Giving Up?!

Well me and Maddie haven't posted in a long time. I don't see the inspiration anymore as I've made up my own blog where I review wattpad eBooks. If you guys want us to stay, we will but me and Maddie aren't in the same class anymore. It's much harder to actually communicate about the blog, now... sigh.

PS for the new blog. I go by Nova and if you check my profile, it'll be listed :)

Pretties (Scott Westerfeld)

 Well, usually I start with the first book in the series, but I already made a review of Uglies. But the thing is that I don't think it's good enough to post it. I'll start by explaining so you can read this review and still understand...

The series follows a girl named Tally Youngblood. In the future (Dystopian, betcha didn't see that coming) when you're 16, you can have a special operation performed on yourself to make your pretty. The only thing is that they do something to your brain to make you dim. You're not completely stupid, but you're like a ditz.

Tally is an ugly sent to find her friend who ran away to get away from the evil government. She goes to a place where there's a cure for the brain damage. You can still be pretty, but you're brain will be fixed.

There's a part where the friend (Shay) finds out that Tally has betrayed her but Shay was taken by the government. The government performed the operation and made her stupid against her will.

There's also the matter of Tally wanting to be pretty so she can be with her BFF Peris (who is in fact a guy).

So the people with the cure need a test subject. Tally -being selfless- decides to give herself up so she can be a test subject. That's the end of Uglies.

Now, onto Pretties!

Pretties Review

            Pretties is the second book in the series. I actually liked Uglies much better, but it’s so different compared to Pretties.

            Uglies is a portal into a life where you have to work...

           

            And Pretties is just like Utopia. You can party all night and wear designer clothing. No one cares as long as you’re an idiot! How stupid is that? I know most of you are like, ‘what? Isn’t that a good thing?’ But think about it... What is life worth if all you do is party. No ambitions, goals or even careers for yourself. You just... party.

           

            Oh, look at the pretty picture.

            Now, I being a girl who reads Dystopian fiction a lot kind of went ‘what?’ at this. 

           

            Beautiful face, huh? It really was something I did though. It just feels so strange, jumping from Dystopian to Utopian within the same series.

            As I said before, I actually like Uglies better. Just because Tally has a brain. The lesions in Tally’s brain make me hate her so much. I hated her like I hated Bella Swan. She was just another plastic as a pretty. Her ugliness is actually what made me admire her in the first place.

            At the end of Uglies, I was saluting Tally for making such a brave decision, but I knew she wanted to become pretty anyway. That was probably part of her master plan..

1.      Tell Maddy she was going to be her test subject.

2.      Convince the Pretty Committee to do the operation.

3.      Live life as a pretty with no care.

Truly diabolical...

            But yeah, I actually did think that while reading. It made me angry and I nearly threw the book on the floor. But it was a library book so I couldn’t do that...

            Sorry, to a better topic? Roll the next slide!

            I couldn’t believe Tally as a real person. She seemed so black and white. It was all really fake. Maybe that’s how pretties act, but I really didn’t like it. There were no ways to connect to the characters and really feel what they were feeling because they were pretty and they let that fact run their lives.

            To be perfectly honest, this picture is actually really confusing for me, but I think I get it. It’s saying everyone is real. Because perfection doesn’t exist everyone is real. Even those people who do operations to enhance their features (Pretties) they’re still real. I mean this in real life.

            In the world of Pretties, you’re trading your intelligence for looks.

            I think that’s enough, so let’s talk about Zane. 

            I don’t actually like Zane. I feel like he’s a poser. Even though he’s the leader of the Crims, he gives off a weak and fake aura. I can tell he genuinely cares for Tally which is cute, but cute isn’t enough to write a character on.

            David and Zane would’ve probably fought over Tally, but they never actually met. And Tally being the ditz, doesn’t actually remember David completely. He’s at the back of her mind where she can’t unlock the memories. 

            I think it would’ve been funny if it was a love triangle because of what Tally bases her decision on. David is what she would call ugly (real) and Zane is oh-so-hot (FAKE!) 

            So would she choose on looks, or heart?

            One word: Peris.

            I don’t like him. Worse than Zane. At first, I thought he was a girl. Peris = Paris. Is that wrong? I don’t know... I just thought he was a girl. Then when he was clarified to be a guy, I was wondering if his parents hated him or he was just born unlucky. 

            Peris is also a huge chicken. He’s kind of like that nerdy personality guy but with good looks due to operations. He chickened out to go to the Smoke at the last minute.

            My expression:

            Ok, it’s a guy, but you get my point.

            From reading Uglies, Scott Westerfeld is a great author. That is why I want to pick up Specials. Also, the cover and back are beautiful. And we finally get some real info on what a Special is.

            I really think you should read this if you’ve read Uglies. It’s like a whole new experience, even though it’s completely different.

So, not bad?

Me and Maddie are in different classes this year and we have different schedules. Meaning she has different priorities than I do. I'm training for writing competitions to win money and singing ones too. Maddie is also doing really cool things, but I don't know what they are.

So BAII PEOPLE!!!

- Aimee 

P.S. I'm changing my name now ;) 

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Hey everyone! It's Maddie. You've probably read Amelia's review of Divergent by Veronica Roth(below), so here is my review of the sequel Insurgent!

SUMMARY

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.

"New York Times" bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian "Divergent" series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature

REVIEW

This sequel definitely did not disappoint! In fact, I think it was better than Divergent. The
action was exactly what I was expecting, fast paced and exciting, told in a way that brought it to life. Veronica Roth is an amazing writer, and each scene is beautifully written, as we experience everything with Tris, something I love about books written in present tense.

Tris and Four's relationship grew in insurgent. For part of the book it was rocky, as Tris isn't really ready to open up and trust Four completely. There is a lot of suspicion between all the characters, especially when we meet Four's mother. Tris wants to do what she thinks is right, but so does Four, and he doesn't agree with Tris's version of right and wrong. Still, I love Tris and Four together, because I think Four really helps Tris, being there for her and looking out for her as she struggles to find her way.

Divergent was about Tris finding who she was and where she belonged, and we tried to figure that out alongside her. In Insurgent, Tris is still finding her way, and although she is more sure of herself, the questions still remain. Tris undergoes some serious character development in Insurgent, struggling to get over what happened in Divergent, and what she has done. Towards the end of the book, she really thinks about herself, and she sort of... Sees the situation in a new light. She comes to an important realization about herself, and everything she was raised to believe. Of course, then the book ends on a cliff hanger, and I need to know what will happen! When book 3 comes out, I will definitely be picking it up, and if you haven't already, read Divergent and Insurgent because you won't regret it!

Divergent By: Veronica Roth

 

Amelia here!

To start with this review, I have a story....
so, one of my great friends Priya was reading this book. When she was finished, she was completely and utterly OBSESSED. Yes, the capslock is needed. I refused to read it because it looked kind of stupid and nerdy. After Maddie telling me it was good, and multiple suggestions from Priya, I caved.

Apparently, I was wrong. After reading Divergent the first time, I became completely CRAZY too. It wasn't as nerdy as I thought and I even went to read Divergent Fan Fictions to satisfy myself.

REVIEW TIME!!!!

The actual book's back cover doesn't have a synopsis. At least the copy I have. I got this plot synopsis on the version that's selling on Amazon...

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.
_______________________________

Well, I totally understand why that synopsis isn't printed on the back... It's too long!!!

I'd  probably give the book 20 out of 10. I know that sounds illogical and stupid, but it was that good. If you like the Hunger Games, you'll DEFINITELY like Divergent. As the text above describes, it's set in about the same time as Hunger Games.

I like Divergent because there isn't a lot of mush. I'm not really one for that kind of stuff (Maddie, maybe?) It's mostly about action and loyalties. What makes it so likeable is that you can sort of connect with the main character. She is trying to prove something to the other people in the faction.

Also, I totally LOVE Veronica Roth because she can write in present tense and not mess up. I'll worship anyone who can write in present tense because I can't.

I have enough courage to admit this. I have a character crush. It's totally understandable, right? I mean, you must've had one in a book you read too, right? I'm not going to embarrass myself further when it comes to who, but read the book and guess!

Divergent taught me to use big words. Have you ever heard of the word Erudite? Divergent? Abnegation? I thought they were her own terms, until I looked them up. I'm pretty sure Divergent could be a dictionary all by itself if Veronica Roth wanted it.

I actually thought it couldn't get better, but I was proven wrong. The second book in the trilogy came out on May 1st and it definitely did not disappoint. It's got as much action and epicness as the first book and proves the saying, 'the first book is always the best' untrue.

The characters are either likeable or easy to relate to. Even the antagonists intrigue you because they aren't the typical 'make the main character suffer for no reason' cliche. They have depth and most of the characters have back stories.

I've read Divergent 5 times in 3 days. That was how much I loved it and I swear you won't be disappointed. I'm sort of picky about my books, but Divergent is probably one of the best undiscovered books. It deserves to be up there with Harry Potter, the Mortal Instruments, and the Hunger Games.

Thanks for reading,

- ♫ Amelia ♫

Guest Post! (The Ruby Key, by: Holly Lisle)

This is Amelia!

I'm super sorry that you guys haven't heard from us in a long time...

Since we're still on school, we're super busy. Maddie has been going to various competitions, and I've been reading and writing a story for a contest! I'm sure you probably don't care, but hey, I'm just putting it out there...

This isn't one of our posts. Our good friend Eman, who is super smart, has written this review for The Ruby Key. I personally haven't read it, but I think Maddie has. You'll probably find it to be good!

Now, turning it over to Eman!

This book is great. For those of you who like adventure books I recomend this book. It has a cliff hanger end to every page. It pulls you into the book to become one of the characters. In the begining its boring but as soon as you hit the quarter mark its interesting. This what the back says:

When Genna and her brother Dan learn that their village chieftain has made a dangerous deal with Letrin, ruler of the Nightlings, offering the lives of his peoplem in exchange for his own immortality, they strike their own bargain with the nightling lord. But the stakes are even higher. Now the siblings must embark upon a journey along the moonroads, and bring back the key to Letrin's downfall.............
Read this book and you'll never want to stop.

I give this book:                                          +       

Wasn't that good? Let's give Eman a big hand!

Remember, if you want to be featured here, just write a review and send it to me! There's a tab at the top with 'request a review.' My Email should be there so you can send.

Also, the next review here is probably going to be Divergent or The Mortal Instruments! Stay tuned for that!

This Is Not A Review (but please read anyway)

Harlo! Tis Maddie. Amelia and I wanted to apologize because we haven't been posting lately. Amelia has been on Vacay, and I have been really busy since schools almost over, I've had alot of competitions and stuff. So this post is just to tell you that we will not be posting until July 6 (about two weeks). Sorry about that, but we have some awesome things planned for the future!!!!!!!!!!!!