Insurgent
Book by Veronica Roth
Directed by Robert Schwentke
Dystopia
Beatrice Prior must confront her inner demons and continue her fight against a powerful alliance which threatens to tear her society apart with the help from others on her side.
You can read my review of Divergent (movie) here.
Well. The trailers for this movie were pretty stupid in my opinion. I remember seeing lots of action and CGI, and overall being like whaaaaaat.
And it turns out that feeling was pretty accurate regarding the entire film.
I did NOT come with expectations- one reason being the weird trailers, another being that I never was that invested in the trilogy originally, and lastly because I more or less forgot what happened in the books.
All these would have served me well if the movie had been a bad adaptation, but enjoyable on its own. However, it was truly bizarre even just as a film. At any given moment something that did not make sense was happening. ENTIRE ILLOGICAL ELEMENTS WERE ADDED- just HOW exactly is a device supposed to say what faction you're in or how divergent you are?? WHY would Four wait until the factionless nearly killed them three times over to play his my-mommy-is-your-boss card? And there is NO WAY Four could have really made that jump in front of the train and survived. The plot stayed nonsensical all throughout.
Cinematically, it was not a smooth watch. So many pieces were dream scenes or simulations that I was always second-guessing whether what I was watching actually happened. Also, I can't believe I'm saying this but... it was too dramatic. All the flying-burning-building shtick really took away from the characters and their stories- and they are not lacking. I think the movie would have been better had they given more time to Four's relationship with his parents, Caleb's betrayal, Christina forgiving Tris... I could go on. Potentially, Insurgent could have really tugged on the heartstrings.
The good thing that I will say is that the actors shone more (than in the first). Miles Teller stole every bit he was in. Ansel Elgort was FUNNY (granted, that might be more due to bad acting than good... of maybe he will just always be Ansel in my mind) Shailene was amazing as usual. The biggest difference goes to Theo- I liked his character so much more in Insurgent. In Divergent, he was just a pretty face (and back). Now I felt and saw all his feelings more, and it was a real pleasure to watch him act and relate.
Rating: 3.5 stars
Love,
Esty
Four: A Divergent Collection
Veronica Roth
Dystopia, Companion
Two years before Beatrice Prior made her choice, the sixteen-year-old son of Abnegation's faction leader did the same. Tobias's transfer to Dauntless is a chance to begin again. Here, he will not be called the name his parents gave him. Here, he will not let fear turn him into a cowering child.
Newly christened "Four," he discovers during initiation that he will succeed in Dauntless. Initiation is only the beginning, though; Four must claim his place in the Dauntless hierarchy. His decisions will affect future initiates as well as uncover secrets that could threaten his own future--and the future of the entire faction system.
Two years later, Four is poised to take action, but the course is still unclear. The first new initiate who jumps into the net might change all that. With her, the way to righting their world might become clear. With her, it might become possible to be Tobias once again.
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth comes a companion volume to the worldwide bestselling divergent series, told from the perspective of the immensely popular character Tobias. The four pieces included here--The Transfer, The Initiate, The Son, and The Traitor--plus three additional exclusive scenes, give readers an electrifying glimpse into the history and heart of Tobias, and set the stage for the epic saga of the Divergent trilogy.
You can read my review of Allegiant and Divergent movie here.
We'll start with the cover- SOOOO PWETTY. I love the the dark blue color, the ferris wheel on fire, the shiny 3D covers all the Divergent books had. This book has been screaming at me to pick it off the shelf for months.
Truthfully, I didn't know what to expect. I LIKED the Divergent books, but I was never as crazy about them as everyone else. I found Tobias's POV in Allegiant kind of lacking.
HOWEVER
I really liked him in this companion! Delving into his past and fears was truly a beautiful experience. You feel his pain and applaud his courage. His voice is much more unique here (in my review of Allegiant I ranted that he sounded too much like Tris). I even found myself liking Tris more after having read her through his eyes!
Plot-wise, Four explains some things that happen in the regular series. This was nice and necessary (exactly what I would hope for in a companion)- so I was satisfied! It also features Shauna and Zeke(:
All in all, a quick and fun read, while also being Divergenty and suspenseful. Enjoy!
Love,
Esty
Divergent
Book by Veronica Roth
YA dystopia
In a world divided by factions based on virtues, Tris learns she's Divergent and won't fit in. When she discovers a plot to destroy Divergents, Tris and the mysterious Four must find out what makes Divergents dangerous before it's too late.
GOD IT TOOK THIS MOVIE FOREVER TO COME OUT. NO, PEOPLE, YOU CAN'T MAKE ME WAIT TWO MORE WEEKS THAN THE STATES. NO, YOU CAN'T.
Guess they could.
Anyhoo, every reader knows the secret to enjoying the movie adaptation of a great book is to come at it with low expectations. Honestly, I'm so used to doing that that it's automatic at this point (well, except for The Hunger Games. And they never disappoint). So nah, I didn't expect much. I knew Shailene from The Spectacular Now and she was great there, but that was just one movie and a totally different role. As for Theo, I have never seen his work, same as Ansel (if there was one person I was praying would be great it was Ansel. Dude is playing Gus. I must be dead on the floor for this to work). And believe it or not, I managed to forget Miles Teller was in this movie. I know. I do. I have been shaming myself ever since. I HEART YOU MILES. I'M SO SO SORRY.
So yeah, didn't think about it too much. I am pleased to announce that I don't think my expectations made a difference= DIVERGENT MOVIE WAS QUITE WONDERFUL ON IT'S OWN.
YES!! I actually liked everything so much more when it was on screen- the dauntless jumping off the trains, climbing the ferris wheel, the fear landscapes. It was all so vivid and exhilarating and had THE BEST SCORE EVER. I can't put my finger on what it was exactly about the music of this film but I can tell you it worked.
BEST SCENES:
FOUR'S TATOOS. IT WAS SO AWESOME I COULD CRY. (DON'T WORRY, I DIDN'T. I JUST SQUEEZED MY FRIENDS' HANDS TIGHTLY AND TRIED TO KEEP THE OMYGODDING TO A MINIMUM. *SIGH* . NO WONDER NO ONE LIKES BEING IN THE SAME THEATER AS ME.)
PETER: YOU WON'T SHOOT ME
TRIS: WHY DOES EVERYONE KEEP SAYING THAT??
*SHOOTS HIM*
TRIS: YOU'RE SERIOUSLY OVERESTIMATING MY CHARACTER HERE.
No, I didn't get stuck on capslock.
What can I say? I was thoroughly satisfied by the adaptation. Good fun, lots of laughs. Oh and Theo. Yes Theo. Hello there, sexy.
Rating?
What did you think?
Allegiant (Divergent #3)
Veronica Roth
Dystopia
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.
Cover comments: This jacket is GORGEOUS in person. Like the others it's also a little 3D and makes you want to croon at it(:
So. The book that caused waves across the twitterverse. If you haven't read it because you've seen the negative reviews, I implore you to give it a chance anyway because many others and I found the twist kinda good actually. That's all I'll tell you. Now LEAVE. MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD.
So unfortunately for me, a friend of mine, thinking that I had already finished the book blurted to me "so what do you think of the fact that she died??" ME:
*pulls out notebook*
*hits her over the head while screaming bloody murder*
Honestly? I thought she should die. From the moment we understood someone would have to it seemed like the wrong thing to do for her to let someone else sacrifice themselves, and probably not even get the job done. Ironically, what pissed me off was not that she died, but that she didn't die the way I thought she should. So she's strongly Divergent therefore poison doesn't work on her? It's not a simulation- a strong and diverse mind shouldn't be able to stop toxic gas. No, she survives the death serum to be shot by David. Ugh, what? That situation could have been talked out of. Actually, should never have gotten there. Did it not occur to anyone to beat the passcode out of David instead of having someone killed? Shouldn't have been that hard, David trusted Tris at the time.
Another annoyance, this one that I shared with basically everyone, was that there was hardly a discernable difference between the POVs. I liked hearing from Tobias but he was not the boy we came to love from Divergent and Insurgent. I found myself flipping back to check who I was reading because the styles were the same! There could have at least been different font.
Other than that? I definitely enjoyed reading it very much, hence the four stars, but there were enough problems that kept me from really getting excited.
Confession: I might have given it 3 stars, but Lordy, THEN COVER.
Rating:
Have a happy December, everyone!!
Esty
Insurgent