and her rag tag group of friends against the now immortal, ex-High Priestess of Nyx, Neferet.  In this book, the reader gets a chance to see a darker side of Zoey---as well as a deeper look at Neferet.

Though Neferet has been defeated, her spirit remains and struggles to manifest in corporeal form, taking lives in the process and adding names to her already tragically long list.  The reader catches a glimpse of Neferet's past.  We get to see how destroyed she truly is inside, how warped and dark her soul.  And we get to watch her as she embarks on her journey to eventually become the immortal Queen Tsi-Sgili. 

Meanwhile, Zoey is having a hard time controlling her own dark side---along with her own heart.  With death and old magick swirling all around her, Zoey's seer stone comes to life and begins to take over.  All the while, Heath's presence within Aurox is becoming increasingly more pronounced, which in turn, vexes Zoey to no end and infuriates Stark. 

I have mixed feelings where the House of Night stories are concerned.  While I will admit that the books are addicting, I cant' actually figure out why.

I think it may be the dialogue.  it's like they try too hard to make the characters sound like teenagers that they instead end up sounding completely unbelievable.  They don't want Zoey to cuss so they have her say words like "bull poopie."  Who says that?  And Stevie Rae's character...that girl just sounds ridiculous.  Even Shaunee and Damien sound forced and all the kids in the "Nerd Herd" repeat their words and over explain everything.  Which I found to be extremely annoying.

The thing is, the Casts are actually decent writers.  Their choice of dialogue just doesn't let them show it.  They've head-jumped a lot since Burned and whenever the narration follows Aphrodite, Neferet, Kalona or even Stark, I found myself absorbed in the writing instead of being put off.  Those characters are believable, they hold and maintain their status, don't use exclamation points after every phrase and they actually sound like human beings (you know, with supernatural powers and near immortal lives.)  I think, maybe if they didn't try so hard, the book would actually reach its full potential. 

My rating: 5 out of 10

The Water Wars

"The Water Wars" by Cameron Stracher is an interesting---and telling---story depicting a world where water in general is a rare commodity and fresh water is like liquid gold.  In true dystopian fashion, Stracher's world is one where the rich get rich, the poor get poorer, the government is corrupt and an unlikely few can make all the difference. 

The tale is written from the view-point of sixteen-year-old Vera and follows her journey to save a friend from his kidnapers.  Along with her older brother, Will, Vera's adventures go from bad to worse as she becomes a prisoner of water pirates.  Through a violent chain of events, their captivity changes hands multiple times before the tale is through and keeps the reader on their toes.

As far as writing style goes, it's not my favorite.  That's not to say that the writing itself was bad. Far from it.  However, Stracher preferred to write his tale as more of a narrative than anything else, causing some of the characters and scenes to lack depth, yet the book never felt slow. 

I prefer stories propelled by dialogue, and one of the reasons why is that you get to know the characters.  It helps you to really see them, understand them, feel with and for them.  Yet I didn't feel like I really knew any of the characters much and certainly couldn't relate to them.  Kai, the boy they were trying to rescue, was barely more than a name on the page and even Will felt generic and two-dimensional.  Opportunities for dialogue and major character development were glossed over and condensed to a quick, one paragraph telling, before moving on to the next thing, and left the reader (meaning me) feeling cheated out of something precious. 

Still, the idea for this book is not to be discounted.  For those who think the concept of Global Warming just a myth, Stracher's "The Water Wars" will definitely make you think twice. 

What would the world be like with no fresh water?  As a resource, water may be one we take advantage of the most.  Stracher's version of the apocalypse may not be far off. 

The harsh reality is that those on top are typically after one thing: Power.  So in a world where money means power and power means water, it's no wonder that vicious companies overpower the governments and the people rot from bacteria and waste away from dehydration. 

Personal preferences aside, Cameron Stracher crafted a powerful and moving statement about wasting resources and the lengths even the "the weak" would go to save the ones they love while still addressing the greed and mankind.  I, for one, was captivated until the very last page---which I found only slightly disappointing.

My judgment scale: 6 out of 10. 

Immortal Rules Synopsis ***SPOILER ALERT***

***SPOILER ALERT***  IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE IMMORTAL RULES  BY JULIE KAGAWA, DO NOT CONTINUE READING THIS POST UNTIL YOU DO.  I WILL GIVE AWAY THE ENDING.

Allison Sekemoto is a jaded individual.  How could she not be?  She lives on the outskirts of a ruined city in a post-apocalyptic dystopian society ruled by vampires and ravaged by monsters akin to the undead known as zombies.  Within the stone walls of her city, humans are treated as cattle...or food.  And human food is hard to come by.  So when Allie finds a treasure trove of canned food in a shed outside the Wall, her survival instincts kick in and she convinces her friends to risk the dangers of the ruins to haul in the stash. 

Yet things go awry when a storm blocks out the sun and the Rabids---vampires gone wrong---attack the raiding party comes to a bloody end.  Two of her friends are lost and Allie and Stick run for their lives.  Rat goes down first.  It wouldn't be much of a loss to Allie---no love lost between them---except that nobody deserves to die by being ripped to shreds---while they were still alive.  Yet when Lucas taken, she feels his loss like a whole ripped through her chest and each of his screams both weakens and strengthens her resolve.  But it doesn't matter how fast she runs or how hard she fights.  The Rabids get her in the end.  And as she lay dying, her life force flowing into the dirt from her shredded flesh, Allie finds herself at the mercy of a mysterious stranger.  A master vampire, in fact.  He tells her his name is Kanin.  And he offers her a choice.  He can either help her die a swift and final death, or he can gift her with new life...as a vampire. 

Now, in order to survive, Allie must become the thing she hates and fears the most.  Just as Kanin is draining the last drop of life from her veins, her only coherent thought is "What have I done?"

As Allie begins her new undead life, she has trouble letting go of her human life. And despite Kanin's teachings, warnings and advice, she is bound and determined to hold tight to her humanity.  So when she discovers that Stick is still alive, Allie can't resist seeking him out to see how he is---and meeting an evasive, creepy vampire along the way.  But her meeting with Stick doesn't go as planned and her trust in him is ill-founded.  She soon finds herself at the mercy of the stranger seeking revenge on Kanin and his bloodline, running from the Prince's guard, parting ways with Kanin and killing her first two humans all in one fell swoop. 

It's a bit of luck---both good and bad---when she stumbles across a wandering band of humans seeking the illusive all-human colony of Eden.  To start, their leader, Jeb, is not exactly Allie's biggest fan---to say the least.  And the feeling is mutual.  His son, however, is nothing at all like the cold, hard leader of their group.  Zeke is warm and insightful.  He's friendly and thoughtful.  And the biggest difference of all is that he likes Allie.

But it's not exactly easy to be a vampire amidst a bunch of living, breathing, tempting humans all the time, what with her blood lust making her hyper-aware of the blood pulsing right beneath their skin.  And with the ever watchful and ever jealous Ruth tracking her every move, Allie finds it harder and harder to make it through each day without feeding, but somehow she manages.

As annoying as being a vampire might be, Allie finds her extra senses do have their uses.  Like detecting a wild boar who had been bitten by a Rabid and killing it before it before it could kill her, Zeke or Darren.  And in doing so, she inadvertently saves a man's life.

Ironically, it was also this man that brings about her ruin with her newfound friends.  As her bloodlust gets the better of her, forcing her to feed, she chooses to do so from a stranger instead of those she now considers her people.  Even the ones she doesn't like, like Ruth or Jeb.  And especially on the ones she does have feelings for.  Like Zeke.  However, draining the man's blood weakens him to the point where whatever strength he has is gone and he could no longer fight the disease making him a monster.  He becomes a Rabid.  And as Allie professes her apologies to the blood thirsty shell of the man he once was, who should come upon her but Ruth.  And Zeke.

Allison is driven off, but not killed.  The feelings she has for Zeke---the feelings Zeke has for her---are too strong and he can't do it.  He lets her go.  But not before vowing to kill her if he ever sees her again.

At first, Allie thinks that's it.  Fine.  Let the humans fend for themselves.  Still, is wasn't just Rabids and vampires that are after them.  A violent gang of bikers---Raiders---are on the human's trail as well and it isn't the first time Allie has encountered their kind.  Nor will it be the last.  But the nomads are humans and want nothing to do with her, so she does what any self-respecting vampire does when the blood bags are in trouble. 

She follows them.

And it is a good thing she does, too.  The bikers attack, taking everyone but Zeke in their vans, leaving the unlucky few dead in their wake.  Allie gets there just in time to save Zeke, but she can't save the others.  Instead, she promises Zeke she'll help him find them and thus, a tentative friendship is formed.

The two follow the bikers to Old Chicago which now exists submerged in icy water.  It would be difficult to handle for a human even if they weren't injured as Zeke is.  However, he is determined she not go alone.

They follow the trail to an arena where Darren is sacrificed as entertainment in an effort to get Jeb to cooperate.  A master vampire named Jackel believes Jeb is the key to finding a cure for rabidism---the mutation unintentionally caused when a human and a vampire attempted to find a cure.  Jeb's grandfather was the human.  Kanin was the vampire. 

With effort, Allie and Zeke manage to free the others from their water logged cages and Allie sends Zeke on ahead while she searches for Jeb.  She finds him at the top of Jackel's vampire tower where she comes face to face with her blood brother.  It seems she and Jackel were sired by the same master vampire.  She is no match for Jackel, however, and is spared only when Jeb hurls himself at her adversary---while thinking of Zeke, she's sure---and the grappling duo plunge to the ground twenty stories below. 

Jackel's tower is not a total loss, however.  Circled on a map on the wall is the location of Eden.  And it's not very far away.  They commandeer a van and get everyone left alive as close as they can.  But just as they're nearing the compound of Eden, they're attacked by Rabids.  Then saved by a military-like force.  They have found their home at last.

But Eden is for humans only and Allison Sekemoto is anything but.  She is forced to leave her new friends, which of course, is all right by her.

Kanin is trapped and being tortured by Sarren, the creepy vampire that attacked Allie in the city.  Allison doesn't know how, but she knows it's her duty to save him.  And Jackel is not as dead as she thought.

Back to New Covington she goes.

World of Fiction

I read constantly.  As in literally all the time.  And I like to talk about the books I read.  I'm even in a book club.  Go me. 

I need to be honest.  I can be picky.  And there are times when I am predisposed to dislike a book because I have some problem with the author and the displeasure does end up coloring the writing.  

I could talk my best friend's ear off if I really wanted to.  She's awesome.  She would listen.

But I'd rather write it down.  Something about my words living on in infamy and all that.  (If I'm truly going to be honest.)  It's appealing.  


But it will be an honest tell all.  Whether I like it or not, why, how the movie did---or didn't do---what could have been done differently, a critique of the writing itself (if I feel like it) along with a quick summary of the book to help with my own writing and synopses. (I will post a SPOILER ALERT if I do that, just so you know not to read if you haven't read the book.)

It won't always be pretty.  It won't always be nice, and I'm sure I will not always---or even usually---agree with acclaimed critics.  
 
That's okay.  I've always been more of a freedom thinker anyway.

I won't say I'm average.  I'm not.  I think just differently enough to set me apart.  But I do love to read and I retain stories, characters, plots, even buildings they describe like they are a living, breathing entity that has become an integral part of me.  So I do have a little bit of experience where deciphering a novel is concerned (although, maybe not critic worthy), and putting my own spin on it.  

I swear I will tell the truth as I see it why still being respectful.  

This is my World of Fiction.  Welcome to the musings of my mind.  

God help you. 

The Immortal Rules

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

is like a vampire novel meets Hunger Games meets Revolution.  Throw in a little bit of almost-zombie action and you've got yourself one hell of a wild ride.

At first, I was nearly positive it would be just as cliche as every other vampire book I've read since Twilight---save the House of Night novels, which take on an entirely different view---but I was oh, so wrong.

Kagawa take you through a vast range of emotions from a self-centered need for survival and a fanatical drive to ease a long-lived guilt to a false sense of trust and an avid sense of betrayal.  She takes the main character---Allison---from being a starved, foraging street rat on the outskirts of an end-times, walled-in vampire city whose only true driving force was a weak sense of loyalty to her house mates and an inherent need for survival to a blood thirty vampire desperately fighting to save her humanity---and the lives of her new found human friends searching for the all-human promised land.

You see Allie go from selfish to selfless and the transformation comes from turning into the one thing she fears and hates the most.  

It's a testament to the human heart, I think, that characters like her love interest, Zeke, can see Allie for who she has become as a person instead of the monster she unfortunately happens to be.  Zeke was raised to loathe vampires and kill them on sight, by a fanatical, abusive leader after seeing his family and friends slaughtered.  He then has to lead others into hardship down harrowing roads, with a dozen people relying on him to keep them safe.  So for him to see Allie, truly see her, is a definite feat. 

Granted, it does take him banishing her at gunpoint and Allie saving his life from murderous bikers for him to pause long enough to give her that chance, but hey.  Once he does, the two repeatedly risk their lives for one another despite the risks and dangers to themselves.  I find that inspiring.  

I won't call this a love story.  It's not.  And I have yet to see how her vampire sire achieves his redemption---if he ever does.  But it sure does make an interesting read and to a like mind, it gives one a lot to think about where their own actions in those situations are concerned.  

She's not afraid to kill people and I think that's part of what keeps it real even though it's so obviously  a work of science fiction.  Anyone is fair game, including the main character.  That is brave and also somewhat unique in the teen fantasy genre and I commend Julie Kagawa for following her instincts and trusting her characters to move the story forward. 

In my stingy rating system, I give this book an 8 out of 10.   Well done.

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins have recently become my new obsession.

I believe that The Hunger Games is the most powerful and moving, not to mention heart wrenching trio of books I have ever read. It's more than just a story, or even a rebellion, definitely more than a teen romance. It is a movement, a revolution against a totalitarian government, a glimpse of the true horrors and the miraculous heart that human beings possess. It doesn't just represent one side, but both, presenting the reader with a protagonist who is not perfect, but like most readers themselves, she is flawed, undecided in what is truly right and wrong in war and in life. In love. That in itself is inspiring. However, when added to the fact that the characters showed true courage, rising up against those in power to fight for what was right, what they believed in, even in the face of danger, death and loss, the books moved me to tears. For true evil is not just fed by actions of those who side with it, but by those who sit by and do nothing. Suzanne Collins created a masterpiece in which she has captured the human spirit, for better or for worse, and if ever I accomplish my dream, fame and fortune aside, I hope to be able to create something that is as meaningful and as inspiring as this story. Because really, the terrible truth is a reality like The Hunger Games is not that far off.

A friend asked me why it had to be so realistic.  She said she could feel their pain as if it were her own.

But I think that’s the point. It is real. It could actually happen. Look at when it is. It’s not too far in the future, and it’s in North America. Those who came before (us) had no regard for those who would come after and we destroyed our planet, leaving the generations after us to deal with the consequences. In the mess that was left, the Capitol, (probably a metaphor for the 1% of our population that carries most of our wealth) rose up and made the rest of Panem virtually their slaves. A rebellion would most definitely ensue and if the government won, is it really that far off to think that they would prove their power by creating the Hunger Games? Look at our society, look at the obsession we have with reality TV. It’s entertainment to see people’s dreams destroyed or to see their hearts broken. We have movies about people hacking each other up. There have been two movies where inmates provide entertainment in a fight to the death. How long before a movie becomes a reality, especially in a broken society like Panem? And then, how long before the rest of the population would rise up against the government? It really isn’t much of a stretch if you think about it. I think that’s what makes the story so powerful. It’s not like Twilight. The main characters don’t all survive and have happy endings. Even in Harry Potter where she killed off a lot of the characters, the message of the Hunger Games is much bigger. And without the wizard and magical element, it is real. Or could be.

I've read these books almost three times in the last month, which is strange, even for me.  Yet, I still can't get enough.  Every time, I am moved beyond belief.  Inspired. I truly am obsessed. I bought all the magazines, read dozens of interviews. I even sat four hours in line to get a good seat for the midnight premiere. 

I have to say, I was slightly disappointed in the screen play, but overall I was impressed.  The casting was perfect, the acting superb.  The main characters were portrayed to the best of their ability even if the script for the character left something to be desired, but I'll go into that another time.  I could go on and on.  For now, I'll just say...my compliments.

As for the disgusting comments made on Twitter about the actors who played the characters of Rue, Thresh and Cinna,

I thought those three actors were wonderful, and FYI, the casting was spot on.  People astound me. Why is it so hard to appreciate one another for our good attributes and who we are as people instead of condemning them for the color of their skin? One day, those who judge others based on their race are going to find themselves in a position where they are the minority. I can only hope that when that day comes, those same people are faced with others who can look beyond the color of their skin and treat them as equals, showing them that it's better to take the high road and hopefully giving them a look at what its like to be a decent human being. God willing, I'll be there to watch how the "mighty" will fall.

Let Me Introduce You

"You're an enigma, wrapped in a mystery, wrapped in a little dark haired girl."

Yeah, I'd say that about sums it up. My name is Chelsea. I'm 26 years old. I am the mother of a beautiful little girl and wife to a wonderful man. 

My dream is to become an author and have my books made into a movie.  That would be the ultimate compliment.  And I'm good. That's one thing I won't be modest about. Believe me, I will get published, and I will make all my dreams come true. I'm also very determined, (can you tell?) and when I set my mind on something, I usually get what I want.  Which is why I've already finished one draft of a book, though I need to add in a few juicier scenes, and I'm working on two connected trilogies.  If I wasn't so busy, I'd be on a roll.  I'm obsessed with books. Every chance I get, there's a book in my hand.

And, I'm a nightmare in a bookstore. When I'm not reading stories, I'm writing them. Every day, there's a new story in my head, that swirls around until I finally sit down and get it out. I'm a pretty laid back person, although I think way too much. I love to laugh and have fun, and I'm forever a kid at heart. I'm stubborn, opinionated, outspoken, and loud. I do get frustrated easily, but give me a second, and I get over it just as quickly. Basically, I'm just a pain in the ass, but in a good way, if that's possible. I'm a huge klutz, and the only time I ever have balance is when I'm dancing. Which I do all the time. In the car, in the grocery store, standing in line. When I'm bored, I dance. I love kids, and I love animals. And mine definitely keep me on my toes! I love my friends and I love my family. I've been in love and I've had my heart broken. And more importantly, I survived. Which, I believe, led me to my husband, who is the love of my life. I believe in God, and I believe in the supernatural. I don't like hypocrites and I hate to be judged, especially by people who should know better. I think you should live your own life and do what's right for you, even if it seems to twist and turn out of your control. Be persistent and you'll get a handle on it again eventually. (Just in time for it to be ripped out from under you again!) I'm firm in my opinions and I hate to be proven wrong, but I love to learn. I believe that every man, woman, and child was created equal regardless of age, gender, race, religion, social standing or sexuality. And most of all, I believe that you should go out and live life before you look back one day and wonder where the years have gone. Take a look around and enjoy what you have while you have it, because believe it or not, you're gonna miss this. This is all we have. So smile, because all we have is amazing.