Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Title: Insurgent
Author: Veronica Roth
Series: Divergent Series
Genre: Dystopian
Rating: 5 out of 5

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18713356-insurgent

The second book in the Divergent series follows Tris after the Erudite have started a war between all of the factions. This book is a lot darker than the first. It deals a lot with the pain and guilt of Tris after events from Divergent. I enjoyed the darker side to this book and that we saw how weak Tris could be and that she was not perfect and made mistakes. This is something that I praise within a novel. Not every main character can be perfect, and she certainly wasn't. She acted on impulse and threatened her life. I was really invested into the characters life and I often dislike the main character of a book so I'm ecstatic I that I really did like Tris.

One thing I disliked was the relationship between Tris and Four. I really enjoyed their relationship in the first book, and really loved Four's character in Divergent. However, I felt that there was not much focus on Four, he was distant and they were often not speaking through a lot of this book! It got a little repetitive when Tris would do something impulsive and Four would not approve and then they would make up. I did like the connection they had, which did not fail to disappoint. It's a romance I cared about and wanted to work, which also surprised me. I'm the type of cynical reader who dislikes any couple actually put together!

The book revolves a lot around a mystery that Tris is desperate to solving, even willing to sacrifice relationships to find out this mystery which may or may not be important. The end of the book is absolutely perfect. I haven't read an ending as good as this for so long. I crave for more! It was poignant and I really was speechless after reading it. I look back and know it was kind of obvious, but what does that matter! It got me reading and wanting more.

I am really excited to read the final book as well as the film adaptation to Insurgent.

All I Know Now by Carrie Hope Fletcher

Title: All I Know Now: Wonderings and Reflections on Growing up Gracefully
Author: Carrie Hope Fletcher
Genre: Non-fiction
Rating: 3 out of 5

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22232035-all-i-know-now?ac=1 

Carrie Hope Fletcher is an author, a vlogger, a singer, a songwriter and last but not least an actor. I  have been subscribed to Carrie on YouTube and I like her videos, her positivity, her determination and her outlook on life. I was curious about the book so I thought I'd go ahead and purchase it.

Firstly, you can really see the effort and love she has put into this book. A lot of people who have YouTube channels have been releasing books recently and this can always create a little bit of worry. Are they getting a book deal because it is a good idea or because there's guaranteed young buyers and therefore profit? I felt like this wasn't the case with Carrie, (and I'm not saying this is the case for others, it's just a question you may think about) possibly because of her love of books and well just how genuine she seems.

Going into the book, I knew it wasn't particularly aimed at my age group (I am 19), but rather young teens. This expectation fitted reality. Sure, things were relatable and I could see how much passion had been put into the book. However, it was mainly advice for young teenagers struggling at school. A lot of the issues are things that people any age could have, such as bullying or the internet, friendships and relationships. The advice was quite generic and simple, as well as being advice I know doesn't really make a difference to me. I felt I'd already learnt a lot of what she was saying. Of course, she couldn't really go more in-depth with her advice, because it needed to be relatable than to one specific problem and I totally understand that. I think this book is great for young teenagers and an easy read for those who are older and I think different types of people can get at least something out of the book.

I wish there had been more insight into her life. There were a few quirky and serious stories but I would have liked more. I guess that's because it's not an autobiography but a non-fiction help book. I did like the layout of her book, and once again the word "quirky" comes to mind, you could really see her personality in this book, due to things like the chapters being called acts and a finale.

Overall, I think this is a great book for teens and I would definitely recommend it to someone of the right age category. I have nothing bad to say about the book at all, I just don't think it was written for older people! You can really see how much she put into this and it's great to actually be able to see that. It's definitely a little pick-me-up kind of read and can really make you think about your mistakes and how to be a better person. She tried hard not to sound condescending or shove her opinions in your face, but just suggestions on how you could improve yourself or your life, including the helpful 'props' for help if anyone needs it.