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Review: Insurgent

Insurgent (Divergent, book 2) by Veronica Roth

I give this book a 5.

LoveIt

I thought there would be more action in this one and there was…Oh and I was right about those crazy factions and their downfall and all that. Now I can’t wait to see what’s outside, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

Tris is at it again, being all sweet and moody and kick-butt all at once. I like this kid, but she has some serious issues. Four on the other hand doesn’t seem as wise and mature as the author projects him to be in the eyes of all the other characters, but I still like him too (He’s only two years older than Tris, not exactly a father figure).

So in this book we’ve figured out that all the smart people are trying take out all the selfless people and somehow everyone is just now acknowledging the sixth faction, which I was just waiting for all along. There aren’t a lot of surprises in this plot, but I like the way it is executed. The author has put ingenuity to test with the way she’s twisted her plotlines. The few surprises there are in this book, are more than enough to carry the rest of the story if anyone is having a problem there.

The whole theme of control (and mind control) in the book screams anti authority in some ways, but I also think it’s a cautionary tale about the problems with too much control. Apparently someone tried to create a perfect world that’s slowly falling apart and people are willing to kill to keep this failed idea a secret. I admit I have questions about where this story is going, but I was too wrapped up in the mental and physical battle between Tris and the Erudite to spend too much time worry about them.

If the first book was about keeping secrets and finding yourself, then this one is about revealing secrets and testing yourself (finding out if you are who you think you really are). I could say more, but there’s no point. I like this book whether it makes sense or not, and I can’t wait to read the next one.

See my review for Divergent here.

This review has been posted to GoodReads. If you’d like to obtain a copy of this book, try this link.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

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Books

Review: Cinder

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles, book 1) by Marissa Meyer

I give this book a 4.

LikeIt

Cinder is just as the book and cover suggests, a futuristic retelling of the classic Cinderella story, but there is the brink of a great space war looming in the background. It tells the story of a cyborg teen, a mechanic, commonly referred to as Cinder. There is a mean stepmother and stepsister, but there is also a nice stepsister. There is also a scary plague and some crazy curfews and rules about life as a cyborg. So when Cinder has a chance encounter with the charming Prince Kai, the last thing she wants is for anyone to know about it, especially not him. No one can know that the Prince has associated with a cyborg peasant, but before long, that’s the least of Cinder’s worries.

I’m a fan of fairy tales and all their retellings, so it would have to take quite a bit for me not to like this story, but even with my own personal bias, I think this is a really good story. It is very creative and imaginative. I think what I like most about the story is that Cinder isn’t presented as just another girl. I know she’s a cyborg, but she’ll still a person. What I mean is that, deep down, in most Cinderella stories the girl really does want to go to the ball and dance with the prince and have butterflies flutter across the sky, but that’s not Cinder. Her youth is gone and she has too much else on her mind to even think about the ball, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t wasted a few moments thinking about how cute the prince is.

Then there is the matter of the plague, the threat of war, and the moon people. I was very impressed with the way the multiple conflicts mingled in this story. The whole idea of the traditional love story is almost put on the back burner as the rest of the story takes over. I unfortunately have read too many books and seen to many movies to be kept in the dark about Cinder’s greatest secret. I figured it out pretty quickly, but I was still impressed with how it came together. I have a feeling there will be more action in the follow-up story, simply based on the amount of intrigue and conflict in this one. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to continuing this story.

This review has been posted to GoodReads.

If you’d like to obtain a copy of this book, try this link.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

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EC: Battleground Sample Sundays

Sample Sunday 45

samplesunday

Here is approximately 100 – 150 words from a randomly selected original piece for your enjoyment. These samples can include excerpts from my all my WIPs and my Eternal Curse Series, but only as works in progress (not the final products). These samples of published and unpublished works are protected under the U.S. Copyright agreement.

Eternal Curse: Battleground chapter 5.3 (wip)

My whole body trembled with fear and anxiety. I was relieved and terrified at the same time. Mira became sick and went off to a corner to throw up. I stood my guard over the burning body to keep the flames from spreading. I’d learned to contain fire around me, but so much had happened I only hoped I had enough strength and concentration left in me. I stood there until the body had turned completely to ash. When Mira returned she could barely speak recognizable words as she pushed her hands up into her face and swept them up over her hair. She dared not take a deep breath at the moment for fear she’d simply become nauseous again.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords