Abegnation. Dauntless. Erudite. Amity. Candor. A dystopian society in a post-apocalyptic world.
This is the world I’ve just emerged from. Finishing a good book is a bit like waking up. You open your eyes and look around, and see that things have gone on while you weren’t paying attention. You feel let down because the “world” you’ve been living in is over now. Gone, until the next books comes out, or you find the next title that grabs you. It’s a little like drug withdrawal, but for book nerds.
People always say “The book is better than the movie”, and in 99% of cases, it’s the truth. It was with the movie Divergent.
I had heard of the books by Veronica Roth before. A year ago, in fact, a friend recommended them to me. As a mom, I rarely have time to dedicate to fun reading, and so the recommendation was pushed to the side, after other more pressing matters.
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When the movie came out, it sounded great and so we went to see it. When it ended I told my husband, “I MUST read those books!”
The movie left a lot of holes and questions and I didn’t quite “get it” even though it was a good, action-packed movie. When I said I don’t have time to dedicate to reading, I meant it. When I get into a book, everything else tends to fall by the wayside. Like meals. And cleaning. And blogging. Well, pretty much everything.
I downloaded The Divergent Series for my Kindle, and got down to reading. Now I have spent the past two weeks buried in the lands where the Divergent people live, and I am sad to leave them. I love being immersed in a book!
I have a few key pointers for you about Divergent:
1. Do read the books before watching the movie. You will not understand any of the back story in the movie, because almost none of it is given. The books give an in depth picture that they just weren’t able to capture in the movie. It’s always in the details!
2. The books are appropriate for middle and high school students. The movie is not appropriate for younger kids or those who are unable to handle violence portrayed on screen. There is a lot of fighting and some killing. Other than kissing, there is no sex in the movie or the books.
3. The books (and the movie) offer a great opportunity to have some “what if” discussions with your kids. You can talk natural about disasters, wars, and what things might be like if something big happens in their lifetimes.
If you like books about dystopian and post-apocalyptic societies, you may also enjoyThe Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins, 1984 by George Orwell, and my personal favorite, The Circle Series by Ted Dekker.
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