Divergent- Started and Finished

I have heard so much about this series from friends recently that I decided to read it myself. And...umm... I finished it in 3 hours on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Needless to say, I had a lot of time on Monday.


I loved this book! The setting is in a dystopian world, where almost everyone is divided into 5 different factions, each dedicated to a particular trait: Abnegation (selflessness), Candor (honesty), Dauntless (bravery), Erudite (intelligence), and Amity (peacefulness). I thought the setting was very creative and unique, and it really contributed to the story. The main character, Beatrice Prior, is faced with a difficult decision- staying with her family in Abnegation, or being who she really is and leaving the faction. Throughout the book, she faces many physical and mental challenges, some with devastating consequences.

I don't want to give things away, so I'm going to stop talking about the plot now.

If you are reading my post, you should definitely check this book out! I just started Insurgent, which is the next book in the series.

Finished!

I finally finished Seriously... I'm Kidding!

Like I said before, this book was an unusual choice for me, but I am glad I spent the time reading it. Some of Ellen's best qualities are that she is funny, honest, and encouraging. Her book will put you in a good mood, and it is very relaxed. An example of this : "I love having women like Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton on my show. I also love having regular, everyday women on my show with inspiring stories about their personal journeys. And one time, I had a woman who could bend over backwards and put a hat on her head using only her feet. I that's not inspiring, I don't know what is," (DeGeneres). 

However, sometimes her book feels almost too casual, like she was literally writing down anything that came into her head. An example of this: "For those of you who are reading this the old-fashioned way and can't hear me, I've printed the noises below and I encourage you to use your imagination to think of what they might sound like coming out of my mouth.

meeeeee
faaaaa
cooooooooo
goooooood morning
bowwwwww
babowwww 
yellowwww
pah-pah-pah-pah-pah-pah-pah-pah-pah
pew pew pew pew pew pew..." (DeGeneres).
  
Seriously... I'm not kidding. I usually find Ellen hilarious, but this was a little too much even for me. 

Overall, Seriously... I'm Kidding is a unique, sometimes immature book for anyone who doesn't mind a little humor in their lives. I think it will appeal to people from teenagers to middle aged folk, especially females. I'll give it 3 and a half out of 5 stars.