Novel: Divergent

Of all of the books on the current reading olympics list, the most exciting one for me was Veronica Roth's Divergent. Like The Hunger Games it is a dystopian novel of the future where teens are tested and placed into "factions" or towns where a certain personality trait or virtue is nurtured and utilized to the betterment supposedly, to the society as a whole. These factions include candor, erudite, dauntless, etc. Again this book has a strong leading female character named Tris who tested as "divergent"meaning that she has strong capabilities in several factions and can not be easily manipulated. There are many physical as well as mental challenges that all of the teens must face and who is behind it all; or what is the master plan; and how are virtual simulations used to direct the actions of the groups? This is a great series and those who enjoyed books like The Hunger Games won't be disappointed.  Veronica Roth was nominated by readers has having one of the best YA books of 2011. See her interviewed here.

Hello Team!

This is the first post for the UDHS Reading Olympics Team Blog! This is "your" blog.  It is the place where you can share your book reviews, opinions, and thoughts about the many books you are currently reading for the competition, as well as all of the events you have organized for the year. As we read the books on the list feel free to comment here and read the comments from your peers. Please remember that this is published to the internet so be careful to use your online etiquette skills.  You will be able to use your reviews and comments later to review for the competition in March. As often happens details about a book's plot or characters become fuzzy when you are reading many books in a row. So happy reading and happy posting! The booklist can be found at Montgomery County Intermediate Unit. You may also access our new team website at: UDHS Reading Olympics Team.