Book Review: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Insurgent by Veronica Roth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'd give it 4.5 stars if I could, because I'm very reluctant to give something 5 stars. I probably wouldn't give it 5 stars though, because I thought it was a bit drawn out at times, but maybe that's because we needed a bit of a run-up to the action. And yes, there is plenty of action. But also large amounts of introspection, which I appreciated after finishing a reread of the Hunger Games trilogy. In my opinion, I think this series has quite a bit more depth and I'd love to see these books dissected in a high school or even college-level literature or psychology course. Heck, you can even use the books in history or science!

And when you think there's no way these authors can engineer yet another ending that leaves you howling at the last page...yes, one will be waiting with baited breath for the next book.

One small spoiler: Roth has plenty of time to get us invested with these characters. But I have to say that one of the characters that really hooked me wasn't introduced until nearly the ending, it only took a few pages, and I'm sorry we won't see more of him.


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Book Review: The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


My timing on this book was great, as I was reading it during the London Olympics. Plus I've been on the Jack the Ripper tour, and have had a drink at the Ten Bells, so it was great to have that frame of reference so readily in my mind. Rory as a character is your typical YA character that is a bit annoying (which in my opinion is what makes a good YA character). The school references of "prefect" and "Head Girl" will be familiar to those who've read the Harry Potter series.

There's great tension in the book and a wonderful plot twist, and just as I was beginning to think that this was a great stand-alone book, oh, the ending! Really really loved the ending.




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