Tag: divergent

Top Fictional Mothers – #MothersDay

March 26, 2017

mum

Today in the UK, it is Mother’s Day, so I’ve spent the day showering my mother in gifts and giving her the special treatment because she is truly wonderful and deserves it. But this then got me thinking about a few of my favourite fictional mums and I thought I would share a few of them with you. Feel free to leave a comment letting us know who your favourite fictional mums are!

  1. Mrs Wealsly in Harry Potter – She’s the mother of seven pretty fantastic children, surrogate mother to Harry, and a member of the Order of the Phoenix, Mrs Weasley is tough, loving, and fiercely protective. It’s basically impossible not to love her.
  2. Mrs Lancaster in The Fault in our Stars – Despite my views of this book, Hazel’s mum definitely deserves a place on this list due to everything she does for her daughter, she’s always there for her and makes every day and celebration special.
  3. Natalie Prior in Divergent – I don’t want to spoil it for those who haven’t read this series yet but although she many not look like much she’s certainly a strong woman who will do anything to protect her family.
  4. Jocelyn Fray in The Mortal Instruments – I’ve seen mixed feelings about Jocelyn as a mother as she did block Clary’s memories but she did it to protect her child and most of her actions and decisions are made to protect Clary, so I think she deserves a place on the list!
  5. Miss Honey in Matilda – She is the only adult to see Matilda’s true potential, nurturing her when no one else will. She is patient and caring, as any parent should be, urging Matilda to never stop learning or dreaming. Most importantly, she also encourages Matilda’s fledgeling love of books, and for that alone, I felt that Miss Honey deserved a place on the list.
  6. Elizabeth in Life on the Refrigerator Door – If you haven’t read this book then seriously stop what you’re doing and go and pick it up. This short novel is written in notes left on the refrigerator door and will take you on a journey of emotion. Clare’s mother does everything for her despite her situation and the relationship between them is beautiful even though it may not seem like it in the beginning.

Allegiant – Trailer Reaction

September 15, 2015

I was so surprised and excited when I saw that the ‘Allegiant’ Teaser Trailer had been released, as I certainly wasn’t expecting it! The Divergent Series is one of my all time favourite book series and when they announced they were making the books into films I was beyond excited!! So far I have enjoyed both ‘Divergent’ and ‘Insurgent’ (Divergent more) and I look forward to see what they do in ‘Allegiant’!

For those who don’t know ‘Allegiant’ is the third movie in the Divergent Series which is now planned to be split into two films (What a surprise!!). It is a brilliant book series which I recommend fans of young adult dystopian novels. Also if you haven’t seen the film or don’t know the story then don’t watch the trailer as it will spoil the previous films!

The trailer itself is amazing and it is only a teaser! It starts you off looking back on the first two films which was a nice reminder and it also made it clear about how far the characters and the plot has developed. Then we are then thrown back into the action with the shot of the group preparing to make the journey over the fence! And how badass do they look! Christina, Tris and Four especially look pretty badass and down right Dauntless.

The trailer is so fast paced and it is hard to keep up with everything going on but It does  mean that the film will no doubts contain a lot of action which I am really looking forward too. But at the end it slows down and becomes very dramatic when we finally meet David! Dun, dun, dunnnnn…..

My only criticism is the way they portrayed the world beyond the fence as it wasn’t something I expected. It looks like they are on Mars! At first I was a bit surprised about it but I’m sure it will make sense and I will come to like it!

Overall, I really enjoyed this trailer and I have probably watched it too many times but It was just so good. It was action packed, dramatic and didn’t give away too much of the film which I was pleased about that as this can sometimes be the case. If you haven’t already seen the previous films or read the book series then I highly recommend you do as they are amazing!!!

What did you think of the trailer? Are you excited for the film? Let us know in the comments below.

Allegiant – Veronica Roth

April 17, 2015

I have a love-hate relationship with this book as I love the storyline and the series but I hate the ending… All I have to say is why!?!? It was certainly a brilliant plot twist which I know none of us saw coming!! Veronica Roth you got us again!!

Allegiant is the final book in the wonderful ‘Divergent’ series and follows the journey of both Tris and Four (told at duel perspectives) as they both try to discover the secret behind their city. However, I uncovering the truth comes with a price?

Compared to the other novels, I thought that it wasn’t the best. The plot line in my eyes wasn’t as gripping and exciting as the others. The reveal of what was behind the fence wasn’t as good as I had hoped however I loved the fact we were able to learn more about the world Roth has created! As the book went on more and more started to happen and became harder and harder to put down!

Character wise, Tris was amazing. She picked up the novel when it began to get dull and she also really showed her heroic side! Four on the other hand i was a bit disappointed with as i thought his actions were selfish and childish in some cases. We are also introduced to some more characters which I liked as i think you really needed some fresh faces in the novel but i thought their development was very weak and I wished we learned more about them (except Mathew, who I really liked!)

I enjoyed the dual point of view but the two voices weren’t distinct enough. I found myself having to refer back to the chapter title quite often so that I could remember who was supposed to be talking.

The ending destroyed me! Even though I knew what was going to happen, thanks to some spoilers, it was still unexpected and left me in tears at the end! In my opinion, I wished it was different however I can totally see why Veronica did what she did and I think it was very clever!

Overall, i really enjoyed this book and I give it 4/5 stars! Once again the book was gripping and very hard to put down however in my opinion it wasn’t as good as the other two previous books.

If you haven’t yet read this series i highly recommend you do as it is amazing!! And check out our reviews on ‘Divergent’ and ‘Insurgent’.

Insurgent – Film Review

March 24, 2015

I loved the book and now once again I loved the film. Though it wasn’t perfect, i really enjoyed it and was on the edge of my seat for nearly the whole thing! I loved ‘Divergent’ and I have to admit I had high expectations for ‘Insurgent’

Insurgent follows ‘Divergent’ and is the second film in the series. Following the events of the previous film, a war now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. While trying to save the people that she loves, Tris faces questions of grief, forgiveness, identity, loyalty, politics, and love.

There is no doubt these films has an impressive cast. Once again Shailene and Theo portray Tris and Four in my opinion really well and it is clear that they have real chemistry together on and off screen! Shailene was perfect in showing the pain Tris was going through and thought she really shun in the ‘truth serum’ scene. Theo was once again gorgeous on screen and portrayed Four as still strong and mysterious. I have to give special mention to Miles Teller as Peter. His one-liners brought humour to the film and he is soon becoming one of my favourite characters. However I have to admit I was disappointed that some of the minor characters weren’t involved as much as they were in the book such as Marlene and Uriah – but you can’t have everything!!

Another big difference the film featured was ‘the box’ which I know has caused may disrupt for the fans but I thought It worked really well. I thought i made it clearer to the audience what the plot was as well as help driving it. Things that work in novel don’t always work in the film.

The only major negative I had was that I thought the film didn’t flow very well. i felt as if we were jumping from one scene to another very quickly as one moment we were at the Candor Headquarters and then back at Factionless. But I have to admit i thought both headquarters were pretty cool and represented there factions perfectly especially Amity which was my favourite scene of the whole film; the suspense and action was fab!!

If we are just being picky, I had mixed feeling for the ending as I thought it was good for ‘Insurgent’ but it got me thinking about how it would work for ‘Allegiant’ and I am interested to see how things work out in the next film.

Overall, I rate Insurgent 3.8/5 stars as it was actioned packed and a film I loved however i did have some flaws. In my opinion it wasn’t as good as ‘Divergent’ but it was an enjoyable film which I recommend you watch in 3D as it makes the simulations look really cool and make you feel like you are there with Tris, experiencing every moment!!

If you like what your reading I recommend you read the book series as it is amazing as well as checking out our reviews on ‘Divergent’ and ‘Insurgent’

What did you think of the film? Let us know in the comments!!

Insurgent – Veronica Roth

March 12, 2015

With the ‘Insurgent’ World Premiere last night in London (which Shailene,Theo and Veronica all looked amazing!!) I thought I’d post my book review of the wonderful ‘Insurgent’. I’m so glad I re-read this book as it just reminds me how much not only I love this book but this series!

Insurgent follows ‘Divergent’ and is the second book in the series. Following the events of the previous novel, a war now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. While trying to save the people that she loves, Tris faces questions of grief, forgiveness, identity, loyalty, politics, and love.

This book again didn’t disappoint with its storyline as every page left me on a cliff hanger and wanting to read more and more. I thought the pacing worked really well so that the action was evenly distributed but there was enough so that the book didn’t become boring. I enjoyed reading about the different faction headquarters as we began to learn and discover more about the world Roth has created; I loved it. The ending. Wow. It was mind blowing and I was seriously surprised. It wasn’t really a brutal cliffhanger but it was a very good cliffhanger!

The character development in this book i thought was so good! I loved seeing Tris grow stronger after dealing with so much in Divergent; a heart full of guilt, regret and raw pain. But she keeps fighting, because she is a survivor. She is still Tris. Brave and strong and not without fear, but not without fury and fire too. She’s smart and resilient and one of the strongest, most complex and admirable heroines I’ve seen in YA. Even if at times you might not agree with her decisions, you still cheer her on and not for a minute does she allow you to become disengaged in her story.

Four on the other hands, becomes more open and more revealing with his feelings and secrets, which not only make me love him more but helps their relationship. But his mysterious and dark side is still there adding to the unknown behind his character.

Four and Tris relationship was certainly more mature and something i really enjoyed; it is a powerful love. I love that it showed how it was to have a relationship in a situation were too many obstacles, conflicts, emotional baggages were thrown. It wasn’t easy and it wasn’t always beautiful.

Overall, Insurgent was a very action packed and impressive sequel! Once you read it, you’ll never have a doubt about his series. I rate this book 5/5 stars and if you haven’t yet read this series, i recommend you do! If you want more information check out our spoiler free review on ‘Divergent’.

What’s your opinion of the book? And are you excited for the film?? I know I am!!

Divergent – Veronica Roth

March 3, 2015

With the releases of the second instalment to the Divergent Series ‘Insurgent’ due to be released in cinemas later this month, I thought I should re-read the series and post my reviews on both the book and the film. I am a massive fan of dystopian young adults novels and when I was introduced to this series i was so excited as the plot sounded original and adventurous.

The story takes place in an undermined future where the world is divided into factions, including Candor (honest), Abnegation (selflessness), Dauntless (daring), Erudite (knowledgeable), and Amity (peaceful). Tris, our main character, has reached the age of sixteen where she is tested and placed in a faction that complements her intuition and character. As the story progresses and she chooses her path, it’s suddenly clear that she doesn’t quite fit in just one faction and that proves threatening for those controlling this perfect society because as a Divergent, she can’t easily be manipulated. What comes next is a continuous reveal of hidden agendas and power plays.

Tris is one of my favourite characters and i thought her character development was really good and something you don’t always see in female characters. From the beginning we begin to see hints of her courage and intuition but throughout the book it became clearer and for me it was the ending when she really shone; she can really kick some ass!!
Four again is another character I loved. The mystery behind him as a character was really intriguing and always left me wanting to learn more about him.
For me i really connected with the characters which i really enjoyed as i felt their pain, happiness and sadness which made me love this book even more!

The storyline i thought was really actioned packed and for me there was never a dull moment. As per usual the ending was great it left you on a cliff-hanger desperately wanting to know what happens next; i know i was!! The idea of the factions was clever and unique and i thought brought a different flare to the book.

Overall, I give this book 4.5/5 stars – a great read filled with action, great characters and a unique storyline. I really recommend this series to everyone and I hope you fall in love with these books just as much as i did! Keep your eyes peeled as I will be posting my Insurgent book and films reviews in the upcoming weeks!!!

Film

As for the film i thought it was a brilliant book to film adaptation especially for the first book in a series! I thought all the actors and actresses who portrayed the characters were perfect and i really enjoyed all their performances! Shailene and  Theo for me were the perfect Tris and Four and worked really well together. The pacing was fab and i was constantly on the edge of my seat even though i knew what was going to happen. But for me it was the soundtrack which topped it off; it was perfect and i recommend you check it out! I’m so excited for Insurgent and all the trailers look amazing!

What’s your opinion? And are you excited for Insurgent? If so what scene?

Shadow and Bone – Leigh Bardugo

January 26, 2015

How could I have waited so long to read a series that has everything I like; magical powers, war, complicated sexy men, and a magnificently flawed female protagonist! Not to mention the alternative Russian setting! I have to thank the lovely lady in Waterstones who recommended this book to me; I’m so glad she did!! I loved the concept of the book and I feel in love with the world of Grisha however i have to admit that the book got a bit boring in the middle. But apart from that it was a good book and I can’t wait to read the next one!

The book follows the journey of Alina, a pale, lonely orphan who discovers a unique power which turns her world upside down as she becomes a Grisha. With this new power Alina must learn to control it as well as trying to follow her destiny. But discovering her power comes with a great risk?

For me the first part of the book was brilliant as it was full of twist and turns which kept you at the end of your seat. However putting a negative spin on things, i thought the middle part of the book when Alina spent time in the court, got a bit dull and boring. But I did redeem itself at the end and for the last 100 pages i was on the edge of my seat as it was packed full of action.

As for the characters, I thought Alina was brilliant; a real strong female protagonist. I loved the fact we saw her turn from a shy nobody to a strong hero with a destiny that could either save or destroy the world. I also loved Mal; the boy from home who grew up to again be a strong warrior. But then there’s The Darkling who is the complete opposite! He’s dark and mysterious; what more do you want. As every other young adult novel there has to be a love triangle and is this case it involves Alina, Mal and The Darkling. In my opinion I want Mal and Alina to end up together as I think they have a much better relationship and i could definitely see them living happily ever after. However we’ve still got two books left so who knows whats going to happen…

Overall I give this book 4/5 stars was it is has everything a fantasy novel needs; magical powers, wars and a great female protagonist!! It is brilliant. If your a fan of ‘Throne Of Glass’ or ‘Divergent’ I recommend you check it out!

And just recently, I found out that David Heyman, the Producer of the Harry Potter films is planning on making this a movie! Yay!!