Weee! We’re back with Chapter Five! I hope you guys are enjoying my Booktube videos, and if you’re not—well, 30 seconds counts as a view so thanks for the view count!
I’m just kidding I’m sorry come back please like me.
We last left Beatrice on the eve of her Choosing Ceremony with a cryptic message that made it really fucking clear that she’s not going to stay in her faction—I have literally forgotten what it’s called.
Chapter five starts with this really weird sentence:
What? So this metaphor takes place in her head? She narrated this metaphor to herself? Is Beatrice a really pretentious annoying teenager?
Nobody answer that.
They climb the stairs to the choosing ceremony (because apparently climbing the stairs is less selfish somehow, don’t ask me) and arrange themselves around five concentric circles?
Is it just me or is making sixteen-year-olds decide the rest of their lives in an extremely public way really horrible? Shouldn’t they be able to sit down with someone and discuss this or...
They have to walk through their families and into the center of the circles in front of everyone, and then cut their hands so they bleed into a bowl that represents the faction they choose.
Yup, you heard me-- they bleed into the bowl.
What is this novel. I get that this is a dystopia but this seems hilariously overdramatic. Couldn't they just fill out a change of address form?
Her mother kinda guesses what she’s going to do, and Beatrice is all panicky and freaking out as the ceremony begins.
There’s a huge speech before the ceremony, much like Dumbledore explaining the four houses to us, and Beatrice muses about how she read in her history textbook this motto:
The ceremony begins and they’re all cutting their hands open and it’s so gross but at the same time, I’m a little bored? The writing is entertaining but I know that she’s going to choose Dauntless so this whole thing is an exercise in futility.
She discusses the idea of Faction transfers so over-dramatically, too. I find it so hard to believe that a society based on making every faction work together would seriously disown a family member if they left their group? It doesn’t make sense to me. It’s like if when you moved out of your parent’s house they were like, “k bye, nice knowing you” and you were like “I’m only moving across the street”?
AND THEN:
Y’ALL. CALEB PRIOR JUST TRANSFERRED FACTIONS AND I CANNOT DEAL. I WAS 100% NOT EXPECTING THIS AT ALL. GOD DAMN.
I mean, Beatrice also chose Dauntless BUT HER BROTHER TRANSFERRED TO ERUDITE. CALEB PRIOR IS A RAVENCLAW #CONFIRMED
The ceremony ends and Beatrice runs outside with the Dauntless, and their first act is to hop onto a fucking moving train.
Look, my mother worked for a train company for a long time, and let me tell you, it is not an act of bravery that leads you to do that, it is an act of outright fucking stupidity, because those things will crush you and then drag you along for five hundred miles.
You guys are dumb and I hate you.
I can already tell I’m gonna have an issue with what’s being portrayed as ‘courage’ in this novel oh my god.
BECAUSE YOU ARE A NORMAL FUCKING HUMAN BEING.
So literally someone misses the roof and dies, and this is totally normal and fine, and I want to punch this book. There has been no explanation as to why the society would treat human life this flippantly.
AND THEN:
Also, just once I would like to see a heroine with a regular name in a series-- one that doesn't make them sound so Special Snowflake. Can we please have an Anne or a Hilary that saves the world? Just once, for crying out loud.
Beatrice renames herself, and also, there’s a character named Four, so excuse me while I laugh myself into the next century. Is that the highest number he can count to or something?
They begin their tour of the compound, and we’re introduced to The Count more in depth.
What the fuck else would he be referring to?
Oh, God. This is the love interest isn’t it; is it actually Tris and Four? How the hell do you guys take that seriously?
Okay??? I know tons of really wimpy people with tattoos this sounds like a middle-aged woman looked up “rebellious teenagers” and described them.
They go into the “Pit” and then cross a bridge with no railing to look at a fucking chasm?
WHAT PART OF JUMPING OFF A MOVING TRAIN TO A ROOFTOP ISN’T IDIOTIC.
I HATE YOU.
They go into the mess hall and Tris somehow ends up sitting next to Four (I cannot use these names what is happening to me) when this guy walks in.
Okay, just kidding, this sounds like a middle-aged woman googled ‘rebellious teenager’ and described it here:
We find out there’s three steps to initiation, and Eric (the Snape!lite character described above), will be overseeing them. They’re also going to be ranked and only the top ten initiates will join the Dauntless.
Which, is stupid. They’ve already chosen a different faction, why do they need to prove themselves to get in? This society makes no fucking sense. How is it sustaining itself?
Tris cries herself to sleep, but is determined to stay in this faction, water is wet, the sky is blue.
And that’s the end of Chapter Seven!
I’m a bit worried about how juvenile this book is seeming already, and how Special Snowflake-y they’re making Tris, but I have high hopes yet! I love how the Dauntless are being described, and I’m interested to read more. The pros are far out-weighing the cons, and I`m definitely ready to keep reading this book.
We last left Beatrice on the eve of her Choosing Ceremony with a cryptic message that made it really fucking clear that she’s not going to stay in her faction—I have literally forgotten what it’s called.
Chapter five starts with this really weird sentence:
A pale ring of sunlight burns into the clouds like the end of a lit cigarette. I will never smoke one myself—they are closely tied to vanity
What? So this metaphor takes place in her head? She narrated this metaphor to herself? Is Beatrice a really pretentious annoying teenager?
Nobody answer that.
 |
| I promise I won't let my hatred for these actors taint this novel. |
They climb the stairs to the choosing ceremony (because apparently climbing the stairs is less selfish somehow, don’t ask me) and arrange themselves around five concentric circles?
Is it just me or is making sixteen-year-olds decide the rest of their lives in an extremely public way really horrible? Shouldn’t they be able to sit down with someone and discuss this or...
They have to walk through their families and into the center of the circles in front of everyone, and then cut their hands so they bleed into a bowl that represents the faction they choose.
Yup, you heard me-- they bleed into the bowl.
What is this novel. I get that this is a dystopia but this seems hilariously overdramatic. Couldn't they just fill out a change of address form?
Her mother kinda guesses what she’s going to do, and Beatrice is all panicky and freaking out as the ceremony begins.
There’s a huge speech before the ceremony, much like Dumbledore explaining the four houses to us, and Beatrice muses about how she read in her history textbook this motto:
Faction before blood.Which is interesting, and kinda creepy. It seems like a light version of "The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb", so I'm on board with it I guess.
The ceremony begins and they’re all cutting their hands open and it’s so gross but at the same time, I’m a little bored? The writing is entertaining but I know that she’s going to choose Dauntless so this whole thing is an exercise in futility.
She discusses the idea of Faction transfers so over-dramatically, too. I find it so hard to believe that a society based on making every faction work together would seriously disown a family member if they left their group? It doesn’t make sense to me. It’s like if when you moved out of your parent’s house they were like, “k bye, nice knowing you” and you were like “I’m only moving across the street”?
AND THEN:
My brother, my selfless brother, a faction transfer?
Y’ALL. CALEB PRIOR JUST TRANSFERRED FACTIONS AND I CANNOT DEAL. I WAS 100% NOT EXPECTING THIS AT ALL. GOD DAMN.
I mean, Beatrice also chose Dauntless BUT HER BROTHER TRANSFERRED TO ERUDITE. CALEB PRIOR IS A RAVENCLAW #CONFIRMED
The ceremony ends and Beatrice runs outside with the Dauntless, and their first act is to hop onto a fucking moving train.
Look, my mother worked for a train company for a long time, and let me tell you, it is not an act of bravery that leads you to do that, it is an act of outright fucking stupidity, because those things will crush you and then drag you along for five hundred miles.
You guys are dumb and I hate you.
I can already tell I’m gonna have an issue with what’s being portrayed as ‘courage’ in this novel oh my god.
The Dauntless in the cars ahead of us are jumping out as the train passes a rooftop. The tracks are seven stories up.
The idea of leaping out of a moving train onto a rooftop [ ... ] makes me want to throw up
BECAUSE YOU ARE A NORMAL FUCKING HUMAN BEING.
So literally someone misses the roof and dies, and this is totally normal and fine, and I want to punch this book. There has been no explanation as to why the society would treat human life this flippantly.
AND THEN:
“What’s your name?”Really? You have the whole world of names in front of you and you choose Tris? I am so disappointed.
[ ... ]
“Tris”
Also, just once I would like to see a heroine with a regular name in a series-- one that doesn't make them sound so Special Snowflake. Can we please have an Anne or a Hilary that saves the world? Just once, for crying out loud.
Beatrice renames herself, and also, there’s a character named Four, so excuse me while I laugh myself into the next century. Is that the highest number he can count to or something?
They begin their tour of the compound, and we’re introduced to The Count more in depth.
“My name is Four.”
“Four? Like the number?”
What the fuck else would he be referring to?
It would probably be wise to be careful around Four [ ... ] He seemed placid to me on the platform, but something about that stillness makes me wary now.
Oh, God. This is the love interest isn’t it; is it actually Tris and Four? How the hell do you guys take that seriously?
Four’s appearance seems tame from the front, by Dauntless standards, but when he turns around, I see a tattoo peeking out from the collar of his T-shirt.
Okay??? I know tons of really wimpy people with tattoos this sounds like a middle-aged woman looked up “rebellious teenagers” and described them.
They go into the “Pit” and then cross a bridge with no railing to look at a fucking chasm?
“The chasm reminds us that there is a fine line between bravery and idiocy!”
WHAT PART OF JUMPING OFF A MOVING TRAIN TO A ROOFTOP ISN’T IDIOTIC.
I HATE YOU.
They go into the mess hall and Tris somehow ends up sitting next to Four (I cannot use these names what is happening to me) when this guy walks in.
Okay, just kidding, this sounds like a middle-aged woman googled ‘rebellious teenager’ and described it here:
A young man walks in, and it is quiet enough that I can hear his footsteps. His face is pierced in so many places I lose count, and his hair is long, dark, and greasy.
We find out there’s three steps to initiation, and Eric (the Snape!lite character described above), will be overseeing them. They’re also going to be ranked and only the top ten initiates will join the Dauntless.
Which, is stupid. They’ve already chosen a different faction, why do they need to prove themselves to get in? This society makes no fucking sense. How is it sustaining itself?
Tris cries herself to sleep, but is determined to stay in this faction, water is wet, the sky is blue.
And that’s the end of Chapter Seven!
I’m a bit worried about how juvenile this book is seeming already, and how Special Snowflake-y they’re making Tris, but I have high hopes yet! I love how the Dauntless are being described, and I’m interested to read more. The pros are far out-weighing the cons, and I`m definitely ready to keep reading this book.
It seems that you liked chapters 5-8 significantly less than the first four. Would you say that's true?
ReplyDeleteI think so! But I think that's the case with any world-building-- it's a really difficult thing to do, and Roth is doing an okay job but sometimes it's falling short, so I'm kind of nitpicking it. Also, first-person narrative is totally difficult to pull off without seeming cheesy, and since I'm having such a hard time liking Tris so far it's making me hate the POV even more.
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