Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Divergent

Divergent_(book)_by_Veronica_Roth_US_Hardcover_2011Divergent, by Veronica Ross, is a book about 16 year old Beatrice Prior. In Beatrice's world instead of countries, states, or cities, there are five factions. Each faction is based upon their perspective on what caused war, and the priorities and values of each faction are the opposite. Abnegation, the faction in which Beatrice was born in values selflessness as most important. Their job is to give to the factionless (those without a faction) and to govern the factions. Erudite values intelligence the most, although by Beatrice’s generation the original intentions of Erudite have gone slightly awry and now the factor is better described by some as greedy for knowledge (instead of using the knowledge for the greater good they keep it to themselves). Amity values peace the most, and the Candor can’t tell a lie. The Dauntless believe in bravery, although they too, like Erudite, have changed since the founding. The dauntless now believe that bravery involves beating people up, jumping on and off moving trains, and jumping off buildings. At age 16 every child in every factor takes the aptitude test to decide what factor they are best fit for and then soon after at a choosing ceremony they have to decide which factor they will be loyal to for the rest of their life. Beatrice's test results, were inconclusive. She is divergent.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Out Of My Mind

     Imagine if you were a genius, but no one knew. Eleven year old Melody has never spoken a word. She has never played on the monkey bars at recess, climbed on a tree, or even walked a step. All the words she has ever used are typed up on a board. Melody's only form of communication is to point with her thumb to a word on a board.
      Melody has every word she has ever heard in her head. She lets them swirl and flow around her as if they were a gentle song. She treasures every word hoping some day she will be able to let them out.
She also has a photographic memory. Any commercial she has ever seen sticks in her head. She knows the number if she ever wants a carpet cleaned, a window wiped, or a lawn mowed.
    Seeing the different colors of songs as they drift through the air just comes naturally to her. Melody has synesthesia. this allows her to see songs, and taste them to.



Sunday, January 22, 2012

Cinder

When you hear a book name like Cinder you think of Cinderella, but in this time it is not such a fairy tale. Linh Cinder is a teenage cyborg on a planet that has gone through many world wars, a couple interplanetary attacks, and one deathly plague. A plague known to have killed hundreds of thousands of people. Once you have caught it most might consider you as dead. One night at the junk yard Cinder's adopted sister catches it. Marissa Meyers astounding new novel Cinder will flood yo with fear, imagination, and hope as you follow a story filled with a queen from the moon, a lunar army, and a possible cure for the deathly plague letumosis.