Teen and Staff Reviews

Four
By Veronica RothFour is a collection of short stories, including the first four novellas of the Divergent series, by Veronica Roth. The first part of the book is made up of “The Transfer,” “The Initiate,” and “The Son” and focuses on expanding on Tobias’ past and events prior to Tris’ initiation. These three stories were pretty good, but the first, “The Transfer,” was the best of the group.

The Traitor
By Veronica RothFollowing The Son, the fourth novella in Veronica Roth's Divergent series, The Traitor, is probably the best of the series’ first four novellas. This story is set during Tris' initiation, so a lot is unfolding, and we get to see Four's perceptions of and reactions to Tris.

The Son
By Veronica RothAnother novella in the Divergent series by Veronica Roth, The Son, expands on Four’s relationship with Evelyn and his rise in the Dauntless hierarchy. This story takes place after The Initiate and is not the most exciting or essential novella of the series.

The Initiate
By Veronica RothVeronica Roth’s second novella in her Divergent series, The Initiate, takes place after The Transfer and follows Four as he navigates becoming and belonging with the Dauntless. This story didn’t add anything to Four’s character or introduce anything new about his background; he’s just in the process of becoming the Four that can be seen in Divergent.

The Boy in the Black Suit
By Jason ReynoldsMatt Miller, a senior in high school, is dealing with the recent death of his mom to cancer. Mr. Ray, Matt’s neighbor, offers him a job at the funeral home. He is hesitant to take it but can’t pass up the good paycheck. So, Matt becomes the boy in the black suit because he starts wearing it every day. In a way it brings Matt comfort to watch the funerals. “I liked watching other people deal with the loss of someone, not because I enjoyed seeing them in pain, but because, somehow, it made me feel better knowing that my pain isn’t only mine.”

Lord of the Flies
By William GoldingLord of the Flies by William Golding is definitely a classic. The book begins with a plane crash on an island, which left a group of boys stranded on their own. From then on, the decisions the boys make represent the formation of society. The protagonist, Ralph, creates an orderly society at the beginning of the novel, but the island turns to chaos as the boys begin to turn on him and create their own belief system of fear. Ralph then struggles to hide from the other boys as they become more chaotic.

The Transfer
By Veronica RothThe Transfer is a novella in Veronica Roth’s Divergent series. This novella highlights a different side of Tobias as Roth provides more insight into who he was before becoming Dauntless. While no new information about his past was presented, this story really emphasizes how much Tobias grew from the time he transferred from Abnegation to Divergent.

P.S. I Like You
By Kasie WestP.S. I Like You by Kasie West is an adorable YA contemporary romance that embodies a fluffy version of the enemies to lovers trope. In this novel, Lily, a girl who doesn’t quite fit in but is relatively comfortable with herself, starts writing notes to an anonymous pen pal. Lily is eventually torn between keeping the note-writing anonymous and trying to find the person that she’s fallen for through paper.

A Step From Heaven
By An NaA Step From Heaven, written by An Na, describes a girl named Young Ju who recently moves to Mi Gook (America) with her family for new job and educational opportunities. This realistic fiction novel is written with small memories that show Young Ju’s path along life, from when she was a little baby to when she was heading to college. Despite Young Ju being top of her class and achieving what her parents wanted her to, she struggled with her father’s constant verbal and physical abuse.