Thursday, July 31, 2014

Case One: Four - A Divergent Collection By: Veronica Roth

               
                                                  Song for Todays Review:                                 

           

                          
Four
By: Veronica Roth
*Warning! Spoilers WILL be present. Spoilers Have Been Whited Out for First Time Readers.*
Four is a collection of short stories long before and during the events of Divergent. These stories are told within Tobias Eaton's, otherwise known as Four to most, point of view. Here, he shares stories of events that he experienced before he joined Dauntless, during the time of his arrival, and then, to the tragically deceased Tris Prior’s arrival
I’ve been a fan of the Divergent series long before the last book and movie ever came out, so you can’t hold anything against me if you think I’m just a fan because I watched the movie. Anyways, after reading the last book(Which almost made me burn it by the way before finally just accepting it), I just had to read more. I love this series that I’m willing to read amidst the pain of losing Tris.


Plot

As I began reading the first chapter, the initial spark that hooked me in from the original Divergent took me in. It was nostalgic and new at the same time. The way Four sees things were… Different from the slightly toneless Tris from the beginning of the Divergent. His pained and emo atmosphere made it feel like I was watching a scene from One Tree Hill, only more violent and outrageous. In a good way. Despite the same charm that was present in the first book, I found the way Four’s brooding attitude of loneliness and pain so… surprising. Surprising that despite the fact that he finally escaped and that he can finally be free, he retained a brooding attitude towards his days and it took another person approaching him to make him loosen up a bit. Then again, if someone would lock me in cabinets, or whipped me on a daily basis, I’d be damaged myself. And the way others must approach him before he can loosen up… Well most guys are that way anyways, who am I to judge?


Review:4.5/5 Stars
Depth
As I said in the previous remark, the atmosphere had changed from Tris’ simplistic and curious view of all things new to Tobias darker and brooding air. The lengths that Veronica Roth had gone to make us see the difference was so long that it made knowing about Four being Marcus Eaton’s son still surprising. When I read about it from Tris, it was more sympathy than understanding. But when I read what he had to do in person… It was just so surreal. It wasn’t sympathy that came to me. It was empathy. Reading from his shoes made things a lot deeper in meaning and understanding than I ever did with Tris.


                   Review: It's worth more than stars. You made Veronica Mars turn! (6.8/5 stars)
Style and Execution

The style, other than the changed point of view, is nonetheless, still similar to the original trilogy that started it all. Veronica Roth’s careful precision and precise balancing of facts, action, and dialogue made the book what any reader wants. Good. Should one over exceeds one requisite or lack it, the book becomes a fight between interesting, uninteresting, and limbo. In the end, books end up either Good, Bearable, or Terrible. I admire her ability to make this book good.
Review: 5/5 Stars
Interest Maintenance
It goes without saying that you should pick this book up if you’ve read the entire series. Or, rather, the first book.  That way, you’ll understand half the things that would otherwise be thrown at you. Alone, it also stands to gain a very good position as a standalone, sans the understanding of terminology learned within the series. Going through this book, I’ve managed to bring myself close to the end in just an hour or less. That only happens when I’m incredibly into what I’m reading. Give me something I won’t like, it’d take me at least a few days to finish it if the length isn’t that much. More, maybe a week. I’m happy to say that my interest did not deter as I read through chapter by chapter.
Review: 5/5 Stars

Creativity
Sure the story was excerpts prior to Divergent, but despite knowing spoiler facts and everything that would’ve made me think “Ooh! This looks like fun!” had this been the first I read of it, everything still smelled new as much as the book did. It felt like reading Divergent again, with a twist! So I applaud Veronica Roth to sticking true to the originality of Divergent while maintaining a line of mystery and questions. Though I do wish that something more had happened. The stories are great, but all of them have been told from the book, albeit in simple sentences or thoughts. Like Four’s abuse, Eric’s overbearing attitude, and suspicion within the Dauntless. Like a never been read or heard before. A special fact that may allude us but leave us satisfied in hopes for more answers. Nonetheless, I can say nothing more about the story’s creativity. It will always be great in my heart.
Review: 4/5 Stars. (Heh. 4 for Four)

Payoff

It’s safe to say that buying this book is well worth your money. It’s not the biggest book, but it will leave you satisfied. The synopsis is spot on, and you wont regret it if you bought this because you liked the cover. I hope you don’t though. Buying books based on just the cover is pretty much a gamble to readers. A synopsis rundown is a little better, but risky as well, so you should really pay more attention to a books details before you decide to pluck it out of a bookshelf just because your favourite actors there- Oh Look! Its Kristen Bell in a new Veronica Mars book! …What? Its Veronica Mars! It doesn’t count!


                                          Review: I'd Taser Someone for It. (7.6/5 Stars)



Overall
You’re not going to make me waste my breathe recapping what I just said a while ago, will you? With all these positive(And some negative) remarks put together, I think its safe to say that overall, this book deserves to be on the stairway to the top of the YA throne. I think a TV series is what this deserves, actually!
Hahaha. Too bad its all in my dreams.
ANYWAYS! My overall ranking for this is:


Touch My Book and You Bleed.
(32.9/30 Stars. Its definitely Worth Reading)
Recommended Song When You Read This: War of Change(Thousand Foot Crutch)

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