SPOILERS: My Notes on DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth

One thing I do whenever I read a book is highlighting my favorite lines. And here are the memorable parts in Divergent that stays on my mind. 

p.68
Four: I thought I would only have problems with the Candor asking too many questions. Now I've got Stiffs, too?
Tris: It must be because you're so approachable. You know. Like a bed of nails.
Four: Careful, Tris.
…
Tris: What?
Cristina: I'm developing a theory.
Tris: And it is?
Cristina: That you have a death wish.

p.72
Are you saying that if you have know this before the Choosing Ceremony, you wouldn't chosen Dauntless? Because if that's the case, you should get out now. If you are really one of us, it won't matter to you that you might fail. And if it does, you are a coward. You chose us. Now we choose you. (Eric to Molly)

p.115
You're not a coward just because you don't want to hurt people. (Tris to Al)

p.129
Tris: I'm surprised you know that, since you left halfway through my one and only fight.
Four: It wasn't something I wanted to watch.

p.143
But I'm not really listening, because the height is dizzying. My hands ache from holding the rungs, and my legs are shaking, but I'm not sure why. It isn’t the heights that scares me—the height makes me feel alive with energy, every organ and vessel and muscle in my body singing at the same pitch. Then I realize what it is. It’s him. Something about him makes me feel like I am about to fall. Or turn to liquid. Or burst into flames. (Tris)

p.165
Four: Is your—
Tris: You did that on purpose!
Four: Yes, I did. And you should thank me for helping you.
Tris: Thank you? You almost stabbed my ear, and you spent the entire time taunting me. Why should I thank you?
Four: You know, I’m getting a little tired of waiting for you to catch on!
Tris: Catch on? Catch on to what? That you wanted to prove to Eric how tough you are? That you’re sadistic, just like he is?
Four: I am not sadistic. If I wanted to hurt you, don’t you think I would have already?

p.176
If Eric thinks I did something right, I might have done it wrong. (Tris)

p.188
I stand alone in the blue light coming from the lamp above me, and I understand:
She has been to the compound before. She remembered this hallway. She knows about the initiation process. My mother was Dauntless.

p.190
Tris: Is that why you chose Dauntless? Because of your parents?
Al: No, I guess it was because… I think it’s important to protect people. To stand up for people. Like you did for me. That’s what the Dauntless are supposed to do, right? That’s what courage is. Not… hurting people for no reason.

p.192
Awkwardness aside, it is nice to be liked. (Tris)

p.206
One of the lines I remember from the Dauntless manifesto is, “We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another.” (Will)

p.220
I told you. She’s Dauntless through and through. Now get on with it. (Uriah to Zeke)

p.223
“When can I go again?”, I say. My smile stretches wide enough to show teeth, and when they laugh, I laugh. I think of climbing the stairs with the Abnegation, our feet finding the same rhythm, all of us the same. This isn’t like that. We are not the same. But we are, somehow, one. (Tris)

p.224
Pretty sure we can’t call you “Stiff” anymore. Tris. (Shauna)

p.232
“Be brave, Tris”, he whispers. “The first time is always the hardest.”
His eyes are the last thing I see. (Tris)

p.239
Tris: And are you over that fear now?
Four: Not yet. I may never be.
Tris: So they don’t go away?
Four: Sometimes they do. And sometimes new fears replace them. But becoming fearless isn’t the point. That’s impossible. It’s learning how to control your fear, and how to be free from it, that’s the point.

p.274
“Wait a second”, Four says. I turn toward him, wondering which version of Four I’ll see now—the one who scolds me, or the one who climbs Ferris wheels with me. He smiles a little, but the smile doesn’t spread to his eyes, which look tense and worried.

“You belong here, you know that?”, he says. “You belong with us. It’ll be over soon, so just hold on, okay?”

He scratches behind his ear and looks away, like he’s embarrassed by what he said.

I stare at him. I feel my heartbeat everywhere, even in my toes. I feel like ding something bold, but I could just as easily walk away. I am not sure which option is smarter, or better. I am not sure that I care.

I reach out and take his hand. His fingers slide between mine. I can’t breath.

I stare up at him, and he stares down on me. For a long moment, we stay that way. Then I pull my hand away and run after Uriah and Lynn and Marlene. Maybe now he thinks I’m stupid, or strange. Maybe now it’s worth it. (Tris)

p.286
Four: I don’t want to say this, but I feel like I have to. It is more important for you now to be safe than right, for the time being. Understand? … But please, when you see an opportunity… Ruin them.
Tris: (I laugh shakily) You’re a little scary, Four.
Four: Do me a favor, and don’t call me that.
Tris: What should I call you, then?
Four: Nothing. Yet.

p.288
Whoever he is, I like him. It’s easier for me to admit that to myself now, in the dark, after all that just happened. He is not sweet or gentle or particularly kind. But he is smart and brave, and even though he saved me, he treated me like I was strong. That is all I need to know. (Tris)

p.293
Uriah: We have to do something about this.
Cristina: What, like beat them up? Looks like that’s been taken care of already.
Uriah: No. That’s the pain they can get over. We have to edge them out of the rankings. That will damage their futures. Permanently.
…
Uriah (to Tris): Be careful.
Will: Don’t worry, we’ll protect her.

p.294
I don’t know who I should rely on more, because I’m not sure who my true friends are. Uriah and Marlene, who were on my side even when I seemed strong, or Cristina and Will, who have always protected me when I seemed weak? (Tris)

p.295
He eyes Drew, who trudges at the back of the group, and says, “Pick up the pace, Drew!”
It’s a cruel joke, but it’s hard for me to fight off a smile. That is, until Four’s eyes shift to my arm around Will’s, and all the humor drains from them. His expression send chill through me. Is he… jealous?

p.298
Peter: That doesn’t sound fair. What if one person only has seven fears and someone else has twenty? That’s not their fault.
Four: (Stares at him then laugh) Do you really want to talk to me about what’s fair? (he walks toward Peter, folds his arms, and says in a deadly voice) I understand why you’re worried, Peter. The events of last night certainly proved that you are a miserable coward.
So now we all know, that you are afraid of a short, skinny girl from abnegation (his mouth curls a smile).

p.305
I don’t think of it as stopping. More like I’m… waiting for my opportunity. (Tori to Tris)

p.310
Four: Careful, Tris.
Tris: Is that all you can say? That I should be careful? That’s it?
Four: You’re as bad as the Candor, you know that? I’m not going to say this again, so listen carefully. They are watching you. You, in particular.
Tris: Let go of me… Are they watching you, too?
Four: I keep trying to help you, but you refuse to be helped.
Tris: Oh, right. Your help. Stabbing my ear with a knife and taunting me and yelling at me more than you yell at anyone else, it sure is helpful.
Four: Taunting you? You mean when I threw the knives? I wasn’t taunting you. I was reminding you that if you failed, someone else would have to take your place.
Tris: Why?
Four: Because you’re from Abnegation, and it’s when you’re acting selflessly that you are at your bravest… If I were you, I would do a better job of pretending that selfless impulse is going away, because if the wrong people discover it… well, it won’t be good for you.
…
Four: You think my first instinct is to protect you. Because you’re small, or a girl, or a Stiff. But you’re wrong. My first instinct is to push you until you break, just to see how hard I have to press. But I resist it.
Tris: Why… Why is that your first instinct?
Four: Fear doesn’t shut you down; it wakes you up. I’ve seen it. It’s fascinating. Sometimes I just… want to see it again. Want to see you awake.

p.315
Tris: What faction did you come from, Four?
Four: It doesn’t matter. This is where I am now. Something you would do well to remember for yourself.

p.320
Four: Since you’re here, you might as well go in with me.
Tris: Into your fear landscape?
Four: Yes.
Tris: You would let me see that?
Four: Why else do you think I’m going in? There are some things I want to show you.
…
Four: See if you can figure out why they call me Four.
Tris: What’s your real name?
Four: See if you can figure that out too.

p.324
“Ah,” he says, his voice raspy. “This is worse. This is definitely…”
“Shh,” I say. “Arms around me.” Obediently, he slips both arms around my waist. I smile at the wall. I am not enjoying this. I am not, not even a little bit, no.
…
Four: Yeah? That easy, huh?
Tris: You know, most boys would enjoy being trapped in close quarters with a girl.
Four: Not claustrophobic people, Tris!
Tris: Okay, okay. Feel my heartbeat. Can you feel it?
Four: Yes.
Tris: Feel how steady it is?
Four: It’s fast.
Tris: Yes, well, that has nothing to do with the box. (I just admitted to something. Hopefully he won’t recognized that.) Everytime you feel me breath, you breath. Focus on that.
Four: Okay.

…
Tris: Okay. Then I can talk. Ask me something.
Four: Okay. (He laughs shakily in my ear) Why is your heart racing, Tris?
Tris: Well, I… (I search for an excuse that doesn’t involve his arms being around me) I barely know you. (Not good enough) I barely know you and I’m crammed up against you in a box, Four, what do you think?
Four: If we were in your fear landscape, would I be in it?

Tris: I’m not afraid of you.

Four: Of course you’re not. But that’s not what I meant.
…
He stands in front of me. He’s grinning, and I’m not sure I like the look in his eyes.
Four: Maybe you were cut out of Candor, because you’re a terrible liar.
Tris: I think my aptitude test ruled that one out pretty well.
Four: The aptitude test tells you nothing.
Tris: What are you trying to tell me? Your test isn’t the reason you ended up Dauntless?
Four: Not exactly, no. I…

p.329
“Marcus,” I whisper.
“Here’s the part,” Four says, his voice shaking, “where you figure out my name.”
“Is he…” I look from Marcus, who walks slowly toward us, to Four, who inches slowly back, and everything comes together. Marcus had a son who joined Dauntless. His name was… “Tobias.”

p.330-331

“That’s it?” I say. “Those were your worst fear? Why do you only have four…” My voice trails off. Only four fears.
“Oh.” I look over my shoulder at him. “That’s why they call you—“

p.331
“It’s easy to be brave when they’re not m fears.” (Tris)

p.334
Tris: You were going to tell me about your aptitude test results.
Four: Ah. Does it matter?
Tris: I don’t know.
Four: How demanding you are.

p.336
“I have a theory that selflessness and bravery aren’t all that different. All your life you’ve been training to forget yourself, so when you’re in danger, it becomes your first instinct. I could belong in Abnegation just as easily.” (Four)

p.336
Suddenly I feel heavy. A lifetime of training wasn’t enough for me. My first instinct is still self-preservation.

Tris: Yeah, well… I left Abnegation because I wasn’t selfless enough, no matter how hard I tried to be.
Four: That’s not entirely true. That girl who let someone throw knives at her to spare a friend, who hit my dad with a belt to protect me—that selfless girl, that’s not you?
Tris: You’ve been paying much attention, haven’t you?
Four: I like to observe people.
Tris: Maybe you were cut out for Candor, Four, because you’re a terrible liar.
Four: Fine. I watched you because I like you. And don’t call me ‘Four’, okay? It’s nice to hear my name again.
Tris: But you’re older than I am… Tobias.
Four: Yes, that whopping two-year gap really is insurmountable, isn’t it?
Tris: I’m not trying to be self-deprecating. I just don’t get it. I’m younger. I’m not pretty. I—
Four: (he laughs) 

Tris: Don’t pretend. You know I’m not. I’m not ugly, but I am certainly not pretty.
Four: Fine. You’re not pretty. So? (he kisses my cheeks) I like how you look. You’re deadly smart. You’re brave. And even though you found out about Marcus… You aren’t giving me that look. Like I’m a kicked puppy or something.
Tris: Well. You’re not.

p.339
Cristina: What is it with you today?
Tris: Oh, you know. Sun shining. Birds chirping.
Will: Let the girl be in a good mood. You may never see it again.

p.365-367
I stand and cross my arms, waiting for the scolding to start. I slapped him and then got myself into trouble with the Dauntless—there has to be scolding.
Tris: What?
Four: Are you alright?
Tris: Well, first I got reamed out in front of everyone, and then I had to chat with the woman who’s trying to destroy my old faction, and then Eric almost tossed my friends out of Dauntless, so yeah, it’s shaping up to be a pretty great day, Four.
…
Tris: Why do you care, anyway? You can be either cruel instructor or concerned boyfriend.
You can’t play both parts at the same time.
Four: I am not cruel. I was protecting you this morning. How do you think Peter and his idiot friends would have reacted if they discovered that you and I were… You would never win. They would always call your ranking a result of my favoritism rather than your skill.
Tris: You didn’t have to insult me to prove something to them.
Four: And you didn’t have to run off to your brother just because I hurt you. Besides—it worked, didn’t it?
Tris: At my expense.
Four: I didn’t think it would affect you this way. Sometimes I forget that I can hurt you. That you are capable of being hurt.
Tris: You’re brilliant, you know that? You always know exactly what to do.
Four: Only because I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. How I would handle it, if you and I… Did I hear you call me your boyfriend, Tris?
Tris: Not exactly. Why? Do you want me to?
Four: Yes…

p.404
Four: Are you asking me to undress, Tris?
Tris: Only… partially.

p.405
Four: I think we’ve made a mistake. We’ve all started to put down the virtues of the other factions in the process of bolstering our own. I domn’t want to do that. I want to be brave, and selfless, and smart, and kind, and honest. I continually struggle with the kindness.
Tris: No one’s perfect. It doesn’t work that way. One bad thing goes away, and another bad thing replaces it.

p.406
Four: Is this scaring you, Tris?
Tris: No. Not really. I’m only afraid of what I want.
Four: What do you want? Me?
…
Four: Someday, if you still want me, we can… We can…
Tris: Are you afraid of me, too, Tobias?
Four: Terrified.
Tris: Maybe you won’t be in my fear landscape anymore.
Four: Then everyone can call you Six.
Tris: Four and Six.

p.414
Four: You think giving you a hug would give away too much?
Tris: You know, I really don’t care.
I stand on my tiptoes and press my lips to his. It is the best moment of my life.

p.420
I stand facing the person who helped me. My eyes twitch up, just for a second, to see his face. Tobias, as blank-faced as the rest of them. Was I wrong? Is he not Divergent? Tears spark my eyes, and I blink them back as I turn away from him... And then something peculiar happens: fingers lace with mine, and a palm presses my palm. Tobias, holding my hand. My entire body alive is alive with energy. I squeeze his hands and he squeezes back. He is awake. I was right.

p.441-442
“I know about them because I am one.” (Tris’ mom)

“Every faction conditions its members to think and act a certain way. And most people do it. For most, it’s not hard to learn, to find a pattern of thought that works and stay that way. But our minds move in a dozen different directions. We can’t be confined to one way of thinking, and that terrifies our leaders. It means we can’t be controlled. And it means that no matter what they do, we will always cause trouble for them.”

p.446
The gun clatters to the ground. I still see Will. He smiles in my memory. A curled lip. Straight teeth. Light in his eyes. Laughing, teasing, more alive in memory than I am in reality. It was or me. I chose me. But I feel dead too. (Tris)

p.457
“I assume you now regret choosing Dauntless,” Marcus says…
I shake my head.
“Not even after your faction’s leaders decided to join in a plot to overthrow the government?” Marcus spits.
“There was some things I needed to learn.”
“How to be brave?” my father says quietly.
“How to be selfless,” I say. “Often they’re the same thing.”
“Is that why you got Abnegation’s symbol tattoed on your shoulder?” Caleb asks. I am almost sure that I see a smile in my father’s eyes.
I smile faintly back and nod. “And Dauntless on the other."

p.463
Tris: How are you awake?
Peter: The Dauntless leaders… they evaluated my records and removed me from the simulation.
Tris: Because they figured out that you already have murderous tendencies and wouldn’t mind killing a few hundred people while conscious. Makes sense.
Peter: I’m not… murderous!
Tris: I never knew a Candor who is such a liar. Where are the computers that control the simulation, Peter?
Peter: You won’t shoot me.
Tris: People tend to overestimate my character. They think that because I’m small, or a girl, or a Stiff, I can’t possibly be cruel. But they’re wrong.
…
Tris: Now that you realize your mistake, I will give you another chance to tell me what I need to know before I shoot you somewhere worse.
Tris’s Father: Was it really necessary to shoot him?
Marcus: Sometimes pain is for greater good.
Tris: Let’s go. Get up, Peter.
Caleb: You want him to walk? Are you insane?
Tris: Did I shoot him in the leg? No. He walks. Where do we go, Peter?

p.486
Four: You nearly died today. I almost shoot you. Why didn’t you shoot me, Tris?
Tris: I couldn’t do that. It would have been like shooting myself.
Four: I have something to tell you. I might be in love with you. I’m waiting until I’m sure to tell you, though.
Tris: That’s sensible of you. We should find some paper so you can make a list or a chart or something.
Four: Maybe I’m already sure, and I just don’t want to frighten you.
Tris: Then you should know better.
Four: Fine. Then I love you.

I am no longer Tris, the selfless, or Tris, the brave. I suppose that now, I must become more than either. (Tris)

I know it's a lot! Do you have favorites too? I'd love to hear!

XOXO April :)

I Miss This When I'm Away

Hello!

The last week has been a busy week for me. I've been away for 3 days, that means NO INTERNET! I was almost on the road so I wasn't able to update my blogs for a while.

Last minute on Friday I decided to go to Miley's concert (Miley Cyrus Gypsy Tour). I asked my hubby to get me some tickets for me and my friend. Luckily he got the last 2 available seats and so we went! It has been an exciting one for me, cos I was able to meet my favorite Hannah Montana in person! Yes I saw her at last! Though I haven't got the chance to take a picture of her and me together, it was a great experience for me. It was a 5 hour drive from home and we got caught on HEAVY traffic (yeah, I thought I couldn't make it on time! I felt like crying!!!). We arrived at the concert ground at 8 pm, thankful that the concert hasn't started yet! I felt exhausted running with a friend just to get there on time. It was exciting and funny at the same time! :) I really enjoyed the concert. Miley is amazing, she's a true performer. I can't get enough of it... I can't believe I've been there! It was 3 am already when I got home,  exhausted but happy. It was incredible, I couldn't hide my happiness!

The next day, we went for another 5 hour drive to attend a wedding. With only 2 hours sleep, we hit the road again. Went home Sunday afternoon and celebrated Father's Day with my hubby and my little one. I know, we travel a lot! :)

Ok, so far... I've been busy updating my site now and I found a few good books to add on my looooong list of books to read (so frustrating when I can't move on to the next book). If you have time you can check those upcoming books I listed on this page. I'm still currently reading Crescendo and I wish I could finish it this week so I can start a new book already. I have lots on my list and I am so so excited for the new books that will come out this coming months... I know it's gonna be worth the wait!

What do you read right now? I hope you're enjoying it. Tell me about it. So sorry I wasn't able to post any update yet, been so busy. Let me hear from you soon. Have a great day!

XOXO April :)

Book Review: POSSESSION by Elana Johnson

Possession (Possession #1)
Author: Elana Johnson
Publication Date: June 7, 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genre/Category: Young Adult, Dystopian

Summary on Goodreads:

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

My Thoughts:

Good girls don’t walk with boys. Even if they’re good boys—and Zenn is the best.

I know right? It’s intruiging… I was suddenly captivated just reading those first two lines of the book! But my favorite is this one:

Good girls don’t touch boys, not even good ones. And Jag wasn’t good.

And so I love love Jag! I bet you’ll love him too!

Vi, Jag, and Zenn are the three main characters in the story. Vi has always loved Zenn, her bestfriend, her protector, her partner in every rule breaking she does in Goodgrounds—her perfect match. And there’s Jag, the boy with the wicked hair (just like her), the boy from the Badlands, one who has always been bad (though not really), the boy she truly love and the only person who can fill the hole in her life. The boy she called Perfect. For Vi life has always been full of choices. Good or bad? Zenn or Jag? Duty or Death?

I’ve read a lot of Dystopian Novels and they never fail to captivate me. Maybe that’s the reason why I picked this book, and I wasn’t wrong. Elana Johnson knows how to engross a reader from beginning to end.

You can easily picture the world which the author created. It was too futuristic, and frightening as well. There are lots of high technology emphasis: from the Mechanic Robots (which acts like human), the high-end transmissions which the Thinkers used to brainwash and manipulate people, to the chips being inserted on your skin, the teleport rings (which I find interesting), the talking walls, the silencer (the one they used to silence people), the taser, and a lot more... But the most interesting to me are the characters who possess special talents, those who are able to control people using their minds and voices. Something I wasn’t expecting at all.

Well, there are actually lots of things I didn’t anticipated. Some surprised me and some annoyed me, but that didn’t stop me from reading it. Most of the times, I needed to re-read some parts of the book just to catch up and understand why the characters suddenly act this way, or act that way. Sometimes it's weird and I couldn't grasp the idea. There are still lots of questions in my mind right now that are left unanswered even after finishing the book (which I better not mention to avoid spoilers). Sometimes the events are little confusing, but nevertheless, I still enjoyed it. This book is thrilling and engrossing, it's easy to ignore those flaws and continue reading until I feel satisfied (which is hard because I can’t get enough of this book either!). I so love the twists in the story which makes it more enjoyable.

From the time I started reading Possession, I couldn’t put it down. I was so into it and the love triangle of Vi, Jag and Zenn is quite entertaining to me. I was so eager to know what would happen to them especially to Vi and Jag (and YES, I’m definitely Team Jag here!).

Though I love Jag and Vi together, I hate it when Vi sometimes becomes bossy and I hate it more when she calls Jag stupid (because he’s not!). She’s so upset all the time that I find her annoying. Thanks to Jag, he keeps me entertained! I bet you’ll gonna love him and you’ll miss him every minute he’s away. I can’t seem to get enough of those two… their conversations made my grin wider… and their arguments and teasing are always a hit to me. Blockbuster I might say.

I knew from the start that I’m off to a huge cliffhanger ending… but still, I didn’t expected this one. I am way too anxious to learn about the next book, which is some kind of torture, knowing you have to wait for months or a year to read it. I just hope that the sequel would be as good as this one (but not as confusing... I hope) so I could say that it's worth the wait.

I totally love it. A must read and I would definitely recommend it.

My Rating: