YA at the Movies in 2014

Who else is super pumped for all the YA books being brought to the big screen this year?!  I'm excited, but nervous too.  Will the adaptation do the book justice?  Or will it give a new spin on the written story?  The three listed below have gotten a ton of hype and I am so anxious to see their faces that I've always pictured in my head be brought to life on the big screen.  The last movie isn't a YA book, but it IS from the genius mind of someone who has written a YA book. So there's that.  Plus it's VERONICA MARS and since I'm a proud kickstarter backer of the movie, I've gotta show it some love on the blog.

Divergent
To be released March 21, 2014 (US)
movie website
photo credit

About the book: In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her. [goodreads]

The Fault in Our Stars
To be released June 6, 2014 (US)
movie website
photo credit

About the book: Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind. [goodreads]

If I Stay
To be released August 22, 2014
movie website
photo credit

About the book: In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heart-achingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make, and the ultimate choice Mia commands. [goodreads]

Veronica Mars
To be released March 14, 2014
movie website
photo credit

About the movie: On the eve of graduating law school, Veronica Mars has put Neptune and her amateur sleuthing days behind her. While interviewing at high-end New York law firms, Veronica Mars gets a call from her ex-boyfriend Logan who has been accused of murder. Veronica heads back to Neptune just to help Logan find an attorney, but when things don't seem right with how Logan's case is perceived and handled, Veronica finds herself being pulled back into a life she thought she had left behind. [movie website]

Are you planning to go see any of these movies? Which ones are you most excited about (or most worried about)? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!!

Allegiant (Divergent, #3) by Veronica Roth - Spoiler Free

Allegiant (Divergent, #3) by Veronica Roth
Published: October 22, 2013 by HarperCollins
Source: Purchased from Target

One choice will define you.

What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent. [goodreads]

My literary heart lies with contemporaries, but every once in awhile a story will come along, so far outside my reading realm that captivates me and pulls me under.  The Divergent series by Veronica Roth is a symbol of just that.  Her storytelling of a world so distant of my own lulled me into an addicting adventure that I have been a part of since the first release of Divergent, back in 2011.  My final thoughts on the conclusion of this series are bittersweet.  I am pleased with the overall delivery, but I long for more.  I think that's how it goes with every goodbye to a story you love so deeply.

This is an unconventional review, as I don't want to provide any spoilers for readers that have yet to experience the Divergent series.  I know it's impossible to pick up a book and begin with such purity, but if anything, I'd like for these final thoughts of mine to encourage reluctant readers to give it a try and to embrace fellow fans of the books as well.

There is a message within this dystopian world, one about finding your place in a society where the walls are threatened to be demolished, and boundaries are set to be tested.  War is constantly on the horizon with an always present fear of the unknown.  Relationships are born among the harshest of conditions.  While other connections are dismantled and blown to bits.

There is a sense of bravery from the author as she delivered the final pieces in this story, the same sort of selfless bravery that we have grown to know and love in the characters of this remarkable trilogy.  What an incredible ride this series took me on, only to remind myself how powerful and engaging literature can be.  Wow.

Insurgent (Divergent, #2) by Veronica Roth

Insurgent (Divergent, #2) by Veronica Roth
Published: May 1, 2012 by HarperTeen
Received: ARC from publisher (thank you!)

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so. {goodreads.com}

Veronica Roth has created a world of factions that separate people by their instincts, personality traits, and loyalties.  She introduced us to this world in Divergent, as we followed Tris from one faction to another; making sacrifices for herself, her family, and even strangers she met along the way.  When I read Divergent a year ago, I felt like my mind was blown.  This novel embodied so much of something that I had never read before.  Just when I thought nothing could top it, Veronica Roth produces it's follow-up Insurgent and everything I thought I knew about reading captivating literature has been blown to bits.

Stating this book as something that's phenomenal, brilliant, or 5-star does not do it justice.  I'm afraid the word for this continuation is still out there.  It's hushed whispers, giant screams, and all the sounds of words in between.  I want to push this book, this series, into the hands of every one I know.  The beauty of this type of story is that anyone can relate to it, anyone can lose themselves in it, and anyone can hold it to a higher degree.  It's just that good.

Insurgent is 525 pages of heart-pounding, gut-wrenching, eye-opening, jaw-dropping excellence.  This woman can write.  I am amazed at where her mind allows itself to wander.  How in the world does someone come up with a story so intricate, yet so identifiable among the masses?  Divergent was just an ounce of the enormous weight that Insurgent has shattered me with.  The characters in this follow-up are truly tested physically, emotionally, and mentally.  I have walked away from this novel completely baffled by what they've experienced.  The world that was beating so strongly in Divergent, separated by factions, is now full of question, chaos, and uncertainty.  The ending will leave you with just enough hope of a resolution, but the burning desire to know what happens next will overcome everything else.

This book. This series. AMAZING. Veronica Roth deserves all the praise she's received and I look forward to the many more she will endure after Insurgent is out in the wild.  Grab your copy now!  It's a must-read.

...To Be Continued in 2012!

photo by Elements of Persuasion

While browsing my "must-reads" for 2012, I realized there are quite a few books that happen to be follow ups to a new series that I started reading this year.  Below are a few of those, second in the series, must-reads that will be published in 2012.

This past year introduced me to a lot of new authors & genres in YA lit.  I found myself immersed in some of these stories and can not freaking wait to read what happens next for these characters.  Share your thoughts in the comments if you've read any of the books prior to these. Or, if you have not read any of them yet, then perhaps this post will entice you to do so.  2012 can not get here fast enough!!!!

*WARNING: some of these book descriptions may contain spoilers if you have not read the previous book.

Hallowed (Unearthly #2) by Cynthia Hand

January 24, 2012

For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning. {taken from goodreads.com}

Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver

March 6, 2012

Lauren Oliver captivated readers with Delirium, the first book in a thrilling dystopian trilogy in which Lena Haloway dared to fall in love with Alex and escape the cure, the government-mandated procedure that renders a person immune to the disease of love. Lena and Alex staked their lives on leaving their oppressive society, but only Lena broke free.

Pandemonium continues Lena’s gripping story. After escaping from Portland, Maine, Lena makes it to the Wilds and becomes part of an Invalid community, where she transforms herself into a warrior for the resistance. A future without Alex is unimaginable, but Lena pushes forward and fights, both for him and for a world in which love is no longer considered a disease. Swept up in a volatile mix of revolutionaries and counterinsurgents, Lena struggles to survive—and wonders if she may be falling in love again. {taken from goodreads.com}

Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth

May 28, 2012

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so. {taken from goodreads.com}

The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2) by Richelle Mead

June 19, 2012

Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students—children of the wealthy and powerful—carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought. {taken from goodreads.com}

More sequels to be continued in 2012:

A Want So Wicked (A Need So Beautiful #2) by Suzanne Young - July 2012
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer #2 by Michelle Hodkin - 2012
Shatter Me #2 by Tahereh Mafi - 2012
The Eve Trilogy #2 by Anna Carey - 2012
Shine (Shade #3) by Jeri Smith-Ready - May 1, 2012 (I know it's the 3rd in the series, but it's HIGHLY anticipated in my to-be-read pile for 2012 & I wanted to mention it!) 

A list has been created on goodreads of several more 2012 YA/MG Sequels.  Click here to view that list.

I receive a small commission from books purchased through the Amazon links provided.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Published: May 3, 2011 by Katherine Tegen Books
Received: Jen from Makeshift Bookmark

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance. {taken from goodreads.com}

YA dystopian is not the first genre I go to these days.  You'll usually find me picking up a contemporary piece or paranormal romance.  But every once in awhile I will find myself being drawn to something in the dystopian world.  Usually it's by word of mouth.  When bloggers confess their love for a book on their blogs & on twitter I think, hmm I may need to check this one out.  Divergent is one of those books.  And yes, YOU should check this one out too.  To say it's a fantastic read is an understatement.  Divergent sucked me in, held on so tight squeezing the life out of me, & then spat me back out leaving me breathless.

The story is based around a dystopian Chicago.  Now, I have never been to this city, but Veronica Roth did such a superb job of describing well-known landmarks that I had an easy time visualizing it.  From the crumbling buildings, to the harsh sky line.  The city is divided in to five factions & when each child turns 16 he/she has the choosing of which faction they want to belong to.  Sounds easy right?  Well, it's anything but easy!  The faction you choose will dictate who you are for the rest of your life.

Beatrice has a choice; remain in the Abnegation faction she has grown up in or listen to the pull within her to join another faction.  The choices she makes propels her in to a lifestyle of humanity that she never knew existed.  It is here that she learns how far she can push herself, what boundaries lie within her reach, and how willing she is to go beyond them.  The relationships she makes along the way are new to her.  Coming from a society that has taught her to be selfless, always putting others before herself, she never knew what it meant to build relationships with people -- to gain personal satisfaction from these relationships.  In a world she thought she knew, everything is being challenged.  The small, meek girl is rising above and standing tall.  She has a voice and she plans to use it.

Now you may be wondering, where's the boy?  Oh trust me.. there is a boy!  His name is Four.  Yes, Four :-)  His character stood out the most to me.  He comes across cold and aloof, only wanting to serve his faction and think clear headed thoughts.  But when he meets Tris (her new name she gives herself) his ideals falter and he begins to question everything he thought he knew.  Four may seem distant and hard, but it's the tender moments that seep out between him and Tris that really captured the story for me.  The two of them unearth secrets about themselves and have to learn to live in a world they thought they understood, but really is a mystery in the making.

The pace for Divergent is quick and never letting go.  I loved how the story continuously flowed, always presenting new challenges and never giving a final resolve.  With this being the first of three books I can not wait to see what happens next.  This story is gripping, compelling, and digs deep within your soul.  Veronica Roth has completely blown me away with her debut novel.  Go read this book. NOW.  You won't be disappointed, I promise.