What I'm reading: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Now that work has finished for the year I have been able to get in a bit more reading which has been very nice. I heard about this book from one of my high school students and I try to keep up with what they're reading so I can talk to them about it!

Set in a Distopian world where people are divided into "factions" depending on a choice they made when they were teenagers, Divergent follows 16-year-old Tris as she goes through this process. The five factions are based around one main value each of the groups have which dictate thier actions and behaviours. These include bravery, knowledge, honesty, selflessness and peace. You are raised in one faction and at the age of 16 can decide whether or not this faction is for you, if you decide to change factions this decision will lead to leaving your family behind.

It kind of reminds me of The Hunger Games in that it is a very easy to read book clearly targeted at young adults, but still deals with some older themes including loyalty, dealing with consequences, making life changing decisions and being true to yourself.

I did enjoy this book and finished it in a few days but there were some parts that frustrated me. I found myself being frustrated with Tris, the main character, as things that I thought seemed obvious to the reader, she did not pick up on until significantly later. There is, however, some good characterisation in the novels and you do find yourself really hoping that good triumphs over evil in the end. There is also quite a nice little love story that develops.

This book is the first in a trilogy and while I won't be running out to find the other two, I think I will get around to reading them eventually. If you are after a light, holiday read, or if you are a high school teacher trying to keep up with what your students are reading, this just may be what you're looking for!

I'm always on the hunt for new books to read, if you are reading anything good at the moment I would love to hear about it.

Happy reading!

Zoe xx

What I'm reading: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

 

I know I was a little late getting around to reading this book, but I just couldn't not write about it. If you haven't yet had a chance to read The Help, I definitely recommend it.
 
The Help is set in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 60s, when racial segregation was accepted and encouraged. It follows Skeeter Phelan, a motivated and hopeful journalist, as she attempts to write a book based on the stories of a group of "coloured" women in Jackson and the relationships they have with the women they work for, something dangerous and absolutely unheard of at this time.
 
There are three narrators in the story, the driven writer, Skeeter, Aibileen Clark, a character you can't help but love, and the feisty and opinionated Minny Jackson. Sometimes I find books told from multiple perspectives frustrating, but it really worked in this novel as the lives of the women are all so different. I find it really helps you get a better understanding of each of their situations in a way that a single narrator would not.
 
I love the characters in this book. The relationships and interactions between them is very well written, I find this book both heart breaking and heart warming at different points. Stockett has well and truly shown the vast spectrum of human behaviour, from the cruel and undignified, to the kind and generous. I think that's what I like most about the story.
 
Now I'm settling in for the night with a pot of tea to watch the movie, which I am very excited about, I think Emma Stone is just beautiful and I think she will make a wonderful Skeeter Phelan.
 
The next thing on my to-do list is to find some good books to take with me on my holiday. Do you have any recommendations? I usually like to have two books on the go at once, something light hearted and easy to read, and something a little more challenging so I can choose depending on my mood. I would love to hear about what you've been reading!
 
Zoe xx