REVIEW: Carve The Mark

CARVE THE MARK

by Veronica Roth

Pages: 468

Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books

Publication Date: 18th January 2017

In a galaxy powered by the current, everyone has a gift.

Cyra is the sister of the brutal tyrant who rules the Shotet people. Cyra’s currentgift gives her pain and power — something her brother exploits, using her to torture his enemies. But Cyra is much more than just a blade in her brother’s hand: she is resilient, quick on her feet, and smarter than he knows.

Akos is the son of a farmer and an oracle from the frozen nation-planet of Thuvhe. Protected by his unusual currentgift, Akos is generous in spirit, and his loyalty to his family is limitless. Once Akos and his brother are captured by enemy Shotet soldiers, Akos is desperate to get this brother out alive — no matter what the cost.
The Akos is thrust into Cyra's world, and the enmity between their countries and families seems insurmountable. Will they help each other to survive, or will they destroy one another?

You know that feeling when your favourite author announces a new series and you just cannot wait to read it? This is how I felt when Carve The Mark was announced, as I've read the Divergent books more times than I care to mention. However, when it came around to it I just couldn't pick it up. What if its not as good? What if I end up being let down? Well over a year after it was first published I FINALLY got around to reading Carve the Mark and I am happy to say that I was not disappointed!

Carve The Mark is a story of two halves, told from two points of view. The first is Akos, a boy torn away from his family, who has to learn to survive in enemy territory and serve a family that threaten everything he holds dear. Second is Cyra, a girl fated to bring pain to anyone who touches her. As the book unfolds these two characters’ lives become intertwined as their fates are destined to play out but the path they find themselves on was nothing like they imagined. For you see, Akos may be the only relief from Cyra's current gift, a moment in time where she is able to breathe. With hostile relations between two races reaching its apex and a rebellion on the horizon, can our two main characters out run their destinies or were the fates sealed long ago? 

I'll be honest, to begin with I wasn't convinced. I don't know if it was the fact it wasn’t Tris and Four or if my expectations were just to high but I honestly thought I wasn't going to like this book. However, after a couple of chapters I found that I couldn't put this book down. I needed to know what happened next. The story line was exciting and constantly moving from one thing to the next and it kept me on my toes throughout. One of my favourite things with books like this is seeing how the author uses contemporary human behaviour to create worlds that parallel our own and the universe Roth describes is both otherworldly and relatable (which is a hard mix to pull off). 

The characters themselves are all completely and utterly imperfect, they make mistakes and fall down throughout the book, but they also find the strength within themselves and each other to fight. The growth of Cyra's character was probably one of my favourites as it shows not just the harshness of growing up and finding yourself but also the struggles of doing what's right when it's so much easier to do what's being asked of you. 

Overall, I fell in love with this story and the main characters. It was fasted paced and exhilarating, with plot twists around every corner. It was one of those books that makes me wish I hadn't waited so long to read it and I'm not making the same mistake with book 2 as I can't wait to find out what is in store for these characters next.

WoW #8

Four
by Veronica Roth

Paperback: 208 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: July 8th 2014

Language: English

ISBN: 0062285688

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 per-spective 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.

Why I'm waiting...

I'm having Four withdrawals! Something is seriously wrong with me, I haven't even seen the movie yet!!! I read the first of these short stories back in November and I've been waiting patiently for the rest to come out and for me to have a little more Four in my life. I loved the last book in the Divergent series, although I didn't like the addition of Four's POV because it seemed random as the other books were all Tris. That being said though I'm super excited to have stories told exclusively from Four's POV. For us as readers to get to know him a little better. 

What are you waiting for this fine Wednesday?

Book Look #1

Taking some of my favourite books and creating looks inspired by their covers & characters. For the first Book Look we're focusing on Divergent. 

Divergent - Dauntless by emily-bradley-dorman featuring skinny jeans

Divergent - Erudite by emily-bradley-dorman featuring flat shoes

Divergent - Candor by emily-bradley-dorman featuring a flare skirt

Divergent - Amity by emily-bradley-dorman featuring short boots

Divergent - Abnegation by emily-bradley-dorman featuring a maxi skirt

Which faction are you?

Allegiant

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary (From Back Cover)
What if your whole world was a lie?
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 read. 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.

Review
I don't know about you but I have a habit of reading ahead. Specifically, I almost always read the last page first. Now sometimes it makes me want to read more and most the time I want to slap myself for being an idiot, for example books not to do this include: Noughts and Crosses, The Madness Underneath, Gone Girl and most importantly Allegiant! DON'T shoot yourself in the foot, this is an epic book and reading ahead will just spoil Roth's dramatic, and quite frankly, heart breaking conclusion to - in my humble opinion - one of the best YA series around right now.

Okay now for the story, we left Tris in Insurgent after she managed to betray Four (again) and reveal the secrets that have kept her society together. Now the Factionless are in charge, but instead of giving the people of the city a choice in who they want to be they've ended up taking away the only choice they had. In this instalment we see Tris, along with Four, Caleb, Christina, Cara, Uriah, Peter and Tori all leave the city in hopes of finding what's beyond they're crumbling society. However, not everyone makes it. Outside the city they discover more than they ever thought they would, more than they wanted to, and have to come to turns with what life within the city walls actually mean. They have to decide what's worth fighting for and who's worth saving.

Unlike the past two books, this is told not just for Tris' perspective but also Four's. Personally I think I would have preferred it to have just been Tris (that's why it got marked down slightly), although I can see why the second point of view was important. It gives you a greater understanding of all the events unfolding within the book.

Being the last book in a series it's almost mandatory that the author kills off a couple of our favourites. Roth has had no problem with killing characters in the past. Divergent saw us loose both of Tris' parents and Will (some others too, but they're the important ones). Then in Insurgent we lost quite a few of our love-to-hate baddies like Eric and Jeanine, but it's the people we loose in Allegiant that are the most devastating. But unlike with *Spoiler Alert for Mockingjay THG* when Finnick dies, you're not left wandering why did that HAVE to happen? Every death fits within the story and makes it stronger, even if it does have you blubbering like a baby.

I feel like I've said it 100 times but I really do love these books and I'm sorry these reviews have turned into a bit of a gush-fest but once you read them I'm sure you'll understand. Allegiant in the perfect ending to a series I'll probably be re-reading for a long time. There are no unanswered questions by the time you've read the final page.

Enjoy the last Divergent book my lovelies and try not to cry too much.





Official Book Trailer for Divergent series, if you want to watch the movie trailer check out my Divergent review.

A Divergent Story

I've mentioned in a previous post that I don't particularly like eBooks. However, there are a few short storied that you can only get electronically these days. I shared The Bane Chronicles with you last time and now I want to make sure you know about Veronica Roth's eBooks, A Divergent Story. 

In these short stories she follows Four, giving us as the reader an insight into his point of view. Also a much needed look at his back story - that's in the second one, The Transfer. There will be 5 in total, which you can buy separately. The first two are out now, the next three are out in July. You can buy the whole Four collection in one (I think it works out to be cheaper), but you will have to wait until July of this year if you want to do that. 

I love the Divergent series and these are like the cherry on top. Enjoy reading them my lovelies.

Insurgent

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary (From Back Cover) 
I have done bad things. I can't take them back, and they are part of who I am.
Tris has survived a brutal attack on her former home and family. But she has paid a terrible price. Wracked by grief and guilt, she becomes ever more reckless as she struggles to accept her new future.
Yet if Tris wants to uncover the truth about her world, she much be stronger than ever... because more shocking choices and sacrifices lie ahead.

Review
Okay first things first, if you've not read Divergent then stop reading this and go read that instead! This is one of my favourite series so I'm not going to hold back, so there may be quite a few spoilers. Okay, formalities out of the way, lets begin...

Insurgent starts where Divergent finished, there's no two week gap like a lot of sequels, throwing us straight into the chaos left behind from the attack on the Abnegation. The Dauntless are having to decide whether or not they accept their factions new affinity with Erudite, while Tris, Four, Caleb and Marcus are forced to flee the bodies they left behind in the Dauntless headquarters. But with both her parents being killed in the attacks Tris' world seems to be falling apart.

After a short and eventful stay at the Amity compound our rag-tag group of heroes make there way to Candor where the Dauntless that haven't sided with Erudite have set up camp. There, with a little help from some truth serum they are made to divulge everything they know about the Divergent and Tris is confronted with what she did to Will. Lets just say Christina and Will's sister Cara aren't best pleased to see her. Although no one can make Tris feel worse that she already does, after all, why didn't she shoot him in the leg?

The only reason I haven't given this book 5 out of 5 is because I thought the first instalment was better, even if ever so slightly! However, saying that the plot flows without not so much as a hick up and whole new levels of our favourite character's are revealed. For instance you'd think after the first book Eric couldn't get much worse, well you would be very wrong indeed! That's not even mentioning Caleb, dear lord that boy needs a good smack!

It's one thing after another with this instalment of the divergent series and will put you through your emotional paces. I will say though if you're planning on reading this make sure you have the third and final book, Allegiant, on hand because it ends one hell of a cliffhanger.

There really is no one left to trust.


Watch the book trailer bellow, for the movie trailer check out my Divergent Review.