“Insurgent” by Veronica Roth

I read Divergent last month and was super excited to get my hands on book two in the trilogy. However, I was slightly disappointed 😦 I thoroughly enjoyed Divergent and was unable to put it down – I had to keep reading because I wanted to know what happened next and then what happened after that. Though Insurgent has tons of action, I almost think it had too much. There was so much going on that it was hard for me to keep up at times. You’re introduced to a handful of new characters and at times I had to remember who was who. I would recommend reading it right after reading Divergent so the story is still fresh on your mind. I had about a two-week break in between because I had to wait for  Insurgent to be released. It was still a good book and I’ll re-read them both when the final book comes out. Insurgent isn’t lacking in action and Roth keeps you guessing the whole way through but in the end, Divergent won me over.

You can read another review of the book I came across – I was looking for info on the third book but can’t find anything as of yet…

“The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins

I’m a little late in reading this series but have finally boarded the band wagon. I saw the movie The Hunger Games and I think it helped me with the book. However, I wasn’t crazy about this first installment. I’ve just finished the second book and am soooo curious as to how she ties this all together in the third one – it’s waiting on me to pick it up and read it. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is about the first book I didn’t like but I just wasn’t able to feel a part of the story. I continued to read but it wasn’t in a “I have to know what happens next!” kind of way that I had from the moment I started Catching Fire. I think it was around the last five chapters or so that Collins had finally made me get excited about what was looming ahead.

Comparing this with Divergent – as I’ve heard it done – I liked it much better. Veronica Roth jerked me into the story and I’m super excited about getting my hands on Insurgent! Neither of the female leads appeals to me all that much. I like Tris more than Katniss but they remind me a lot of the other. There were some definite differences between The Hunger Games movie and book but that’s to be expected. Out of the two, I liked the book more because there was only so much the movie could portray. The book gives you more background on Rue and other parts of Katniss and Peeta’s story. I didn’t dislike the book but at the same time, I liked Catching Fire immensely and I’m very curious how it all ends!

“Divergent” by Veronica Roth

I first heard about Divergent from Reading Teen, where it was featured as a “Reading Clean    Spotlight.” I put off buying the book but whenever I would see it in the store, I’d be reminded that I wanted to read it. I finally caved and picked up a copy last month. It then took me a few weeks to actually read it but after reading the first chapter, I was hooked it – I finished it in a weekend. Yes, there’s some violence – quite a bit – and there’s one choice word, used less than a handful of times. But overlooking that, I liked the book. What makes me even more excited is that the second book is set to come out May 1 so I don’t have to wait long before seeing where the story picks up. However, Veronica was nice enough to include the first two chapters of Insurgent at the back of the book. What I also liked is the playlist for the book she included. I was able to agree with her on almost each song choice and what part of the book it corresponded with.

Though I haven’t read The Hunger Games, I’ve seen the movie and would make the comparison – and have heard it said – that it and Divergent have some similarities – so if you like one, you’ll probably like the other. If you like fighting with a little romance thrown in, then you’ll probably enjoy Divergent.

“The Monster in the Hollows” by Andrew Peterson

About the book (via The Rabbit Room): “Janner Wingfeather’s father was the High King of Anniera. But his father is gone. The kingdom has fallen. The royal family is on the run, and the Fang armies of Gnag the Nameless are close behind. Janner and his family hope to find refuge in the last safe place in the world: the Green Hollows—a land of warriors feared even by the Fangs of Dang. But there’s a big problem. Janner’s little brother—heir to the throne of Anniera—has grown a tail. And gray fur. Not to mention two pointed ears and long, dangerous fangs. To the suspicious folk of the Green Hollows he looks like a monster. But Janner knows better. His brother isn’t as scary as he looks. He’s perfectly harmless. Or is he?”

I’ve not read the other two books in the series so I didn’t have any background knowledge as I started reading mid-series. Sometimes it’s not as important to know what’s happened prior but in this case, it would’ve helped me to know what was going on. Overall, I enjoyed the book but did feel a little lost at time since there were so many characters and I was just entering the scene. For example, the story begins with Janner recovering from being attacked by his now-wolf brother, Kalmar. In one of the other books Peterson explains why Kalmar is a wolf and there’s a conversation between Janner and Kalmar where I learned a little bit of what happened. However, in order to know the full details, I’ll have to go back and read the other books (which I intend to do).  I liked the twists Peterson threw in to keep me guessing. When Nia claims turalay to spare Kalmar’s life, thereby sentencing herself to any punishment Kalmar may receive for any of his actions, I knew that would come into play somehow but at the same time, Peterson couldn’t get rid of two of the main characters so he had me curious until I saw it play out.  After reading the last page, I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in the final book, The Wolf King and the Warden. 

I received a copy of this book from CSFF blog tours for my honest review.