Anyone who read the first book was dying for this one months ago; they'll hardly be able to wait for the concluding volume.
In this addictive sequel to the acclaimed Divergent (2011), a bleak post-apocalyptic Chicago ruled by "factions" exemplifying different personality traits collapses into all-out civil war.
With both the Dauntless and Abnegation factions shattered by the Erudite attack, Tris and her companions seek refuge with Amity and Candor, and even among the factionless. But the Erudite search for "Divergents" continues relentlessly. They have a secret to protect—one they fear could prove more catastrophic than open warfare; one they will slaughter to keep hidden... Rather than ease readers back into this convoluted narrative, the book plunges the characters into immediate danger without clues to their current relationships, let alone their elaborate back stories. The focus is firmly on the narrator Tris, who, devastated by guilt and grief, reveals new depth and vitality. While taking actions less Dauntless than recklessly suicidal, she retains her convenient knack for overhearing crucial conversations and infallibly sizing up others. Her romance with Tobias is achingly tender and passionate, and her friends and enemies alike display a realistic spectrum of mixed motivations and conflicted choices. The unrelenting suspense piles pursuit upon betrayal upon torture upon pitched battles; the violence is graphic, grisly and shockingly indiscriminate. The climactic reveal, hinting at the secret origins of their society, is neither surprising nor particularly plausible, but the frenzied response makes for another spectacular cliffhanger.
Anyone who read the first book was dying for this one months ago; they'll hardly be able to wait for the concluding volume. (Science fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: May 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-06-202404-6
Page Count: 544
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
A modern, moody, and monstrously gothic experience.
Defying her duties may be the only way for a girl to discover the truth about herself in a world of monsters.
As a warden, Everline Blackthorn has vowed to protect the wall surrounding the Hallowed Lands from the wolflike vespertine, monsters left behind after the fall of evil god Nyx Severin. Though the distinctive dark blue eyes they share prove she’s the warden commander’s illegitimate daughter, her olive skin and dark hair betray her: Her late mother is regarded as a traitor for abandoning her post when the vespertine invaded. Everline fights not only the vespertine, but her mother’s legacy and her own lack of aptitude for magic, while Briar, her perfect half sister, who closely resembles their father, constantly reminds her of her failings. While out on patrol with Everline’s best friend, Lux, whom Briar is romantically involved with, the half sisters encounter a vespertine who’s walking upright. Seeking answers about both this anomaly and her own origins, Everline ventures onto the moorlands, betraying her warden vows. There she encounters Ravel, another humanlike vespertine, and she can’t help but find him strangely alluring. Some inconsistencies in worldbuilding and characterization are distracting, but the book’s strength and charm lie in its complete commitment to its brooding atmosphere, with stormy nights, bloody rituals, and animal magnetism. The growing sisterhood between Everline and Briar once they escape their father’s influence adds depth. Most characters are cued white.
A modern, moody, and monstrously gothic experience. (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2023
ISBN: 9781250887733
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2023
A suitable angst-y summer read.
A girl who can capture someone’s essence in a painting struggles with finding her own.
Atlanta senior Codi and her friends, Maritza and JaKory, are restless and feel like they’ve missed out on the full teenage experience—living boldly and taking risks. When Maritza comes up with a plan to crash a neighborhood party, Codi bails only to rescue her friends when they drink too much to drive home safely. Heading to the party, Codi stumbles upon two boys making out in the bushes—one of whom is the host, Ricky. Codi begins hanging out with Ricky’s cool friends and neglecting her own, believing she can only grow in a new social circle. Through this new set of friends, Codi meets her crush, Lydia. But when the summer takes a dive, the very people she neglected are the ones she wants the most. Artistic, shy Codi unfortunately comes off as ungrateful and inconsiderate toward her younger brother and best friends while Maritza and JaKory fall flat and read like a convenient plot device for Codi’s angst. Despite this, the story is redeemed by the feel-good moments between Codi and Ricky’s friends, its portrayal of teens navigating romantic relationships for the first time, and insights about becoming comfortable within yourself. Codi and Lydia are assumed to be white; Maritza is Panamanian American; JaKory and Ricky are black.
A suitable angst-y summer read. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: April 21, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-20913-9
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
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