UKYABB Secret Santa

This year Lynsey from Narratively Speaking organised a UK, YA Secret Santa - and since I love all things YA I decided to take part.

Here's what I was sent:

* Insurgent Collectors Edition US Hardback (!!!!!!!!)  I really wanted this so I was super pleased when I unwrapped it!
* A bookmark - I am Dauntless (how awesome is that?)

Thanks Lynsey for organising it and massive thanks to my Secret Santa (aka Casey!)- you both rock:)

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

For Review: HarperCollins
Published: 1 May 2012

From Goodreads:  One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature

I absolutely loved Divergent when I read it last year -  it really surprised me.  Not only did I love Insurgent but I loved it even more than Divergent - and it managed to surprised me too.

The story picks up pretty much where it left off in Divergent.  All the characters are having to face the consequences of what has happened and face up to their actions.  And that proves not to be an easy task. Plus there is still danger and more choices to face.

One of the things I love about this series is the relationship between Tris and Tobias.  I love them both as characters individually and I adore how there are together.  Even in this instalment, when their relationship is strained by the secrets they keep, you can still see how much they care for each other and how good they are for each other.  I loved that Tobias calls Tris on her recklessness and I loved that she tells him some hard truths too.  I love the way she stood up to him at the end.  It was kind of a fist pump, you go girl moment for me (internally at least, I'm kind of hoping I didn't actually do it...).

Again the story was action packed and I flew through it at break neck speed.  I think it's safe to say I enjoyed every minute.  What surprised me though, was how there were consequences for what happened in Divergent.  The characters were all given time to process it and their part in it - and I loved the fact that Tris found her part in it hard.  That she had to deal with what she'd done.  It gives the story an anchor, a believability that is needed given everything else that is going on.  It meant I emotionally invested in the story too and that really makes it a book of awesomeness!

I can't wait for the next instalment.  I loved the end to this - how it answers questions and raises new ones.  Characters I thought I knew completely surprised me (both in a good way and a bad way) and I'm really looking forward to the repercussions -  I really, seriously can't wait to continue the story!

Divergent by Veronica Roth

For Review: HarperCollins
Published: February 2012

From Goodreads:  In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

WOW! Just ... wow. I had heard so many great things about this one when it was first released so I was expecting it to be good but it completely blew me away. I read it in one sitting and absolutely loved it!

The story is set in a world where the society is divided into factions, each representing a particular virtue.  When you are sixteen you take a test to find out which faction will fit you best - and this is used (in theory) as a basis for your choice on which faction you want to belong to,   Once you choose you are faced with initiation - if you fail you end up factionless. 

I found the world they live in to be quite harsh.  Not only does choosing a faction mean having to face initiation and possible finding yourself factionless, but if you choose one different from your family then that means turning your back on them.  It must be a difficult choice.  But it does make for interesting reading!  There is an undercurrent of uncertainty, competition and the raised stakes doesn't always bring out the best in people.

I loved Tris and having her voice the story. There is just something about her I really like - she's strong but I'm not sure she realises it. And of course I absolutely loved Four!  And the two of them? Well...!!!!!!

This is seriously action packed.  I loved every minute and really enjoyed working out (or at least trying to work out) what was actually going on.  You know it's going to be something big but I was blown away by the end.  It is a brilliant first instalment in what promises to be a phenomenal series.