Most important line in Chapter 3 in Lies that Bind

All eyes are on Kate and it's not because her pink hair is starting to fade. Last year, her best friend, Grace died in a mysterious fire in the chapel on the ground of their prestigous private school, Pemberly Brown. Jus like all the books and movies with this basis she ventures to find what really happend while reciving messages from the dead best friend. But, today is the memorial service where, "People would whisper excitedly about wether the broken best friend would come." (Roeecker 9) Rich people. *eye roll* Anyway, at the end of this service everyone gets a text to meet at the graveyard at dusk for Obsideo, a sacramentum at Pemberly Brown, where they read a list of all the dead Permberly Brown alumini. Kate has deiced she wasn't going until.....

"On page 56, Grace's handwriting was clear as day, orange and bubbly like always.
Someone has to rembemer." (Roecker 28)

This is important because Kate believes that this again is Grace telling her to go to the Obsideo to catch the culprits that killed her. This pushes Kate to go to the Obsideo because before she wasn't going to go. This will also propel the plot because Kate gets these messages from "Grace" to help her uncover the secrets behind Pemberly Brown and to figure out everything behind her death and an ancient interschool feud that started when Pemberly Brown first merged.

 

What do you think will happen at a midnight party full of teenagers mourning the death of a peer?

Oh did I mention this is in the winter in a GRAVEYARD????

Looking For Something to Read? Check this Out!

Summary

My Life Next Door is about a seventeen year old girl, Samantha Reed. She has lived next door to the Garretts for ten years, but has never spoken to them just watched. Her mother, the senator of Connecticut, is up for re-election. Sam's mom, Grace, is very OCD and very rule oriented, she likes routine. She told her girls, Tracy and Samantha, from the day the Garretts moved in to stay away from them. The Garretts are definitely nothing like the Reeds. They have eight kids instead of two. They always have people over and are a loud tight knit family. But, one day one of those eight kids changes everything. Jase,the third oldest, climbs up to sit with Samantha on her roof. This sparks a friendship, which may lead to something more. Follow Samantha on her crazy and fun filled summer with the Garrets.

Review
I loved this book! Yes, the whole premise is cliché "guy meets a girl and they fall in love over the summer" but in my opinion it was really well done. I think the way Samantha fit into the Garretts family so well was great. But, I need a minute to talk about George.

  Spitting out random facts that sometimes go along with what's being said sometimes not so much;adorable and intelligent four year olds like Jase’s Little brother George are one of a kind," It's George, now wearing boxer shorts but no shirt. He comes over and plunks down on the bed, looking at me somberly. 'Did you know that the space shuttle Challenger blew up?'
 I nod. 'A long time ago. They have perfected things so much more now.'
 'I'd be ground crew at NASA. Not on the shuttle. I don't ever want to die ever.'
 I find myself wanting to hug him. 'Me neither, George.'
 'Is Jase already going to marry you?'
 I start coughing again. 'Uh. No. No, George. I'm only seventeen.' as if that's the only reason we aren't engaged.
'I'm this many,' George holds up four slightly grubby fingers. 'But Jase is seventeen and a half. You could. Then you could live in here with him. And have a big family.'
 Jase strides back into the room, of course, midway through the proposition. ' 'George. Beat it. Discovery Channel is on.'
 George backs out of the room, but not before saying, 'His bed's really comfortable. And he never pees in it.'" ( Fitzpatrick 35-36)

If you read this and did not think George is A) adorable B) funny C) the cutest thing ever or D) all of the above

I don't know what to say to you,but I digress. I really liked almost all the characters in this book.  Even though Jase, Samantha, and Grace, Sam's mom, were the more prominent characters to this story you got to know all the characters. Even the characters you don't like *cough* Clay and Nan *cough*.
I really liked that this book was very realistic fiction. Sam had summer jobs, Jase worked at his dad's hardware store, the way Clay ran Grace's campaign. Jase and Samantha babysitting the younger Garrett crew. Going to the beach . Jase's ridiculous training routine for football. The fact that Grace was never home because of her campaign and how Samantha was mentally complaining about having to go to her mom's events and wondered if the other sons and daughters of political leaders felt like she did. The gripe I  have with this book is that Samantha's friend, Nan, fell off the face of the Earth after their fight, I needed some closure on this.

 I believe since this is more of a romance novel that it would be more targeted towards girls, but anyone who enjoys a good love story and family should pick this book up.

If you liked this book check out Huntley's website for more information on her current and upcoming books!

Huntley Fitzpatrick


Would you read a book like this? (romance novel) Why or why not?

1st Post of the Third Trimester- Allegiant Book Review

Summary

 

I am nearly finished with the book Allegiant by Veronica Roth.  In this book Tris and Tobias have finally shown the people of  Chicago the "truth" by releasing the Edith Prior video. This video told them that they were part of a genetic experiment to find a cure to "damaged genes".  The Bureau of Genetic Welfare set this experiment up because of what was known as the Purity War between those who were genetically "pure" and those who were genetically "damaged" which devasted the United States. The Divergent are supposed to come to the Bureau when there numbers are large enough. The Divergent are supposed to be genetically "pure".  After the release of the video and the fall of Jeanine Matthews and the Erudite a new dictator came to power. Evelyn Johnson, Tobias' mother, and the factionless.  They want to destroy the factions and make sure that there never are factions again. She has forbidden Tobias and the Divergent from leaving Chicago (although they don't know they are in Chicago) to follow the instructions that Edith Prior-a relative of Tris- has given to them in the video.

A group called the Allegiant have formed to rebel against Evelyn and the factionless. This group along with Tris and Tobias orcastrate a group to go beyond the fence into the outside world. On the way to the Bureau the group lose a member. Upon arriving though they find that not all their friends they once thought to be dead are.  After exploring the compound they find that they have been watched by the Bureau their whole lives and they place they once called home is called Chicago. They learn that there are other experiments just like thiers. Tris meets David the director of the Bureau and learns that her late mother lived her and had volunteered to enter into the Chicago experiment and is handed her journal to look over. She also meets Matthew a scientist who would like to examine her and Tobias' genes since she has the power to resist serums and is aware during simulations, as well as Tobias.  Which leads to some unforseen information. Here we also meet Nita, she is a GD (genetically damaged). She asks Tobias to come and meet her at night so she can show him something. Tobias obliges but just as they arrive to the destination Marcus' verdict has been decided and Tobias rushes to see what his mother has decided to do with his father. Tobias is suprised by her decision. Tobias agrees to meet Nita again and she asks him to come with her to the Fringe. This is a place where the GD'd live. It's a rough and scary place that she thinks he should see, but she also recquires his protection.

Once at the Fringe, Tobias witnesses a boy being beaten to death. Once the boy was dead he was then robbed. Nita brought Tobais in and introduced him to the leaders Rafi and Mary. Immediately after Nita dismisses him to discuss matters with the other two. Nita instructs Tobias not to inform Tris of what he has seen, heard or of the meeting they have just returned from. Tobias not wanting to go back on the promise they made to each other at the beginning of the book to not lie to one another any more tells Tris what is going on. Nita is now forced to bring Tris in on the plan to steal the memory serum- this serum erases peoples memories- from the Weapons Lab.  Tris  doesn't trust Nita. She voices this to Tobias, but he feels he must help the GD's and agrees to be apart of the plan.

The plan is put into motion soon after. Tris was near one of the explosions when the attack started and so was another member of the original group. They received major injuries and now are in critical condition. Tris wants to go find Tobias but she knows there is a bigger issue. Nita. She and Matthew proceed to the Weapons Lab where David is being held at gun point to open the Weapons Lab. Tris must decide how she will defuse this situation.  There are several civilian injuries and casualties as a result of the diversion -the bombs- going off across the compound.  Tobias has been arrested along with his other accomplices.  They are each interrogated, but Tobias was let off on parole for one year because of his "condition" and the fact that Nita had told him that she was stealing the memory serum not the most dangerous serum in the weapons lab.

After this Tris and Tobias avoid each other. Tobias feels guilty about the attack he didn't think he would be hurting any of his friends or civilians. But he also felt guilty because Tris had warned him but he had ignored her when she had been right the whole time. Meanwhile, Tris was summoned to David's office. David survived the attack with a shot to the foot and losing the ability to walk for a long time. He asks Tris to train to become a council member or one of his advisors. She accepts with other plans in mind.

After this Tris takes her trip to the Fringe to see what its like. Upon her return she looks into things that the Bureau may have twisted to make the genetically "damaged" look even more inferior to those who are "pure".  She finds that they were lying about it.  She then calls a meeting with her friends to create a rebellion that would be effective but not as destructive as Nita's. Since Tris is in a high position they agree to wait until she has sat in on the council meeting before they make any concrete plans.

But while Tris was gone at  the Fringe, things in Chicago have developed. A new unexpected alliance among the Allegiant has sprouted. The Allegiant have also captured some on Evelyn's weapons. But what they don't know is that Evelyn has discovered some of what Nita was after.

In the meeting Tris learns that Evelyn has found this dangerous weapon in Chicago.  David has a way to defuse the situation but it would mean starting all over. He can't risk Evelyn using something that dangerous or a war breaking out because the government has already threatened to shut the experiments down. This just fuels Tris'  motivation  to take down the Bureau.

Will Tris and Tobias' group succeed in their rebellion for equal rights and save their home?

Review
The kind of reader that would enjoy this book is someone who likes action and adventure. Their is some romance but not a ton. Someone who likes stories about rebellion and struggles for equality and overthrowing an unjust government. This book is good for both boys and girls. It's not too much action or romance to be targeted at one group or the other.

 

 

I would give this book a 4 out of  5  stars. This is because I liked the storyline. But I felt like the pacing was so slow at some parts and then you would hit sections where things were occurring one right after the other or simultaneously. They characters are very well written though they develop for good or worse through the book and the series. I liked how it was set in the future and how they still have all the technology and big cities , but you can see how things have changed. Cites are damaged from the Purity War and there are no major cities in the west because they are too far apart and it is now known as the Wild. I also like that Veronica Roth sprinkles humor after some serious or really tense parts.
 Again the only real problem I had with this book was the pacing.