{Review} Inside Divergent; The Initiate's World by Cecilia Bernard & The Divergent Official Illustrated Movie Companion by Kate Egan

Posted by Donna
Release Date: February 11th, 2014
Finished Date: June 6th, 2014

Publishers: Harper Collins  
Genre: YA Dystopia
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback

Pages: 144

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Veronica Roth's #1 New York Times bestselling novel Divergent is now a major motion picture starring:
Shailene Woodley, Theo James, and Kate Winslet!

This eye-catching volume takes you inside the film version of Divergent. 

With more than 100 photographs—many never before seen—Inside Divergent will immerse you in the thrilling dystopian world of futuristic Chicago, where you'll meet the initiates and discover the factions.

The Review: Inside Divergent; The Initiate’s World is 144 pages of all the important parts of the Divergent world. The guide is separated into 6 different sections where we have; Introduction, The Five Factions, The Initiates, The Faction Members, The Choice and Becoming Dauntless. 
Each section gives you that inside peak to parts of the book – but much quicker than actually reading the book. It’s a perfect read for someone who isn’t already a fan of the series especially if they would like the knowledge of the book before actually going to watch the movie. I think it’s very easy to follow and gives them just enough knowledge without spoiling the movie. 

As a huge fan of the series myself and already having the knowledge of the series, this didn’t really tell me anything new. It was great seeing the pictures from the movie and I guess seeing it all broken down does make it easier on a fan for a quick re-cap before watching the movie. And overall, a very quick read – I read it in about 30 minutes. 

In all, it’s a good introduction for someone who isn’t already a fan of the series! 

Posted by Donna 
Release Date: March 4th, 2014
Finished Date: June 1st, 2014

Publishers: HarperCollins UK  
Genre: YA Dystopia 
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback

Pages: 160

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Veronica Roth's #1 New York Times bestselling novel Divergent is now a major motion picture starring;
Shailene Woodley, Theo James, and Kate Winslet!

With never-before-seen photos; personal interviews with the directors, actors, and writers; and exclusive extras, this lush, oversize volume is a true behind-the-scenes look at the filming of Divergent.

The Review: Ever want to know what happens behind the scenes on a movie? Then this is for you. The Divergent Official Illustrated Movie Companion is a perfect read for fans that want the insiders scope!

At a 160 pages this movie companion is great to add to your collection of Divergent works, it gives you tons of details that you wouldn't know, like from behind the scenes and how they created certain scenes. Not only but you get comments from the director, the actors - yes, comments from Theo and also - which I think was a great feature -  comments from Veronica Roth. I always love finding out the reaction of how the author feels about their vision coming to life and I really think we find out some keys facts on how Veronica feels, and also about how she felt about her small part in the film.

For me, the details of the guide is fantastic and even though I read it after watching the movie, it was still great. I loved reading how they created the costumes and loved the designers drawings included. 

In all, I really enjoyed this movie companion and I would definitely recommend it for any fan! 

A Review for Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth

Posted by Jess

Release Date:  May 3rd, 2011

Finished Date: April 30th, 2012

Publishers: HarperCollins

Source: Bought

Format: Paperback

Pages: 487
Buy : Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Beatrice "Tris" Prior has reached the fateful age of sixteen, the stage at which teenagers in Veronica Roth's dystopian Chicago must select which of five factions to join for life. 
Each faction represents a virtue: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite. To the surprise of herself and her selfless Abnegation family, she chooses Dauntless, the path of courage. 
Her choice exposes her to the demanding, violent initiation rites of this group, but it also threatens to expose a personal secret that could place in mortal danger. 
Veronica Roth's young adult Divergent trilogy launches with a captivating adventure about love and loyalty playing out under most extreme circumstances.

The Review: “I might be in love with you." He smiles a little. "I'm waiting until I'm sure to tell you, though.” -Four
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I actually can't believe it took me so long to read this book. What was I thinking?! Man! I LOVE Dystopian, and I loved everything about this book. Although it didn't grab it straight away like The Hunger Games, it was still absolutely amazing and I couldn't get enough of it. I found myself whizzing through it, I don't think I came up for breath! It's a shame I had to work, cut into 8 hours of good reading time.
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Anyway, I loved the whole story. Dystopian is really hard genre to write about. And Roth manages to pull it off and she's the same age as me! It's a fantastic read that kept me on edge for a very long time. Tris was incredibly likable from the start, and I loved her character development. She went from and unsure Abnegation girl, to a strong-I-don't-take-no-crap-from-no-body-Dauntless girl! She was super kick ass and I loved her. Four was just...sigh. He has a piece of my heart now. I hope he's careful with it.
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There's a lot of world build up in this, and I always feel Dystopians work better that way. As a reader I want to know about the chaos that surrounds this Dystopian future. I want to soak in every little detail. And that I did! It was simply wonderful.
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There isn't a lot more I can say, except that it's definitely a book you should go into not knowing much about, that's what makes everything a little more epic.
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Overall, a fabulous read and I look forward to reading Insurgent. When I get my stinking hands on it! 

A Review for Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth

Posted by Donna

Release Date: May 1st, 2012

Finished Date: April 9th, 2012

Publishers: HarperCollins UK

Source: For Review

Format: Paperback

Pages: 525
Buy : Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

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.

The Review: " What did you do?" I screamed. "You die, I die too" 
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Insurgent was one of my most anticipated books of 2012 and before I start this review I’d just like to say congratulations to Roth for being able to create a sequel that was just as good – if not even better than its predecessor, and secondly I’d like to say…..Insurgent is just full of pure awesomeness and it really is amazing.
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After the shocking events in Divergent, Tris, Four and the gang are trying to move forward with their lives but they need the help of the other factions to help them fight the war. Tris soon finds an unlikely ally who is trying to help her discover the secret that is being hidden from everyone, so they can reveal it but first Tris must try and overcome her guilt and grief for the part she played in Divergent. Can she overcome her fears and save those who she loves most or are they all doomed to die?

Roth had me hooked from the very first page of Insurgent and I didn’t stop until the very end. It's one of them books that you just want to keep reading and reading because it's so exciting, captivating, compelling, and dangerous and of course it's filled with sad and happy times that leave you begging for more. It's one of them perfect books that make you feel every emotion possible and the world that Roth has created is so vivid that you can imagine yourself there. It's not a perfect world but she truly captures the good and bad points of every faction, making you love and hate them just the right amount. My heart raced in parts of this book because of the twists and turns the story takes and you just never know what to expect next and even though I was desperate to find out how the book ends, I also didn't want it to end because now I've got that long and painful wait for book three.

Tris for me really grew into her character this time around. Although she’s always been brave and strong, I feel the fears she had over her part in Divergent help her to become that much a better person. She’s stronger than ever, she will do what it takes to make things right and she will go against everyone that loves her. She’s someone that isn’t afraid to speak out and even though she loves Four with her full heart, she still stays true to herself even if he doesn’t always agree with her. Their relationship goes through a lot this time around but they become a stronger couple for it and I cannot wait to see what happens next with them.

All in all, Insurgent is one of the best sequels I ever read and I could definitely see myself re-reading this series again in the near future. If you’re looking for something completely mind-blowing and unique then this is the book for you. It's definitely one you don't want to miss out on.

A huge thank you to HarperCollins UK for giving me the opportunity to review this book and if you’re looking to follow the UK factions on Twitter look for #InsurgentUK #TeamDauntlessUK