Movie Night: Divergent

So... I'm kind of in love with the movie Divergent. I loved the book, but I loved the movie even more.

To be completely honest with you, my favorite part of Divergent was... THEO JAMES
I probably sound like a desperate fangirl, but that is what I have become. I can't handle his attractiveness!

Things to know... 

There are a few things that you should know before watching the movie. I highly advise you to first read the book, because most movies made form books are not completely accurate. (warning: there may be some spoilers) For those who have read the book, the movie leaves out some events and dialogue. The movie does not include Peter stabbing Edward in the eye. Also, the movie does not really show that Al liked Tris. When Tris asks Four to show her his tattoos, he was supposed to say, "Tris, are you asking me to undress?" Other than the fact that some scenes were excluded from the movie, you should know that Theo James, the actor who plays Four, is extremely attractive. He is flawless. He is beautiful. He is a god.  

Review:

I loved, loved, loved the movie! I thought that the cast was perfect, the characters were just as I imagined them. There was definitely some chemistry between Theo and Shailene. The soundtrack was pretty good. The plot line was understandable to those who have not read the book. One of my friends who I saw the movie with, she never read Divergent but she told me that she understood the movie perfectly. The setting is just as I imagined it, but the Dauntless headquarters were not exactly as I pictured, but fine nonetheless. I thought that some parts of the movie was rushed. The only disappointment I have with the movie is that Tris and Four kissed three times in the book, but only kissed once in the movie!

Overall, I absolutely loved the movie! I'm a total fangirl!

P.S. Sorry for not posting in a while! And sorry for the double Divergent posts!

Divergent

Warning: You are about to be assaulted by complete, utter fangirlism

Rating: «««««

AhHhHhhHhhh...! I love love love this book!

This book is amazing. I don't even know where to start. Everything was utterly amazing. The plot, the characters, everything. I loved the romance in this novel because, c'mon, who doesn't like a little bit of love? The relationship between Tris and Four was adorable!

I know that there is some debate regarding how this book is similar to The Hunger Games. They are both distopian novels, but in my opinion, they are both very different and thus cannot be compared to each other. Divergent probably is more chick-lit than Hunger Games.  

The trailer is perfect, and I saw the movie in theaters last Friday!!!

Summary:

Beatrice Prior is a 16 year old girl who lives in an Utopian city. He lives with her father, mother, and 16 year old brother, Caleb. In her city, people are divided into factions. One's faction will determine their job and lifestyle. The five factions are Dauntless, Abnegation, Candor, Amity, and Erudite. The Dauntless are the bravest and most fearless people. Their job is to protect the city. The selfless people in the city are Abnegation. These people govern the city due to their selflessness, so that there is no corruption. Candors are characterized by their love of truth, inability to lie, and their keen sense of lie detecting. These people work in judicial jobs. The Amity are dedicated to peace, trustfulness, and forgiveness. The Erudite are the geniuses of society. They are intelligent, and have a thirst for knowledge. 

Beatrice belongs to Abnegation, however every 16 year old is required to take the Aptitude Test. The Aptitude test is a series of brain simulations that will determine which faction a person belongs to. Caleb's result was Erudite, but Beatrice's result was different. Beatrice is Divergent. Divergent is a mix of all the factions, and being Divergent is dangerous. During the Choosing Ceremony, where all the 16 year olds gather and chose their faction, Beatrice chooses Dauntless. Her father, an Abnegation, is furious and ashamed, but her mother is oddly proud.

After joining the Dauntless, Beatrice must face Initiation. Initiation is training and a way for the Dauntless to filter out the bravest among the new members, also referred to as Initiates. The training leader of the initiates is 18 year old Four. As you can probably guess, Beatrice and Four fall for each other. Beatrice makes new Dauntless Initiative friends. Her best friends are Christina, Will, and Albert. She also makes enemies, Peter and Molly. Eric is the leader of the Dauntless. He is a bloodthirsty and cruel man. He hates Four, because when they were Initiates, Four was ranked higher than Eric. As Beatrice goes through Initiation, something big is happening. In the news, the Erudites have been blaming the Abnegation government for corruption. The Erudite leader, Jeannine, is secretly planning an attack on the Abnegation to overthrow the government. She and Eric are allies, and Eric has been injecting a mysterious serum into all the Dauntless. This serum causes a person to be in a zombie-like state, and they have a skewed perception on who is a friend or enemy. The Dauntless don't know what the serum is used for, and they have become Jeanine's brain dead army to wipe out the Abnegation. Four and Beatrice are Divergent, so the serum does not affect them. Can they save their friends from murdering all the Abnegation, or is it too late?

Here's the thing about me. If I start reading a book I like, I absolutely cannot put it down until I am finished. I started Divergent one night at 11 p.m, and I accidentally read until 1 a.m! I finally finished the book in study hall the next day. I'm not sure whether I should read Insurgent and Allegiant because my friends told me that the last two books of the trilogy aren't as good as Divergent. What do you think?

I totally recommend this book to anyone and everyone! However this book may seem a little more chick-lit

Must-Reads List

Reading has been the one thing that I have heavily neglected. In 2013, the only reading I did was the required school reading, which is very unlike me. As a child, my parents heavily enforced the importance of reading, and I was a very avid reader. At times, my parents would actually tell me to stop reading because instead of doing homework, I was reading!

I love all books, old or new, long or short, fantasy or nonfiction, however I noticed that one type of book that I haven't read in copious amounts are classics. During school, we read classic literature such as The Odyssey and Lord of the Flies, but I never expanded my palate of classics. I really want to read all the young adult books that are very "in" right now, such as Divergent, The Fault In Our Stars, Eleanor & Park (etc.) However, there are so many great classic literature that I haven't read! There are countless of great literature in the world, but I have managed to neglect reading them! I feel like it is a necessity to read classic literature. Although I'm 14, and it's difficult to comprehend everything in books like the Scarlet Letter, I most definitely want to read the following books within this year. I feel like these books are calling my name, begging me to read them!!

The 2014 Oscars Roundup

In all honestly, the only reason why I watched the Oscars this year was because a) the awesome, amazing, and hilarious Ellen DeGeneres was the host and b) I was hoping that Leo DiCaprio would get his first Oscar! Sadly, he didn't. But Ellen, she was way too funny. When she ordered the pizza, I died. Her selfie was priceless. 

Does watching the Oscars make anyone else wish they were a movie star??

I was totally fangirling when Joseph Gordon Levitt and Emma Watson walked on stage. They are adorable together, and it took me three seconds to ship them! Personally, I think Joseph Gordon Levitt is super attractive and funny. He has a certain classy quality about him, and I loooved him in Inception! 

Just like last year, Jennifer Lawrence was being her typical Jennifer-y self, tripping in the Oscars once again! Hahaha, I love her! She's so easy-going and hilarious!

My Favorite Red Carpet Looks:

Anyone else notice a white trend at the Oscars???

To-Do's

I have never ever made a do to list in my life. I was always one to memorize everything that I had to do. I keep an agenda to organize my homework, tests, and projects, however I never physically recorded my goals for the week. Until now.

I read somewhere online that when you share your goals online, you are more likely to achieve them. I sure hope that works! Apparently, to do lists help with time management and work efficiency. Huh, who knew? I'm a busy girl with goals, and I hope will do everything on my to-do list for the week!

Feel free to share your weekly to-do's!

A Teenager's Opinion...

...on social hierarchy

Before I voice my opinion, I would first like to say a little disclaimer. This is my opinion, so you might agree with me or disagree. Also, this is written from a girl who never really struggled socially speaking (read: I am not a Queen Bee but I am not a Wallflower). In addition, my school is located in an affluent suburb in Massachusetts. Social Hierarchy will vary in every school, but this is how it is at my school:

Social Hierarchy exists everywhere you go, whether you are referring to society in general, hierarchy in government, or, if you are a teenager like me, hierarchy at high school. Ah, hierarchy in high school- or any school, is something to marvel. At my high school, it's something that you don't really notice, but its there, kind of like a silent fart (hehehe yeah I'm immature).

For my whole life, I was never one to care about my social ranking. When I was in elementary school, I was a full-out tom boy, all my friends were guys, and I was overweight. I was that girl who never was girly, who preferred running around or trading Pokemon cards to friendship bracelets. I knew that some girls thought I was weird, but I just didn't care. I have been told in late Elementary School and Middle School that I was fat, but I did not care even the slightest. I had skin thicker than the Earth. I had, and still have, an insanely flamboyant and outgoing personality, despite that some people think I'm weird. I think that my childhood of being "the odd one out" gave me the confidence I have now. It might sound strange, that being "weird" actually makes me more confident, but it's true. I am probably the realest person you would ever meet. I do not kiss up to people, and I may come off as rude because I am very honest, and the way you treat me will affect how I treat you. I apologize if that sounds mean! So before I talk about my opinion of social hierarchy, I should probably tell you where I stand. From Elementary School to High School, I have been all over the social ladder. During Elementary School I was in the middle, at the start of Middle School I was in the middle, then went lower on the social ladder, and for some reason I can't figure out, the Queen Bees thought I was hilarious and cool so they loved me and I rose to the top. And now, I'm in the middle. Most people, if not all of the people in my grade has heard of me. A good number of people know me, but only a few are my best friends. I think most people like me, but I can be a bit too high energy for some people, and probably not everyone admires my intrepidity. I'm getting a bit off-topic here, but basically I'm trying to establish the foundation of my opinion

So... moving on from my childhood...

I think that social hierarchy is stu-pid. It's absurd and makes no sense at all. Why are certain girls and guys considered "higher" than others? Why are certain people thought as more popular? What is the standard for a "popular" person? What makes someone "cooler" than another? Social Hierarchy is synonymous with popularity. The "popular" girls aren't even popular because no one likes them and all they do is snark on their supposed "friends." I have never understood Social Hierarchy. Being "popular" does not mean that people will actually like you. Being Queen Bee will not help you in school. Come on, what really is the benefit of being popular? It's not like you are an A-list celeb and everyone is just dying to breathe the same oxygen as you. Come on, what's the best thing that's going to happen? Getting invited to a few upperclassmen parties?  On the flip side, being unpopular is not the end of the world. There is nothing wrong with being unpopular, it just means that people are too ignorant to get to know the amazing person you are. Personally, social rankings have never affected my self confidence or self worth. Social Hierarchy is a sorry excuse for certain students to tell others of their "worth." The truth is, everybody is created equally, and everyone is equal. Everybody has their insecurities and everybody has struggles in life, and Social Hierarchy only deepens these insecurities. Maybe because I never struggled with "popularity" or Social Hierarchy, but I don't care about social standings. I simply don't care. I couldn't care less if you are more "popular" than I am, I will not treat you differently. I not kiss your ass. Being more popular than me does not mean you are too good for me. This applies to both girls and boys, girls as in popular girls are "too good" to be my friend, and popular "boys" can't be interested in me. I couldn't care less if you are "less popular" than I, it doesn't mean we can't be friends or I'm "too good" for you. The thing is, at my school, the "popular" ones are the true "losers." That may sound harsh, but it's true. They spend every single day screaming in your face and telling the world how popular they are by doing anything and everything for attention. They literally say to the world, "look at me I'm so popular, everyone loves me." Only a handful of people truly like the "popular ones" however a majority of people don't. You may be wondering, if the "popular ones" are so disliked, then how are they considered "popular"? And I do not know the answer. Quite honestly, social hierarchy is completely irrelevant to my life, and I assume that it is irrelevant to the lives of other high school students. I have a lot to worry about, such as sports, babysitting my brother, keeping my grades up, playing the violin and I have no time to worry about- or care about- my social rank. I have my best friends, which is all that matters. No matter where you stand on the social ladder, as longs as you have your best friends, you are set socially. There is simply no time to think about silly things such as social rank. Although I think Social Hierarchy is inane and ridiculous, it's something that will always be present. I guess that it's a natural phenomenon, something in human nature, that makes us separate into a futile social hierarchy.






Also, I would like to apologize for a lack of posts! Sorry!