I was freaking out right along with the characters.
920133
It has been a long time since a book has actually gotten to me on a visceral level (ha, see what I did there? If not, read the book and you will). This is an incredibly well written, disturbing, and gory reminder that just because you're at the top of the food chain doesn't mean you're not a part of the food chain.
2990628
I laughed, I cried, I held my breath. I am hopeful that these characters are in some of the next stories.
4286180
Nothing like what I expected AND I cried so much with the characters. This book moved me and I don't know what is going to happen next. I am trying not to include spoilers so I cannot say much more but this book made me realize how emotional I am.
4255837
I checked this book out from the library on Friday evening and had finished it by Sat. evening and accomplished little else during that period. For the entire book, something was happening, getting ready to happen or I was waiting for the repercussions of something that had already happened. There were some intricate twists, but at no time was the plot confusing. I wanted to scream at some of the decisions of the main protagonist, and I had to close the book at one point because things looked like they were going to go horribly wrong. So, this book will produce some angst and worry, but it will never be boring.
3653549
I am generally really nervous about reviewing a book when it has been so hyped up. I am always so afraid of being disappointed, let down or wondering, what the heck is wrong with me? If I don't end up liking it. All around the blogosphere for the last couple of months all I have been hearing about is the amazingness that is Divergent. Cue me and my nervousness. When I started the book I tried to keep my expectations for it low. I am so glad to say that there was no need for any of that. This book FAR exceeded the hype and any expectations I had ever had for it.

This world that author created was crazy. We are sent into the future in Chicago. There are four factions that make up the population. When you turn 16 you choose the faction that you believe best fits you. You are tested prior to choosing, however to see where you might best fit in. It is during this test that Beatrice finds out she might just be different than everyone else.

Beatrice, the lead character, is caught up in the turmoil of having to choose which faction she should go to. She wants to stay in the faction her parents and brother are in because she doesn't want to leave them, but she is also not sure if that is the right place for her. I am happy to say that I totally connected with her. I completely felt that I was along with her on the ride the entire time.

I loved Four. He was one of the instructors for the Dauntless. He was so amazing and complex. I kept feeling like I wasn't quite sure about him. You know the feeling? Like you are sort of in the middle because you expect some bombshell to be dropped involving the character that will make you love or hate them. That's exactly how I felt most of the time. In the end I just ended up being completely and totally in love with him myself.

I got completely lost in this novel. I wish I would have been able to read it and just not move until I was finished. When I had to put it down my mind was still on it wondering what would happen next. The suspense of it all kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I think there were times my stomach actually hurt from nerves. You fall in love with these characters. It's almost impossible not to.

This will going high up on my favorites list. I cannot say enough good things about it. It blows my mind that this is Veronica Roth's debut. Even after finishing it I still can't stop thinking about it. If you are avoiding reading this because of the hype I suggest that you listen to all that hype. It is well well deserved hype!
4426941
I was terrified to be honest. My girl she laughs at me, only this time when I read aloud parts of Hounded to her she cringed and her face turned white. So now shes reading it. This book is not only filled with terrifying horror mouth dropping moments but it has a great story. The characters are amongst the best Ive ever read, with so much depth and charisma. OK I will tell you, during this book I pretended that I was Bellamy and my girlfriend pretended she was Lily. Lets just say role playing out this book was like watching a movie which they should do, turn this into one. I loved all the characters Bellamy is my favourite and I want to see more of him in every book from Douglas. If I could rate this a thousand stars I would. I got taken into an apocalyptic world that scared me good.  Thank god we don't own a dog. I doubt Im gonna be able to walk in the park and see dogs in the same light ever again. Jesus, how did Douglas do that. She scared me through pages I never imagined could happen let alone be admitting it to whoever reads this. Thanks Douglas on a fine master piece of excellent story telling.
64315
What. The. Heck?!?! Seriously...what just happened?! Okay...let me back up. I've read all but one book of this series (how did I miss that one?) and I've really enjoy each book, but this one is so full of non-stop action that I was pretty stressed out. Rhea is a pretty normal, very small, intelligent young woman and she's been targeted by The Fours, since they think she's a threat to them. How could this innocent, tiny package be a threat? This elusive group is bent on destroying her and it seems like there's no escape, no way to avoid a certain death. With lightning quick reflexes and instant judgment calls, Rhea tries to control what little she can, but there's not much wiggle room for control...or for beating this group.

Rhea is a brilliant character and I came to admire and like her more and more as the story progressd. The twists and turns literally made me feel like I was on a Tilt-a-Whirl--jerking me from one place to another and spinning faster and faster, but I just couldn't get enough. When the ride came to a screeching halt, I was left stunned--what an amazingly perfect ending! I was blown away by this author's cleverness.

For anyone who loves action, adventure, thriller type stories, this book is for you!

Content: talk of rape; moderate action violence; mild language; some vague innuendo; very brief and mild religious elements.

*I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and views are completely my own and I received no compensation for them.*
3241674
I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger Warnings: This book mentions topics such as: mental health facilities, unethical psychiatric treatment, drugs, mental illness and suicide.

This book is a complete and utter head trip. Like, 100% it will Mess You Up. I'm still reeling from it. I'm still confused. I actually felt disorientated whilst I was reading this. I was constantly second guessing myself the entire time I was reading. You think you've got it all figured out, but then something will happen and you'll be questioning EVERYTHING. The way Krystal writes Rose losing touch with reality is so realistic that I didn't even know what scenes were real and what ones weren't. I STILL DON'T KNOW.

At first you feel so bad for Rose and angry on her behalf. I couldn't believe that her parents pretty much threw her in this institute simply because she wasn't talking to them and because she wanted to move away to go to Art School. Rose's mother seemed to be really overprotective and kept thinking Rose was going to turn out like a friend of hers, Heather Shepperd (yeah, have fun solving that mystery ;) ), who committed suicide. As more as the story progressed I started wondering if there was a lot more to the story than we were being told. I started to believe Dr. Underwood when he kept pushing Rose to say why she was really here. Rose reveals that her "friends", Josh & Megs, decided to play a "prank" and make it look like she had attempted suicide and then sent the photo to her parents. The same friends were supposed to show up to help Rose escape but not surprisingly they didn't. When I read what they did I was honestly ??? Forgive my lack of words bUT WHO THINKS THAT IS A GOOD IDEA FOR A PRANK? Rose, sweetie, I'm sorry but your mum was right; you need some new friends. Even though I mostly believed Rose's explanation, Dr. Underwood kept pushing and at the back of my mind I kept wondering if there was more.

Rose is a fantastic main character and her relationship with Phillip is believable and not instalovey at all. I think I would have preferred if it stayed completely platonic, but that's a personal thing and the romance wasn't in anyway annoying or the focus. When you take into consideration where Rose was, what was happening to her and how alone she felt, I was actually so happy when she found Philip and had someone who was helping and listening to her. He really helped give her strength when she was feeling completely hopeless. I really can't say anything else about Rose and Phillip's relationship because I don't want to take the "what the actual hell is going on!?" fun out of this book. Just be aware that nothing is ever as it seems... Dr. Underwood is extremely creepy and unnerving, but what's even more unnerving is when you start wondering; "what if he's not the bad guy?".

Whilst I absolutely adored Asleep to pieces the ending felt a bit rushed, everything just happened so fast and I was like "SLOW DOWN I CAN'T DEAL WITH THIS".  I would have liked a little more detail on certain people's connections and backgrounds.

It took me 5 or 6 chapters to get into Asleep, but once I did I was completely hooked. It's a captivating and disturbing read that will keep you on the edge of your seat as you try (and fail) to understand what is happening to Rose. There are twists and turns until practically the last page and even then I still can't help but wonder to myself if any of it was real.

Asleep totally has a Suckerpunch vibe to it, so if you enjoyed that movie then chances are you'll love this! I definitely recommend it to everyone who wants a good mind bending horror/thriller in their lives. I also can't not mention that cover, HOW GORGEOUS IS IT?
4150185
This book had me at the very beginning on the edge of my seat, in suspense. I feel like I know the characters as if they were in my real life. I read an average of 2 books a week and have been for years and can honestly say this was one of my favorites.  I am going to look up previous  books by him with these characters that I grew attached to during this book.
3810969
I actually got caught in the trap and thought they were going to kill a big character, that's how involved I felt with the character's lives. Like this series a lot.
3787387
I had no expectation or even knowledge of this series.  I am a big fan of science fiction and mystery books.  The first volume frankly freaked me out, the description, images and introduction of characters had me hooked so very fast I couldn't continue on with the next volume as my heartbeat skyrocketed.

What followed was several Volumes and pages of deeply satisfying character and story development.  I felt the claustrophobia of the citizens of the silo, the evil manipulation of their society and I won't go on so that I don't spoil it for you.

These characters will be clear in your mind and you will be along side them during this story.

Please, get this book!
3273811
I read lots of mysteries crime romantic etc... and these books actually gave me nightmares. I felt what Charlotte felt , got scared with Charlotte, trained with Charlotte. I definately reccomend this read it's one heck of a ride.
2408062
Well what the hell I was so blown away I was like wtf just happened here.  One of my favorite reads this year can't wait for the next book. I was talking about this book days after I read it
3107731
I was having a bad day. I sat down and read this book. Now I am not sad anymore. The characters are just like us. They worry, get scared, and feel like there's no way out. But they find out they can be brave and loyal and help each other out of their troubles. I felt like I was right there with them all the way.
3585925
Wow...this was an amazing series. I laughed, felt warm and fuzzy, felt worried, nervous, and scared, and it even had me tearing up. Simply put, it was a great read that I highly recommend.
2657434
I love this series. Sometimes I had to turn it off because I was too scared
978610
I am fangirling so hard right now. This book had me pacing in suspense even though I knew Caprion was going to get his wings and the Harpies were going to be fine and I was fairly confident my favorite/second favorite character would be fine. I cringed, I writhed in suspense, I laughed (in a hes-going-to-be-your-general-someday-sucker way), and I want Ferrans Map yesterday.

The plot:

In Volcrians Hunt (my review) we meet Caprion, a Harpy general who proves to be slightly less of an SOB than the majority of his compatriots. I kind of wanted to beat him over the head with a shovel for all his pompousness in that book. I wasn't sure I would be able to overcome that very easily, but I was pulling for him by the end of the second page. Despite knowing hed be fine, I had several moments of borderline panic and had to stop at a few points and pace until I calmed down because I couldn't handle the suspense anymore.

The characters:

Like I said, I had a whole new outlook on Caprion by page 2. We get a glimpse into his early struggles and fears and I never would have suspected any of them when reading about him in Volcrians Hunt. (Though the fraternal rivalry is hinted at.) Caprion was brave and compassionate and not willing to let the propaganda about the Sixth Race cloud his judgment of Moss and I dare you to read this and not adore him.

In Volcrians Hunt, we learn that Crash (an elite assassin of the Sixth Race, my Favorite Character) knew a girl when he was younger who was kinder and sweeter than the Sixth Race generally allows and was abducted by Harpies when she was around thirteen. In Caprions Wings, Caprion befriends a girl of the Sixth Race around thirteen whose been taken captive and makes a deal to set her free and return her to the mainland. In Volcrians Hunt, :spoiler:we also learn that one of the female assassins of the Sixth Race whos hunting Crash was abducted by Harpies as a girl and somehow freed and returned to mainland with no memory of how she escaped. :spoiler over: Coincidence? I THINK NOT!!! But I loved Moss and in part because of that I hated the majority of the Harpy race by the end.

Sumas and Dahlia and the Matriarch were just begging for some unspeakable fate in this book. Of course, they kind of were in Volcrians Hunt, too (except for Dahlia, who wasn't in that book). This series does a good job of not making any one group or species all bad or all good, theres a mix in all the races.

I love, love, LOVE these books and I want Ferrans Map even more now! (Which I wouldnt have thought possible.)