Divergent by Veronica Roth

Bookish Mardi: A Book Review of  Divergent by Veronica Roth


"We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another." - Veronica Roth

In my previous Bookish Mardi's book meandering on Nicholas Spark's The Longest Ride, I acquainted you to a student who's been closed to me,too. Janica Chee. The girl who made me able to witness the love of Sophia and Ira (from The Longest Ride) is also the same person who opened the doors for me to dwell in  Veronica Roth's mind of which I never regret even for a second thought. 

 20% of the books I own are actually given  by some significant others. Others who have known me well enough to realize that one among those which piques my interest is reading/collecting/hoarding books. Janica precisely is one among them. 

Considering those 20% as presents, it  doubles the importance and value of those books. So with Janica's presents in my shelf I'm beyond blissful and grateful. 

Book Review

If I will be asked a sentence about this novel, I ,with entire ardor and fervor in this profound story, will say "It is an intensified amalgamation of friendship, family, love, trust, principles, sacrifices, and decision-makings  perfectly interwoven into an intricate supremacy."

Photo from Web

To start with, Divergent is one among the countless books having dystopian society which can be found in all sort of library in PH. But what I think that makes it distinct among the other dystopian novels, in my own simple point of view, is the depth of the story literally and symbolically which Veronica did include in her writing. That even at some point, I lost track of following the characters' outlook of their current situation but instead diverted to how Veronica sees the things around us. While I was reading the trilogy, it's always as if I entered the characters' way of thinking through Veronica's but actually ended up with Veronica's own sapience.

Forsooth, I admire how Veronica drew me ( or the readers as I may say) in. Her ability to describe every  single detail, minute or grand, of the story allowed me to see through the minds not just of the antagonists but of the protagonists as well. This made me kept flipping the pages as I had genuinely felt the characters' various endeavors.

Nevertheless, another reason why I so much love the story is that how Veronica's diction (in choosing the words) is well-anticipated considering who her readers will be, young adult. Never had I read any unlikable curses in the book nor found the word "sex" in the entire trilogy though intimacy of both Tobias and Tris was obviously observed. And the way I see it, it's very well-commendable, especially if this book can be read by younger ones, too. Though a part of the story may appear violent, as per action of a member in Dauntless, words used were really fairly mild against its innuendos.

In addition, to those who are after lovestories, SPOILER ALERT!!! , the story showed no love triangle involving the main characters. It's another story of superior falling in love to an ordinary member, though Tris wasn't really an ordinary character.  Literary check, the last book I read with this kind of relationship was the Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L James who got that superior by the name of Christian Grey who fell in love with an ordinary newly-grad Anastasia Steele. :)))

The story is also not solely focused on the characters alone. Not just their every single act of bravery, virtuousness and shenanigans. It is MORE than just the struggle of living in their world. It is more than just a mere teenager struggling over love  and acceptance but it is MORE OF doing what is right  and standing firm for the things you believe in of which every single person on Earth in the present time struggles to confront.

As a whole, I found the  entire story as indeed phenomenal! Which is why I can't thank Janica any less for paving my road to this brilliant author. To be honest, Divergent is another first in my shelf. Never had I read any dystopian novel before. However, just heard. As I recall, when I started the first book, expectations then popped right into my head but I must say as I finished it, all expectations were well-met and it never occured to me to unlike what the twists of the story were though some went inversely proportional to what I mentally expected.

Veronica had definitely become successful not only in thriving to make the readers love her work but instead of  making me ruminate the things my society has been into. I may never be fighting the same battle as Tris and I may not be living in a place divided by factions but I found myself able to relate to her, at least in some minute ways. Her struggle to be able to cope with the society's rapid changes, her struggle in staying alive for the sake of the ones she love, and her will power to sacrifice herself for the world she knows are things no longer alien in my lifelong journey. And being a living proof in this present chaotic sodality we are in, it's more likely that I need to have the guts and determination of Tris in confronting these challenging and life-changing scenarios.

As a reader, this  story does not only indulge me to some sort of stories but had made the sleeping version of me against our society awaken from its long sleep. It made me think that we have to start the first leap, though little may it seem, in fighting for our society's troubles for it to be able to survive and be preserved for our future children and children's children and so on.

Overall, this book is worth-reading for it truly got everything intricately woven into perfection. I salute the author for her wit and precisely for every little thing she did to come up with such brilliant masterpieces. I recommend you this book guys, so why wait for the next day, grab the book now! :))

Book Summary

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, 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 that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are  -  and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating 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 unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves. . . or it might destroy her.



Remarkable Lines from the Book

"The reason for the simplicity isn't disdain for uniqueness." - Beatrice Prior

"If we have little, and want for little, and we are all equal, we envy no one." - Tris

"Valuing knowledge above all else results in a lust for power, and that leads men into dark and empty places. We shoul be thankful that we know better." Andrew Prior

"We should think of our family. But. But we must also think of ourselves." - Caleb Prior

"The test don't have to change our choices." - Caleb Prior

"Faction before blood."

"Decades a ago, our ancestors realised that it is not political ideology, religious belief, race or nationalism that is to blame for a warring world. Rather that it was the fault of human personality, of humankind's inclination towad evil. In whatever form that is. They divided into factions that sought to eradicate those qualities they believed responsible for the world's dissaray." - Marcus Eaton

"Those who blamed aggression formed AMITY."

"Those who blamed ignorance became ERUDITE."

"Those who blamed duplicity created CANDOR."

"Those who blamed selfishness made ABNEGATION."

"Those who blamed cowardice were the DAUNTLESS."

"Faction before blood."- Beatrice

"We do dangerous things and people die. People die, and we move on to the next dangerous thing." - Beatrice

"It must require bravery to be honest all the time." - Beatrice

". . . there is a fine line between bravery and idiocy." - Four

"Extravagance is considered self-indulgent and unnecessary." - Tris

". . .give power to those who do not want it." - Andrew

". . . preparation eradicates cowardice, which we define as the failure to act in the midst of fear."

"Those who seek peace above all else will always deceive to keep the water calm." - Amity

"A brave man acknowledges the strength of others." - Four

Photo from Web

"Human reasons can excuse any evil; that is why it's so important that we don't rely on it." - Andrew

"You're not coward just because you don't want to hurt people." - Tris

"Maybe there is some Abnegation in everyone, even if they don't know it."  - Tris

"The goal in my life isn't just . . . to be happy."

"If my entire life is like this, loud laughter and bold action and the kind of exhaustion you feel after a hard but satisfying day, I will be content." - Tris

". . . sometimes, the best way to help someone is just to be near them." - Andrew

"Sometimes crying or laughing are the only options left." - Tris

"We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another."  - Will

"The first time is always the hardest." - Four

"Cowardice is how you decide to be inreal life." - Tris

"Learning how to think in the midst of fear is a lesson that everyone needs to learn." - Four

". . . beoming fearless is not the point. That's impossible. It's learning how to control your fear and how to be free from it, that's the point." - Four

". . . people do evil things and that desperation leads them to darker places than they ever imagined." - Tris

"Why do people want to pretend that death is sleep. It isn't. It isn't."  - Tris

"Fear doesn't shut you down; it wakes you up. I've seen it. It's fascinating." - Four

"Maybe there's more we all could have done but we just have to let the guilt remind us to do better next time." - Four

"It's easy to be brave when they're not my fears." - Tris

". . .selflessness and bravery aren't all that different." - Four

"I scream again - not for help, because no one will help me, but because that's what you do when you're about to die and you can't stop it." - Tris

"Knowledge leads to prosperity." - Jeanine

"Lies require commitment." - Tris

"Will we ever sleep soundly again, with the memories of our fears n our heads?' - Tris

"No ones perfect." - Tris

"We believe in bravery. We believe in taking action. We believe in freedom from fear and in acquiring the skills to force the bad out of our world so that the good can prosper and thrive." - Eric

". . . sometimes it isn't fighting that's brave, it's facing the death you know is coming." - Tris

". . . choosing death is like exploring an unknown, uncertain place." - Tris

"Sometimes pain is for the greater good." - Marcus

". . . there is power in self-sacrifice." - Andrew

Photo from Web

Photo from Web

Thanks for visiting and keep updated for the Divergent's sequel, Insrugent. *_*

- Cee Brensan 

Manuscript Found in Accra by Paulo Coelho

Bookish Mardi: A Book Review of Manuscript Found in Accra

by Paulo Coelho

"The great wisdom of life is that we can be masters of the things that try to enslave us." - Paulo Coelho

I'd like to start this review by telling you guys I have always been a spoiled girlfriend. I don't know why and how it started I just accidentally noticed that whenever I'm liking or into something, my man all the time makes all the possible ways to get my heart's little desire. May it be a surprise or not, he loves watching my face turning red brought about by intense happiness. Though I have been pampered with these material things I'm getting without me asking from him, I make it sure his being a giver will not be abused. 

So when we were celebrating our nth monthsary ( ^_^ ) a delivery arrived into the doorway of our house. I was quite glad the moment I unraveled the package for it contained a Forever21  lace long sleeve and a book by one of my personal favorite authors. He truly knows the way to my heart. Lucky gf, ain't I? ^_-

Book Review

The very first time I took grip of the book, to admit, I wasn't quite amazed of it, nonchalant I'd become instead. The title didn't catch my attention plus it's so small, super small. My books are usually big, heavy, and thick, yet this one's just the smallest and the thinnest I ever had.  Plus, the pages are so dark for a paperback. Indeed, 'twas ugly by appearance. Though it's from Paulo C. I didn't read the book right away. It took me months as usual before I fin'lly read it, due also to the books stacked in shelf  which are to be read. So I placed it right at the bottom part of those unread books.

Fast forward to the day I got the juncture to  read it, I can only think of this very common quote people usually use, "Don't judge a book by it's cover" and well add to it its appearance, such a cliche, isn't it? The book, though minute in size contains too many substantial content. Never had I thought of a book as small and as thin as this can contain the most heaviest notion on earth ever existed.  It doesn't just a mere fiction. It is a by-product of  well-thought topics from a well-experienced author.

The book talks not just a single topic at hand. It doesn't just talk about philosophy, science, math and literature. It talks all those subtantial subjects/topics under the sun down from friendship, frienemy, marriage, up to death and many others. Beauty, happiness, giving up, winning, acceptance, loyalty, fear, bravery, solitude, love, hatred, elegance, name it and the book will surely have something for you not just to ponder but  to  touch your soul and influence your outlooks in life,

It's a book full of not just random musings but well-organized pensive thoughts on everything you needed which will surely have a life enhancing impact to the readers, as it did to me. 

As a whole, it taught me a lot of things of which if I have to enumerate them will surely wont finish. The list is indeed endless. But one thing I'd like to share, this little book made me realize that in this multi-faceted life, we need not to grieve with  what has been lost but to find joy in sorrows. It inspired me not to dwell on the many negative repercussions but to always look at the brighter side of the coin. Because life at all isn't about how we did not fail but it's more on being able to stand up after we fell.

So to you guys, who've been looking for not only a book/story but also a compilation of pieces of advice, I highly recommend this for you to read. ^_^

Book Summary

The action is placed in 1099 in Jerusalem while the city awaits the invasion of the crusaders. Inside the city's walls, men and women gathered to hear the wise words of a mysterious Greek man - known as Copt. The people begin with questions about their fears, true enemies, defeat and struggle; they contemplate the will to change, the virtues of loyalty and solitude; and ultimately turn to questions of beauty, sex and elegance, love, wisdom, and what the future holds. (Source: Wikipedia)

Remarkable Lines from the Book

"Now that I am at the end of my life, I leave for those who come after me everything that I learned while I walked the face of the Earth. May they make good use of it."

". . . tomorrow, life will undertake to separate us, we must  each set off in search of our path, our own destiny or our own way of facing death.'

"From tomorrow, harmony will become discord. Joy 

will be replaced by grief. Peace will give away to a awar that will last into an unimaginable distant future."

". . . what is knowledge?

It is the absolute  truth about life and death, but the thing that helps us to livee and confont the challenges of day-t-day life. It isn't what we learned from books,  which serves only to fuel futile arguments about what happened or will happen; it is the knowledge that lives in the hearts of men and women of good will."

"None of the us can know what tomorrow will hold, because each day has its good and its bad moments."

"Does a leaf when it falls from the tree in winter, feel defeated by the cold?"

"Does a man who spent years preparing to climb the highest mountain in the world feel defeated when, on reaching that mountain, he discovers that nature has cloaked the summit in storm clouds?"

"Does a young man, rejected by his first love, declare that love does not exist?"

"In the cycle of nature there is no such thing as victory or defeat; there is only movement."

"The winter struggles  to reign supreme, but in the end is obliged to accept spring's victory, which brings with it flowers and happiness."

". . . wen the fighter is on the ring - whether by his own choice or because unfathomable destiny has placed him there- may his spirit be filled with joy at the prospect of fighting ahead. If he holds on to his dignity and his honor, even if he loses the fight, he will never be defeated because his soul will remain intact."

"What is true to love is also true in war."
"Losing a battle or losing everything we thought we possessed will bring us moments of sadness. But when those moments pass, we will discover the hidden strength that exists in each of us, a strength that will surely surprise us and increase our self-respect.'

". . . previous defeat means that his time they must win, because they don't want to suffer the same pain again."

". . . if victory is not theirs this time, it will be the next time. And if not the next time, then the time after that. The important thing is to get back on your feet."

"Only he who gives up is defeated. Everyone else is victorious.'

"Wait patiently for the right moment to act.

Do not let the next opportunity slip by you.

Take pride in your scars.

Scars are medal branded on the flesh, and your eyes enemies will be frightened by them because they are proof of your experience of battle."

"Scars speak more loudly than the sword that caused them."

"Defeat are those who never fail."

"Defeat means that we lose a particular battle or war. Failure does not allow us to go on fighting."

"Defeat ends when we launch into another battle. Failure has no end; it is a lifetime choice."

"Defeat is for the valiant. Only they will know the honor of losing the joy of winning."

"Only the defeated know Love. Because it is in the realm of Love that we fight our first battles - and generally lose.'

". . . don't get used to defeat." (Photo from Web)

"I am here to tell you that there are people who hav enever been defeated. They are the ones who never fought."

"Woe to those who were never beaten! They will never be winners in this life.'

"Without solitude, love will not stay long by your side."

"Because love needs to rest, so that it can journey through the heavens and reveal itself in other forms."

"Solitude is not the absence of Love, but its the complement."

"Therefore, blessed are those who do not fear solitude."

"If you are not alone, you cannot know yourself."

"The act of discovering who we are will force us to accept that we can go further than we think. And thst frightens us."

"In solitude, they will learn that saying no does not always show a lack of generosity, and that saying yes is not always a virtue."

". . . in cases of unrequited love there is always the hope that one day it will be requited."

"Nothing in this world is useless in the eyes of God. Not a leaf from a tree falls, not a hair from your head, not even an insect dies because it was no use. Everything has ahas a reason to exist."

"Don't try to be useful. Try to be yourself; that is enough, and that makes all the difference."

". . . your soul will teach you the usefulness of each step you take."

"Sometimes taking part in a battle will be the thing that will help to change the course of history. But sometimes you can do that by simply smiling, for no reason, at someon you happen to pass by on the street."

"Even if ou were to study your own life in detail and relive each moment that you suffered, sweated, and smiled beneath the sun, you would still never knowexactly when you had been useful to someone else."

"A life is never useless. Each soul that came down to Earth is here for a reason."

"Live the life you always wanted to live. Avoid criticizing others and concentrate on fulfilling your dreams.'

". . .small things are responsible for great changes."

"We are afraid to change because we think that, after so much effort and sacrifice, we know our present world."

"It's nice to dream that we will have plenty of time in the future to do our traveling, and that, one day, we will travel."

"Dreaming carries no risks. The dangerous thing is trying to transform your dreams into reality."

"To those who think that mountains don't change are wrong; they are born out of earthquakes, are eroded by wind and rain, and each day are slighty different even though we do not notice."

"Difficulty is the name of an ancient tool that was created purely to help us define who we are."

". . . nature longs for beauty and is satisfied only when beauty can be exalted,"

"Outer beauty is inner beauty mae visible, and it manifests itself in the light that flows from our eyes."

"Beauty is present in all creation, but the dangerous fact is that, because we human beings are often cut off from the Divine Energy, we allow ourselves to be influenced by what other people think. We deny our own beauty because others can't or won't recognize it. Instead of accepting who we are, we try to imitate what we see around us. We try to be what other people think of "pretty" and, little by little, our soul fades, our will weakens, and all the potential we had to make the world a more beautiful place withers away.

"We forget that the world is what we imagine it to be."

"We stop being the moonlight and become, insteadm the pool of water reflecting it."

"If we resist the temptation to allow other people to define who we are, then we will gradually be able to let the sun inside our own soul shine forth."

"Beauty exists not in sameness but in difference."

"It is the imperfect that astonishes and attracts us."

"A sunset is always more beautiful when it is covered with irregularly shaped clouds, because only then can it reflect the many colors out of which dreams and poetry are made."

"Like the sun, life spreads its light in all directions.'

". . . ever since your goal found out that you were traveling toward it, it has been running to meet you."

"In order to hear Love's words, you must allow Love to approach."

"True Love, however, is the love that sedices and will never allow itself to be seduced." 

"Love is an act of faith, not an exchange."

A rose dreams of enjoying the company of bees, but none appears. The sun asks:

"Aren't you tired of waiting?"

"Yes" answers the rose, "but if I close my petals, I will wither and die."

"Our great goal in life is to love. The rest is silence."

". . . with every farewell comes a hidden place."

"It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."

"We sing more loudly when the person we love is far away and whisper poems when he is near, even if he doesn't listen and pays no attention to either songs or whispers."

"The pain of yesterday is the strength of today." (Photo from Web)

"Someday, everything will make a perfect sense." (Photo from Web)

"Our heart is open to love and we surrender to it without fear, because we have nothing more to lose."

"Love is a disease." (Photo from Web)

"Love is only a word, until we decide to let it possess us with all its force."

"Love is only a word, until someone arrives to give it meaning." (Photo from Web)

"No one can go back, but everyone can go forward."

(Photo from Web)

"Love rules, but no one knows where it has its throne; in order to know that secret place, you must first submit to Love."

"In sex, relaxation and tension go hand in hand, as do pain and pleasure and shyness and the courage to go beyond one's limit."

"When we are too generous in the sexual act and our main preoccupation is with our partner's pleasure, our own pleasure can be diminished or even destroyed."

"Two rivers meet to become a more beautiful, more powerful river.'

"Everything is permitted, if everything is accepted."

"Sometimes love grows tired of speaking softly. Therefore, let it reveal itself in all its splendor, burning like the sun and destroying the whole forests in its wind."

"See sex as a gift, a ritual transformation. And as in any ritual , ecstasy will be present to glorify the end but it is not its sole objective. What matters is that we have traveled a road with our partner that led us into unknown territory, where we encountered gold and incense and myrrh.

"Fearlessly open the box secret box of  your fantasies. One person's couurage will help the other person to be equally brave."

". . .time will cease to exist because in the land of pleasure, everything is infinite."

"We were born alone, and we will due alone But while we are on this planet, we must accept and glorify our act of faith through other people."

"Stay close to those who are interested in opening only one important dorr: The door to your heart. They will never invade your soul without your consent or shoot a deadly arrow through that open door."

"Stay close to those who sing, tell stories, and enjoy life, and those eyes sparkles with happiness. Beacause happiness is contagious  and will always manage to find a solution, whereas logic can find only an explanation for the mistake made."

"No matter how you are feeeling, get up every morning and prepare to let your light shine forth."

"Elegance is not an outer quality, but a part of the soul that is visible to others."

"Elegance lies not in the clothes we wear, but in the way we wear them."

"the simplest things in life are the most extra-ordinary. Let them reveal themselves."

"The nearer the heart comes to simplicity, the more capable it is of loving freely and without fear. The more fearlessly it loves, the more capable it is of revealing elegance in its every gesture."

"Fate is never unfair to everyone. We are free to love or hate what we do."

"When we love, we find the same joy in our dailty activity as do those who one day set off in search of their dreams."

"Success does not come from having one's work recognized by others. It is the fruit of a seed that you lovingly planted." 

"Success comes to those who do not waste time comparing what they are doing with what others are doing."

"People who seek only success rearely find it, because success is not an end, but a consequence."

"What is success?" (Photo from Web)

"Miracles tear away the veils and change everything, but do not let us see what lies behind the veils."

"Anxiety is part of love, and should not be blamed because of that."

"Anxiety was born in the very same moment as mankind. And since we will never be able to master it, we will have to learn to live with it - just as we have learned to live with storms."

"Although anxiety is part of life, never let it control you."

"Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God."

"Excessive caution destroys the soul and the heart, because living is an act of courage, and an act of courage is always an act of love."

". . .the great wisdom of life is that we can be masters of the things that try to enslave us."

"We must love. I am not speaking only of love for another person. Loving means being open to miracles, to victories, to everything that happens each day that was given us to walk upon the face of the Earth. Our soul is governed by foru forces: love, death, power and time."

". . .  you might have lost some major battle, but you survived and you're still here."

"Never miss an opportunity to show you love, especially to those close to you."

"Love does not need to be understood. It needs only to be shown."

". . . the future holds for you depends entirely on your capacity for love." 

"The greatest gift God gave us is the power to make decisions."

". . . we will hurt those we love if we leave everything behind in the name of our dreams."

"But those who truly want the best for us want us to be happy, even if, they try to stop us from going ahead by means of threats, promises, and tears." 

". . . when your dream is almost within your grasp, you will be assailed by terrible gift."

". . . if a man understands that he is worthy of what he has struggled so long for, he will realize that he did not get there alone and must respect the Hand that led him."

". . . what was broken will never be the same again."

"We are all prisoners of the sand of time, and we have no control over them."

"Loyalty has its roots in respect, and respect is the fruit of love."

"When you forgive, the person who insulted you feels humbled in his error and becomes loyal."

"The most destructive of weapon is not the siege of cannon, which can wound a body and demolish a wall. The most terrible of all weapons is the word, which can ruin a life without leaving a trace of blood, and whose words never heal."

"Let us be masters of our tonguesand  not slaves of our words. Even if words are used against us let us not enter the battle that cannot be won."

"Loyalty is a pearl among grains of sand, and only those who really understand its meaning can see it."

"The truly wise do not grieve over the living or the dead."

"Man is not defined by earthly battles, because just as the wind changes direction, so do luck an victory.Today's losers will be tomorrow's winner, but in orde for that to happen, combat must be embraced with honor."

"We will have to face many adversaries in our lives, but the most difficult to defeat will be the ones we fear."

"We will always meet rivals in everything we do, but the most dangerous are those we believe to be our friends."

"Good friends are like a fine wine."

"We all suffer when our dignity is attacked or witnessed, but the greatest pain will be caused by those we thought were examples to be followed."

"If someone confronts you over idea or ideals, step up and accept the fight, because conflict is present in every moment of our lives and sometimes it needs to show itself in the broad light of day."

"Fight only with a worthy opponent, and not with someone who uses trickery to prolong a war that is already over, as does sometimes happen."

"The enemy is not the person standing before you, sword in hand. It is the person standing next to you with a dagger concealed behind his back."

"Therefore, your enemies are not the adversaries who were out there to test your courage. They are the cowards who were put there to test your weakness."

Thanks for visiting! ^_*

- Cee Brensan