Review - Four: A Divergent Story Collection by Veronica Roth

Two years before Beatrice Prior made her choice, the sixteen-year-old son of Abnegation’s faction leader did the same. Tobias’s transfer to Dauntless is a chance to begin again. Here, he will not be called the name his parents gave him. Here, he will not let fear turn him into a cowering child.

Newly christened “Four,” he discovers during initiation that he will succeed in Dauntless. Initiation is only the beginning, though; Four must claim his place in the Dauntless hierarchy. His decisions will affect future initiates as well as uncover secrets that could threaten his own future—and the future of the entire faction system.

Two years later, Four is poised to take action, but the course is still unclear. The first new initiate who jumps into the net might change all that. With her, the way to righting their world might become clear. With her, it might become possible to be Tobias once again.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth comes a companion volume to the worldwide bestselling DIVERGENT series, told from the per-spective of the immensely popular character Tobias. The four pieces included here—THE TRANSFER, THE INITIATE, THE SON, and THE TRAITOR—plus three additional exclusive scenes, give readers an electrifying glimpse into the history and heart of Tobias, and set the stage for the epic saga of the DIVERGENT trilogy.

My 13 year old daughter bought me Four by Veronica Roth from her school book fair for Christmas. It was a super thoughtful gift because she knows how much I loved the original set of novels. I know that I'm a bit behind the times, since this debuted in 2014, but hey, better late than never right?

I'll keep this short and sweet. I loved the story. It was from Four's/Tobias's perspective and it was pretty awesome to be able to read everything from his point of view. We get his back story and a look in to the feelings he has and the things he's experiencing even before Divergent takes place. It was fun to see Tris through Four's eyes. To see their journey together. To see the kind of battle going on in his head when it came to his feelings for her.

We got a better look at Marcus and what a waste of breathable air he is. And kind of an extra sneak peak in to things between Four and his mother.

I really wish that we could see the entire series through Four's point of view. This novel brought back the excitement and the thrill of reading the first 3 books and I kind of wish it didn't have to go away. It made me rewatch the movies and since I hadn't JUST read the books when I watched them the second go around, I was able to enjoy them more.

So, if you liked Divergent, Insurgent, and Allegiant, you should definitely read this one too!

Review - Just Like Elizabeth Taylor by LuAnn Brobst Staheli

Twelve-year-old Liz Taylor has known for a long time that she would escape—escape the abuse against herself, and against her mother. She just didn’t know how or when.

Then the perfect opportunity comes—money left of the table by her mother’s abuser—and Liz is on the run. But a girl her age doesn’t have many options when it comes to hideouts, making a K.O. A. Kampground and a nearby middle school her perfect choices.

If only she can keep to herself, Liz, now using the name Beth, knows she can make it on her own, until things change, and she realizes she must face her situation head on if she is to save herself and her mom.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I decided to read Just Like Elizabeth Taylor by LuAnn Brobst Staheli. It was not a long winded book so I quickly found out the meat of it shortly after beginning.

Liz and her mother are being abused. Her mother by her boyfriend, and Liz by the boyfriend's son. Liz can't understand why her mother doesn't leave, but she won't. Liz decides she can't stay anymore and so she takes the boyfriends money and takes off. She parks herself at a KOA and enrolls in the school nearby. She's never reported missing. No one ever comes looking for her. She sets up camp in a shed at the KOA and does odd jobs in order to keep her money supply up so she can buy food, clothing, and things like a space heater to keep her warm during winter months.

She originally planned on keeping her head down and keeping to herself. But things don't always end up as planned.

*

My heart absolutely broke for Liz. And for her mother. But mostly for Liz. I know what it's like to be in an abusive relationship and so while I can relate to her mother... it makes me angry that she put her daughter in that situation with no real intention of getting her out of it. It makes me mad that Liz, who is the same age as my oldest daughter, would have to get herself out of harms way and live all by herself in an area completely foreign to her. No one to help her. No one to take care of her. No one to really care.

It's sickening.

BUT... I was kind of peeved at Liz too, for not telling her mother about the abuse from the son. Who knows. Her life could have been completely different had she said something. Maybe mom would have snapped out of it and decided her daughter was worth more than being in a relationship just for the sake of not being alone. But then again, maybe not. You never know.

She was so strong. Liz was. So much stronger than I think I ever could have been at her age. Having to go through what she did and then having to fend for herself for the better part of a year. Not falling apart despite all she'd been through. Knowing that no one had cared enough to even report her missing. Not that I think she should have gone back to that hell hole... but just the fact that it seemed no one wanted her.

I'm glad she was able to make a friend. Even if she didn't want to at first. Everyone needs a friend. Not a lot. But one special one. Liz was lucky enough to make two. Well, three by the end of it all. And every one of them played a part in saving her. Helping her truly save herself.

It was a very short story. Easy to read. Length wise. Subject matter is another story. It was good. It definitely hit close to home, but it was good. And kudos to LuAnn for being able to pack such a story in such a short time and still manage to develop all the characters thoroughly and satisfactorily.

I'd recommend this book to readers age 12-13 and up. But with the younger end of the spectrum I'd definitely set aside time to warn them about what they were about to read and then talk to them about it. It's not light subject matter. In the slightest. Liz goes through some horrible things.

But she's so brave. To go through what she did and come out on the other side mostly in tact. She had more courage than most adults would when faced with the same type of situation. But she was also able to realize and understand that sometimes it was ok to rescue and it was also ok to accept a rescue.

Review - Eve in the Beginning by H.B. Moore

The first love story on earth . . . Haunting . . . Lyrical . . . Unforgettable . . .

In a world where everything is perfect, yet the same day after day, Eve must decide if she wants to live forever in the garden with Adam and never know what lies beyond the walls. When she makes a choice with terrible consequences, the pain of mortality is swift. As she and Adam explore their new world, and her body changes, Eve discovers the sweetness of first love with the man who has always been at her side.

I jumped at the opportunity to review Eve in the Beginning by H.B. Moore because, while most of us know the story of Adam and Eve as is told in the Bible... who knows what they went through before they were booted out of the Garden? Or what happened to them after they had to leave?

Long and short of it... Adam and Eve are created by Elohim and are given the entire Garden of Eden to tend and to live in. Their days are endless and infinite. Until Lucifer tempts Eve with the knowledge she's been longing for and begging Adam to ask Elohim for. She gives in to the temptation and eats the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge and Adam, not wanting to live in the Garden without his wife, does as well. Boom, out they go. But with new knowledge, or rather... knowledge that they had once but had forgotten when they were created in the Garden. Now they're forced to fend for themselves against a world that they'd once been in harmony with but now have to fight against to survive. Animal and environment are their obstacles. And Lucifer has not disappeared.

I really enjoyed this story. I'm Christian and I know my Bible... but I've always wondered what happened to Adam and Eve when they were told they would have to leave the Garden. I've always wondered what it was like to live IN the Garden. And how it felt to be the only two human beings on the face of the earth.

I know Eve in the Beginning is a work of fiction, but it was incredibly fun to read through. Genesis says almost next to nothing of their actual time in the Garden or how they spent their time after (although we know they definitely were fruitful and multiplied). So I loved reading and imagining the picturesque perfection that was their home. I loved hearing how inquisitive Eve was and seeing how much Adam loved her.

She was a little accident prone, I'll give her that. But she was also strong, despite how she felt about herself. And Adam would have probably literally given his life if it meant protecting Eve. He very nearly did a few times. And Lucifer... ugh. I can imagine being tempted with something you've wanted for such a very long time... and finding hard not to give in to that temptation. But the whole time he was in the Garden with them I was yelling "No!" at Eve in my head. Despite knowing that... inevitably their time in the Garden would end.

They go through a lot when they leave. Knowing absolutely nothing about how to take care of themselves in a wild world they're not familiar with, they have to figure out how to feed themselves and keep themselves warm because winter is approaching. But... imagine (i'm using that word a lot, sorry) taking care of animals, living at peace and in complete and total harmony with every kind of animal you could think of... and then being in a place totally foreign to you where those same animals want you for dinner. Where you have to kill them to avoid dying. How heartbreaking.

It was just incredible to read through the hurdles they had to jump over at every turn. The hardships they faced and the dangers that seemed to wait for them around every corner and behind every tree and in every bush...

If you've ever wondered what became of Adam and Eve, outside of knowing their descendants, I suggest reading this book. I'm the type of person where, if I know a story and you re-tell it and get some of it wrong, it bothers me FOREVER. But this... not the case. It's the first I've read about the parents of all humankind and I absolutely would recommend it. Fantastic read.

Review - The Medea Complex by Rachel Florence Roberts

1885. Anne Stanbury - Committed to a lunatic asylum, having been deemed insane and therefore unfit to stand trial for the crime of which she is indicted. But is all as it seems?

Edgar Stanbury - the grieving husband and father who is torn between helping his confined wife recover her sanity, and seeking revenge on the woman who ruined his life.

Dr George Savage - the well respected psychiatrist, and chief medical officer of Bethlem Royal Hospital. Ultimately, he holds Anne's future wholly in his hands.

The Medea Complex tells the story of a misunderstood woman suffering from insanity in an era when mental illnesses' were all too often misdiagnosed and mistreated. A deep and riveting psychological thriller set within an historical context, packed full of twists and turns, The Medea Complex explores the nature of the human psyche: what possesses us, drives us, and how love, passion, and hope for the future can drive us to insanity.

I will admit, I've always been kind of fascinated by Victorian Era asylums. I don't know why. With that in mind, I was super excited to read The Medea Complex by Rachel Florence Roberts.

Lady Anne Stanbury has been committed to Bethlem Asylum following the murder of her newborn son by her own hands. She neither remembers her son or her husband. She believes she's been kidnapped and that her kidnappers just have yet to receive the ransom for her from her father. Doctor Savage has diagnosed her with something I can only assume (without doing research) is akin to Post-Partum Depression and believes her 100% curable with some work. Her husband both loves and hates her... both misses her and hopes she dies at the same time.

This book was interesting. It intrigued me to get an "inside look" in to an asylum in the 19th century. If I hadn't been so fascinated by it already, it would have surprised me how easily it is to be committed or deemed "insane" in that time period. It also would have surprised me how easily it is to diagnose incorrectly. Lets face it, while medical technology is always advancing and there is room for improvement in many areas, 19th century medicine just seems primeval compared to now. However, it also seems better in some aspects. But that's a different story and not one I'll bore you with now.

It also angered me just how horrible women were treated back then. Reading too much could get you committed, because women shouldn't read. They were supposed to cook and clean and run the house. What did they need reading for? You couldn't have an over-active imagination or you were declared insane. Patients were nothing short of tortured in these asylums and it was called treatment and deemed acceptable.

But back to the story.

So it was interesting. And I liked it for the most part. I'd read some reviews about editing errors (or lack of editing altogether) and grammatical mistakes and what not, but for the majority of the book it did not bother me. Nothing really jumped out at me as horribly wrong. Toward the end, however, I did notice where names were in incorrect places (i.e. Anne was called Grace and so was the nurse... all on the same page).

What really got to me was the attempt at writing in the dialect or accent of the person speaking. It was inconsistent and a lot of times made no sense. Mainly with the little maid Betty(?). It was just a little difficult to read her parts so I skimmed through them but made sure I at least got the general idea of what she was trying to say.

The story itself (grammar and editing aside) was actually quite good up until Lady Anne disappeared. I can't imagine being in her position, locked in an asylum but not really understanding what for... or rather... not believing that's where you were. Not knowing anyone or really being able to see the people you DID know and who loved you.

I can't, however, imagine having her husbands reaction. If my husband killed my newborn there would be no love left in me. None whatsoever. Take him away and let him rot, ya know? But Edgar has conflicting emotions, due in part I'm assuming, because of Anne's diagnosis. She couldn't possibly have been in her right mind could she? How can you blame someone for doing something if they don't even know that they're doing it, right?

I'm pretty sure it wouldn't matter to me.  Regardless.

Anyways...

After Lady Anne disappeared, things kind of got muddled for me (mostly because it was so hard for me to NOT skip the parts where anyone with an accent was talking). Who was the lady chasing the carriage that Beatrix was in? I can assume, again, that I know who she is. But I don't recall if it's ever really said for certain. And what in the world was Beatrix talking about while she was yelling at her?

I also don't recall if, at any time at the end of the story (or anywhere else in the book), the title of the book is explained. I would have expected that perhaps the good Doctor would have mentioned it, but I don't believe he did. I had to go and look it up when I was finished reading. That kind of bothered me.

I did enjoy, however, that the story was based on actual events and people. Even if there were some parts that were poorly written or poorly explained, it was an interesting read. And a quick one. Once you get to a certain point you kind of expect the ending so it doesn't disappoint in that aspect. I would recommend it if you're interested in lunatic asylums or Victorian era or both. If you can get past the grammatical errors and some of the mistakes, it's a pretty decent read.