Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth

I picked these young adult novels out because of a teen recommendation, and I have to say, I really think they are going to be the next big thing. At first, I was a little put off that they are kind of billed as the next Hunger Games, and indeed there did seem to be a lot of similarities - at first. Then as I got into the first book in the planned trilogy, Divergent, it became evident that this was a very different and unique idea being plotted here: That society could be divided into groups according to our main personality characteristics within that society.  How will society react when we slip the mold or try to become our true, authentic selves?

So the scene is some kind of post-war Chicago. The author does not say what type of war it was or really when it was, but the windy city is partially rubble, partly rebuilt, and partly just livable how it is. So, it is a dystopian novel like The Hunger Games and The Giver. But inside this society, there are five factions. When kids are 16 they decide which faction they belong to according to their own personality traits. They can choose the one they grew up in until they were 16, or they can "jump" factions to belong to one that is more truly their own personality or strength.

The story in both books centers around Beatrice, or Tris, who, on faction choosing day, decides she will leave her parents' faction, Abnegation, for the more dangerous and somewhat glamorous Dauntless faction because her "entrance test" is inconclusive, which is highly irregular. She must then go to train to be brave by facing all of her fears using fictional technology where the kids are injected with something that creates a delusion or scene in which they, in their mind, must face their worst nightmares. What becomes evident in Tris, however, is that she is somehow different from the other kids in Dauntless.Because she has strengths in more than one area, she is considered Divergent, and therefore dangerous to the society because she will not necessarily comply to the rules of any one faction. Although the intricacies of the plot are quite complicated and the metaphors for life and society that are flung around are extremely thought-provoking, there is also the simplicity of friendship and young love. Along the way, Tris makes some very loyal friends, and one in particular who will test her own ideas of love, bravery, selflessness, and self.

I got into a heated discussion one day about The Hunger Games and its appropriateness for children. While I won't go into that discussion here, I just wanted to say a word to those who say those books and the movie are just "about kids killing kids." What I want to ask is this: do we or do we not send boys and girls to war at the age of 18? Do we believe that those kids of 18 see horrible things and may have to kill someone? Of course we do. Is it a "bad" thing to do, therefore, to write a book about kids at war with terrible forces? I don't know where everyone lives, but I live here, and that sounds like real life to me.

But books like The Hunger Games or Divergent can be read in many ways. These two were complete page turners. I read them both in a couple days because they had action, love, struggle, and wonderful characterization. The language is simple, yet the ideas are complex. You can read a book like Divergent for fun, because it is indeed, fun to read. It plays like a movie in your head as the words go by. But most adults would also read it as a piece of literature. We read literature to learn: we should learn about ourselves and our world. If you look at all movies and books at literal, face value and determine that they are merely "good" or "bad" or "violent" or "immoral" you are missing the entire point of reading a book or watching a film. We need to be able to look at literature as it interests us as an individual or it doesn't. Just because I hate a book and can't get through it, doesn't mean that I believe it's not worth reading! All books are really worth reading if you can have fun reading them and learn a little about yourself or your world along the way.

So, try these two page-turners from this hot new YA author, Veronica Roth. Which faction will you be?

Gold by Chris Cleave

Well, the Olympics have come and gone for another four years, and my family and I enjoyed them immensely. Four two solid weeks, the cheers of "USA!" and "Go, Lochte! Jeah!" could be heard ringing throughout my house, as we were mesmerized once again by the amazing feats of the USA swim team and the Fierce Five. But one sport that I never would have taken the time to watch this year except for having read Chris Cleave's newest novel, Gold, also kept me riveted to the screen. The sport is bicycle track racing - a global phenomenon in other countries apparently, and completely exciting as depicted in Cleave's book.

In Gold, two women and one man become friends, lovers, mothers, fathers, Olympians, and enemies all in the name of track cycling. Done in an arena called a Velodrome, these high speed racers risk life and limb on these bikes, racing millimeters from each others' tires, going so fast that they can hardly breathe, the lactic acid building in their bodies to dizzying degrees. I learned so much about sports medicine, training regimens, and race tactics from this book that you would think it was a boring encyclopedia on biking. But no! The story was just as amazing as the real racers I watched in the London Velodrome. The characters were real, sacrificing everything for their sport, their intense love for each other, and the little child who belonged to them all.

What did each of the characters give up to race for the gold in the Olympics? What would you give up? Everything? Nothing? Read Gold, and you may change your mind about your own goals and dreams. Give it a try, and let me know what you think!

The Fallen Angel by Daniel Silva

I can never wait to put the new Daniel Silva on the library shelf - I have to snatch it out of the box and read it myself rght away. I am also not a great series reader, for the most part. I get bored with the same characters and formula after two or three by the same author. But with Silva's Gabriel Allon character, I am never bored. Mr. Allon never disappoints because he is always smart, always secretive, always exotic, and always on the run from someone. A winning combo for a spy if ever there was one.

But Allon is a reluctant spy in The Fallen Angel. He really doesn't want to look at the body of the girl who jumped from great heights in St. Peter's Basilica. He really doesn't want to find out that her death may be tied to underground art theft. He doesn't really want to know that those thefts could really be finanacing terrorist activity in Rome and his homeland of Israel. He is retired after all. All he really wants is to restore paintings and drink wine with his beautiful wife.

So, can his buddies in the Office, Israel's secret service, bring him out of retirement yet again to help with these little problems? Hmmmm. . . You'll have to read to find out. But if you know Gabriel Allon at all, you already know the answer.

I am Forbidden by Anouk Markovits

I am always interested in different faiths, so this book intrigued me very much when we first put it on the shelf. It has not been wildly popular, but I'm here to tell you, it's well worth a read. If you also are interested in learning all you can about strict, ultra conservative religious sects, like the Patmar Jewish enclave depicted in this book, then I Am Forbidden is fascinating reading indeed.

The books begins Transylvania in 1939 with a Jewish boy named Josef who is rescued by a Christian woman after the murder of his parents. Later, Josef helps a young Jewish girl find a family who raises her after her parents are killed also. The books then takes us through their connected lives, to Paris and Manhatten, looking at the choices that faith and circumstance put before them. It's a fascinating story of twists and turns, secrets, and truths.

This book is also a peek into the lives of Fundamentalist Jews that I have not read about in fiction before. The binding choices that women in this community must make in the name of faith was terrifying and sad to me, but to them, that was just life. It's hard to imagine living such a life as a woman in today's society, but I know that there are many who still do. As a woman of faith myself, I do not like to think that I might need to give up my basic rights as a woman simply to love God or to love my husband and family. But I know, that even today, there are prominent men of faith that believe I do have to give up those rights to be faithful and moral. And there are people, both men and women, who follow blindly, thinking it is the right and moral thing to do simply because someone told them it is.

This issue came up just yesterday as I sat eating with my two daughters in a restaurant full of young people. There was a table of high school girls discussing politics near us, and one girl made the comment that she thought it was funny for one prominent politician to post his "moral status" on his website. She said (and I'm paraphrasing here), "Why would he feel the need to do that? Just because those are his morals, why would he think they have to be mine? Like his morals are the only right ones, or what?" All I can say is, "Amen, sister. Amen." 

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

On my refrigerator, I have this hilarous (at least I think it's hilarious) magnet that my cousin gave me.  It has an old-fashioned, 50's era cartoon picture of a wife, holding out a chocolate cake on a tray to her husband and three lovely children. It reads, "She was very near to faking her own death." When I got it, my cousins and I laughed about it for five solid mintues. Perhaps Gillian Flynn has this same magnet and thought it was funny too, and it sparked Gone Girl. Hmmm. It's a theory.

You'll try to come up with your own theories, too, as you read this diary-style psychological thriller. It's  told from both perspectives in a marriage gone awry: Nick, the loving yet flawed and stupid husband, and Amy, the smart,  perfect, "cool" girl.  They tell the story of their early marriage, giving details that are heart-warming and very "real." The emotions and day-to-day pschological struggles will hit home with most married couples. But then the story grows gradually darker when Amy disappears from her southern home. The door is wide open, the iron is left on, the living room is in disarray. Nick comes home to find this scene and no sign of his loving wife. Where is she? Who has taken her? Why? Where was Nick when it happened? Is everything as it seems? These become the questions the police and Nick himself focus on in the days to come.

The psychological drama that keeps the reader on the edge here is wonderful. I won't give away what's behind Amy's sudden disappearance, but I will say it's fascinating, darkly humorous at times, and ultimately suspenseful. Give this book a try and see which character you most identify with. I dare you.

Bossypants by Tina Fey

There is not much to say about this brilliant memoir except this: I laughed my pants off!

Tina Fey is a study in how one woman can take all the characteristics that others (mostly men) find fault with(quirkiness, a dry sense of humor, forward thinking, sassiness) and turn them into not only a relevant, prosperous, empowering career, but into a life story that should help other women see themselves better. Fey talks about her early days at Second City and her rise to fame on Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock. She talks about her collaboration with Lorne Michaels, and her friendship and respect for Alec Baldwin and Tracy Jordan. In between these fascinating stories, she gives women some funny, yet real and practical advice about how to get ahead in a man's world and realizing both your potential and your dreams in the process.

But most of all, this book made me laugh. It made me laugh and laugh and laugh. I read it in the space of two days, and during those two days, my daughters kept saying to me, "Mom, really? Stop it, it can't be that funny!" But yes, it can. When I was done, I handed it to my husband and said, "If you want to know what I really think is funny, here it is."  So, if you love 30 Rock as much as I do, you'll love this light, quick read.



The Healing by Jonathan O'Dell

Women's empowerment is a theme that I love in literature, and The Healing is a beautiful mix of strong women characters, historical themes, and lyrical writing style that I'll cherish and remember.

The book is about a slave girl named Grenada, although that is not her given name. That name remains a mystery to her because she is taken from her mother and claimed by the plantation mistress after the master and mistress lose their own daughter to disease. Grenada is then brought up as a "house" slave, enjoying her status and wearing the dead girl's fancy clothes for the mistress. But when the entire plantation's slave population begins dying of the "black tongue," the master seeks help in the form of a "healer" slave named Polly Shine. When Polly sees Grenada for the first time, she knows the girl has the gift of healing also, and tells the master that Grenada must train with her. Grenada hates leaving her comfortable life in the house, but as the days go on, and Polly heals the sick, Grenada starts to believe in her own power and the power of the love that Polly gives her.

Told from Grenada's point of view both as a girl and as an old woman, the reader is drawn into this story of love, loss, and the spiritual power of healing, through birth, life, and death. While the message in the book of taking the power over our lives instead of waiting for it to be given to us is told through the historical context of slavery, it is a message that is relevant in many of our lives today. The idea that power can be obtained simply by doing for others is also a wonderful thing to hold with us as we move ahead in our own lives. So, give The Healing a try this summer. You'll be glad you did.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

So, to keep on my young adult kick, I thought I'd try this one on the recommendation of one of my wonderful teen volunteers at the library. I was very glad I listened to her, because The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is a treat you won't want to miss.

Mara finds herself in the hospital with no clue how she got there. When she learns that she is the only survivor of a terrible accident and that three of her friends were killed, a load of grief and a pile of questions fill her mind. As she struggles to recover from the trauma to her body and mind, she starts seeing her dead friends as though they were real. Her mother worries so much about her recovery, that her parents decide it would be best to move and have a new start, with a new school, and new friends. Mara doesn't fight this, but she does fight the idea that she's just gone crazy. She knows something else is up.

When she begins to have visions of gruesome scenes that eventually happen, she enlists the help of an unlikely boy named Noah. Noah is the handsome, popular, ladies' man at Mara's new school, but he is mysteriously drawn to Mara and truly seems to want to help her with her unusual problem. The uncertainty of her feelings, her special brand of "crazy", and her guilt about the accident drive her to solve the mysteries surrounding her friends' deaths.

This gripping tale of teen love, tragedy, and again, something just a bit supernatural kept me entranced from start to finish. I can't wait of the next Mara Dyer installment coming soon!

Fracture by Megan Miranda



The world of Young Adult fiction is so thrilling right now, and Megan Miranda's Fracture is a wonderful addition. With a fresh, psychological premise, real, relatable teen characters and just enough of the "supernatural" to keep the fantasy crowd reading, this debut novel is one I would recommend as a great summer read for anyone.

In Fracture, Delaney Maxwell must recover from a drowning accident in which she is submerged for 11 minutes. In those minutes until her best friend Decker pulls her out of the water, her heart stops beating and her life changes forever. Because when she wakes up, she eventually realizes that she is being drawn to people who are dying; she can tell that death is near. Her dilemma then becomes whether this is a good thing or a bad one. Is it a gift because she could possibly save someone from tragedy, or is it a curse because interference in the natural order of things can create more havoc in life? Delany thinks she finds an ally in a boy named Troy Varga, who has had the same ability to sense death. But who will deal with this gift/curse in the better way? Who will be saved or put in jeopardy?

You'll have to read this page-turner yourself to find out. And what about poor Decker? Hmmm. Another mystery to solve.

The Expats by Chris Pavone



Okay, women out there: you think you're trying to have it all with a job, kids, and a husband. Try adding being an international spy on top of that. That's just what Kate Moore in The Expats did for many years, until she decided she wanted out. The questions of "Can we have it all?" and "Who can I really trust" are taken to new and exciting heights in this thrilling debut novel by Chris Pavone.

Kate is just trying to settle into her new "non-spy" life after leaving the CIA, trying to take care of her children, do the laundry, and arrange play dates, when suddenly her loving husband comes home and wants them to move to Luxembourg where there is an exciting and lucrative job prospect for him in his computer security business. Kate, while somewhat suspicious, can't seem to find a reason to say no. So now she has suddenly become one of the "expat" moms who spends their time learning a new language, muddling through grocery shopping, and making new friends. It is one such couple of "friends" that put out warning signs to Kate's "spy radar" and test her loyalty to everything she holds dear.

The Expats is a wonderful breath of fresh air in the spy/thriller genre. The characters are very real, the plot nice and twisty, and the setting foreign and exciting. Don't miss this new debut. I hope we hear a lot more from Pavone in the future.