Divergent

This week I decided to put my Harry Potter re-reading to the side, and read a new book instead. I still plan to finish the series, but would like to freshen things up a little bit with a different book so I don't become bored. So, at the urging of many friends, I have decided to read the Best-Selling book, "Divergent", by Veronica Ross. I liked the book a lot, and went on a reading marathon to finish the book in two days. The book is set in a dystopian future, where everyone belongs to 5 factions, Abnegation, Candor, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite. Everyone is tested and analyzed, and assigned to the faction which best fits their personality. This has resulted in a complete degradation of society. Everyone is a mindless robot. However, some people are born with a strong will, and are able to resist the brainwashing. These people are hunted mercilessly, and are called Divergent. The main character of the book, Beatrice, is one of them. That's pretty much the summeary. Some parts of the book I liked, and some parts I did not. Here is my reading analysis. 

One thing that I really enjoyed was the authors use of internal struggle to intensify and better the reading experience. She allows us to peer into the minds of Beatrice as she is faced with difficult decisions. One example of this is page 25. "I feel a lump in my throat. A stern voice in my head says. Duck your head and do nothing" This kind of internal struggle really made the book that much better. The author, instead of telling me what was going on in Beatrice's mind, showed me. 

One of the few things that I really did not like was how the authors writing seemed a bit cheesy at times. In page 37 she writes, " Tomorrow, these two qualities will struggle within me, and only one can win." It seems to me that this writing was very generic, and not original. I don't know, just my thoughts.

Overall I really enjoyed the book. I can't wait to read the next in the series.

Finished the book!

Surpsisingly, I managed to finish The Sorcerors Stone over the past week. I found myself with a lot of free time,and thought to myself, why not read? I really did enjoy the book, and how reading it a second time opened my eyes to several new aspects of J.K Rowlings writing.

One of the first instances of literary technique that I noticed the author use this time around was her incorporation of poetry within the story. I didn't really realize the first time around, or rather I didn't really pay attention to it, but I never realized how poetry/riddles really improved the writing of Rowling. In page 285, Harry and his friends are on a quest to save the school from evil, and encounter a road block. They see 7 bottles of liquid in front of them, and 6 of them are poisons. Only one bottle holds the key for continuing on their journey. The answer to which bottle holds the correct potion is encased in a page long riddle. In essence, this riddle really draws readers in and engages the audience. The first time around I read the poem and was fascinated by it, but I didn't really realize what it was. I didn't see how it improved the general quality of the writing as well as increase the tension and suspense within the story.

The second instance of literary technique that I saw the author use only the second time reading was irony. In page 262 the author writes, "they tried to remember how to make a forgetfulness potion". I never noticed the authors clever use of irony within the text. The first time reading I just blew through the story and didn't give it a second thought, but this time I stopped and really appreciated the cleverness of J.K rowling. Although it does not seem likemuch, these kinds of instances are precisely the reason why I chose to read the book once again.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading the book a second time. I'm planning to read another Harry Potter Book in the near future, and I'll be sure to tell how that goes.