Divergent by Veronica Roth

There is good news and bad news about the novel, Divergent, by Veronica Roth. The bad new is that it is SO much like Hunger Games that it is disturbing. The good news is that it is SO much like Hunger Games, that kids who loved Hunger Games will love this as well. This Dystopian novel shares the same tone and mood as Hunger Games. The amount and severity of the violence is similar. The love story is equally alluring. It is written in the same 1st person present tense style. Both books are about competition between teens that have life altering ramifications. Both books are extremely well written. It is almost as if Collins and Roth attended the same author workshop. I have to admit, that as with Hunger Games, I couldn’t put Divergent down and I can’t wait for the next one.

The Predicteds by Christine Seifert

Occasionally I read a book that makes me wish for a moment that I could teach just one more junior honors English class. The Predicteds by Christine Seifert, was one of them. There were several pluses to the book from the start. Seifert is a fellow Utahan. Also this is a first novel, which is always intriguing.

The book brought out some issues that would be a treat to debate with a classroom of students. The book stirred echoes in me of A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. The question raised in both works is, "What rights does society have to deal with potentially evil people if we had the power to predict their actions?" What is the balance between the rights of a society to live in safety and free of fear and the rights of those who threaten that safety and peace? I read Clockwork Orange when I was young and frequently saw the world in blacks and whites. I thought the antagonist should suffer the fate he so clearly (in my mind) deserved. I realized that with age, the blacks and whites of my youth have grayed substantially.

I appreciate Seifert for bringing this issue to light in a book that contains both compelling characters and a believable plot. Seifert manages to portray the high school scene and young adult angst that will ring true with her intended audience. I look forward to reading more from her.