(Gr 8+)
HarperCollins Children's Books, May 3rd 2011. Reviewed from purchased copy.
"Beatrice "Tris" Prior has reached the fateful age of sixteen, the stage at which teenagers in Veronica Roth's dystopian Chicago must select which of five factions to join for life. Each faction represents a virtue: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite. To the surprise of herself and her selfless Abnegation family, she chooses Dauntless, the path of courage. Her choice exposes her to the demanding, violent initiation rites of this group, but it also threatens to expose a personal secret that could place in mortal danger."Warning: When I'm excited I write a lot of run on sentences.
I have heard people at work raving about this book all summer, and yet I still waited until last weekend to finally pick it up. Silly silly Becky, when will you learn? When tons of librarians are obsessed with a book, it's probably super awesome, and this one is super duper awesome. It was the first book I've read for awhile that I could not put down, and that I couldn't stop thinking about when I did, unfortunately, have to put it down to go do work. Grumble grumble, kids needing books and homework help, don't you know I have a book to read?!
There are a lot of dystopias out there. A LOT. Yet, I am still not sick of them. I'm not sure I ever will be. They are awesome and I love them, and I want to read more. Obviously this book was starting with a distinct advantage with me. Also, it's set in future Chicago! Speaking as someone who has spent most of her life living in the Chicago area, I was ridiculously excited to read a book set in my own hometown! It was awesome to know where the characters were, like really really know. They go to the Sears Tower, (not Willis. Seriously Willis?! C'mon Chicago, why don't you just rename it the Penis Tower?!), Navy Pier, the Hancock Building - obviously none of these places are the same as they are today, but their presence made the story so much more real for me.
Okay, now that I've aired my biases I can actually say what I thought of the book. First off, I loved Tris. She is a perfect dystopian heroine. She is comfortable with the world the way it is...to an extent. She questions her place within her own family, but believes there is a place for her in the world. She is not fighting against the status quo or leading a rebellion, she's just a teenage girl trying to figure out who she is. In this way she is a relatable character to most readers, even those not living in a future world governed by five factions. Tris takes risks, has strong morals, and more raw gumption then is good for her. I think she's awesome! Also, speaking of characters; I have a crush on Four, want a friend like Christina, and had my heart broken by Al.
The plot moves along at a nice pace, not too fast, but quick enough to keep me ravenously turning pages. I lovelovelove what Veronica Roth said on her website about this trilogy, "Just so you know, my goal is to make each book feel A. like a complete work in and of itself and B. absolutely necessary." Isn't that awesome? You know, as a reader going into this trilogy that, even though the story isn't over after the first or even the second book, you will finish the novel with a sense of satisfaction and completion...while still desperately wanting the next book to come out! Other series authors, take note, this is the best way to write a continuing story.
Obviously, I loved this book. I can't say enough good stuff about it, really my only complaint is that the second book won't come out until May! What will I do until then?! Probably read some more books that all the librarians are raving about...lesson learned.
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