Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Roth, Veronica (2012).  Insurgent.  New York: Katherine Tegen Books.

Tris is back trying to stop the coming war.  But is it worth the loss of those she loves?


This is book two to the Divergent trilogy and I liked it!  I think Divergent was better, but this one is still worth reading, because there is more character development and you figure out more of the story and how Tris deals with the choices and actions she made in the first book.  It shows how the dystopian world is falling apart and hints at something bigger (book #3...).  It kind of reminded me of The Giver (Lois Lowry) or Running out of Time (Margaret Petersen Haddix).  I really enjoy these dystopian novels because it shows a different world and makes me wonder how they ever got to where they are.  It makes me grateful to live in the free country that I live in!

The Brotherband Chronicles Book 2: The Invaders - John Flanagan

Flanagan, John (2012).  The Brotherband Chronicles Book 2: The Invaders.  New York: Philomel Books.

After the Brotherband competition Hal and the Herons sail off to redeem themselves and catch the thief Zavac before the Andomal is lost forever.


I love these books!  They are such a great read and so interesting in how all of the sailing stuff works!  It is really interesting to see how a ship captains mind would work when going into battle.  Also the loyalty they show each other.  Another great piece of work from John Flanagan.  I am a fan of all of his books!

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Roth, Veronica (2011).  Divergent.  New York: Katherine Tegen Books (HarperCollins Publishers).

Divergent is what you don't want to be - it may lead to your death, or so they are taught.  But what if being Divergent is the only way to save those you love?


I really liked this book.  I have heard it being compared to The Hunger Games a lot, and I can see the similarities (a dystopian society with a female lead who is different than the norm), but it is very unique in how it is set up.  I thought it was well-written and although it looks long, it is a really fast read that is easy to get through.  It is full of action and decisions that must be made.

I love the catch-phrase on the cover: "One Choice Can Transform You."  It is crazy to think of a society where your behavior is dictated for you.  It kind of reminded me of The Giver (which is one of my favorite books!), because the faction you are in dictates how you act - selfless, brave, caring, knowledgable, or honest.  But you can only be one, or you become something society does not want - Divergent.  If you don't succeed in joining a faction at 16, you essentially become an untouchable ("factionless").  This book is the breaking point of the society that was trying to limit everything that would harm someone in the society, but it begs the question - when is there too much control on people?  And what happens when someone becomes so greedy for power that they don't care how they step on climbing the ladder to the top. A second installment comes out next month, and I am excited to read it to see how things turn out!

Nobody's Princess by Esther Friesner

Friesner, Esther (2007). Nobody’s Princess. New York: Random House.

Helen of Troy was the heir to the throne of Sparta before her adventures that everyone has read about. Nobody’s Princess are her adventures during her young adolescent years.

“‘But what good does it do to know your destiny?’ I argued. ‘You can’t escape it. The three Fates spin, measure, and cut the life thread of every human being. Their decisions are final. Even Zeus can’t change them’” (Friesner, pg. 209). Helen’s world is turned upside down when she learns that she, the daughter of King Tyndareus of Sparta, will become Queen of Sparta one day. But she has other dreams. She wants to learn how to run and fight with a sword and spear. Will her older twin brothers teach her how to fight? Or will she be stuck doing the “women’s work” inside the palace with her mother and twin sister?

She knows she is destined for more, but she is starting to realize she gets what she wants because she is “pretty.” She decides to take her life into her own hands. She wants to make her own decisions every day and not be controlled by a fate or destiny.

I enjoyed this book, because it told a part of the story that is never told. Esther Friesner decided to tell what happened before in the life of the famous Helen of Troy. Though many think Helen of Troy was pure myth, there are some who believe the woman actually lived long ago. It was interesting to get inside the head of a Spartan princess and learn about the various gods and goddesses that she and her family worshipped. Though much of what is discussed is mythology, some of it is based on historical places and people.

The Smile by Donna Jo Napoli

Napoli, Donna Jo (2008). The Smile. New York: Dutton Children’s Books.

Elisabetta is a young girl of the country nobility living in Florence at the time of the fall of the Medici family. Find out how Florence goes from flourishing art center to a dangerous city with no protection.

Elisabetta is a young girl of the country nobility living in 15th Century Florence. This was a time when the arts flourished and men like da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, and many other great artists. Elisabetta’s father was friends with the great Leonardo da Vinci, and because of this Elisabetta was able to meet “the good” Medici brother - Guiliano. Elisabetta’s life changed forever when she met Guiliano who was able to make her smile when he called her Monna Lisa.

With the death of Guiliano’s father and the rise of his brother, Piero, to power, Florence will forever be changed. Florence must choose between allying with Naples or France. Will the wrong choice lead to the end of Florence as Elisabetta knows it? Read this book to find more about a girl who just wants to live and love in the Florence she grew up with and who becomes the girl behind The Smile.

This book has so much information about Florentine history during the late 15th Century. Although it is unclear of the true identity of the model for Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Mona Lisa (or La Gioconda in Italy). The author consulted many sources about the Mona Lisa in writing the background of her book (see the Postscript) and took her own path to tell the story of the girl behind The Smile. This was an interesting look into what Florence would have been like as an artistic haven and the downfall of the art world.


Learn more about the famous, yet mysterious painting that was the inspiration for The Smile.

Video taken from YouTube

The Musician's Daughter by Susanne Dunlap

Dunlap, Susanne (2009). The Musician’s Daughter. New York: Bloomsbury.

All Theresa ever wanted to do was make music with her father. However, after he is murdered, she sets out to figure out who killed her father and why.

Gold Award Winner on Teen Reads
Bank Street Children’s Books of the Year
Beehive Book Award Nominee
Gateway Readers Award Nominee

Texas Tayshas Reading List

Theresa Maria only dreamed of the time when her father would bring home a violin for her to play. She loved her viola, but longed to play the instrument her father cared so deeply about. However, her dreams came crashing down the night Heinrich, Jakob, and Zoltán bring the body of her murdered father to her home. What would she do? How could they live without her father’s income from Kapellmeister Haydn? Would she have to give up her study of music in order to find a way to provide for her family? Will she turn her back on her father’s world and embrace her mother’s family? Or will she stay true to her roots as The Musician’s Daughter?

I really enjoyed this book. It is amazing how the author was able to create the story of a girl in 18th Century Vienna, Austria and intertwine it with the musical world of the time. Theresa Maria was not well off, but was able to participate in the world of the upper society because of the love of music at the time. This book does a good job of hinting at what the lower classes had to deal with at this time at the hands of the upper class and blood did not mean as much as money and title. It is an intriguing adventure that explains some of the obstacles a middle class girl in Austria must face as well as the upper class and that unique group that no one could figure out - the Gypsies.

Teen Talk

Maddie, age 15 loves Jane Austen books. However, when asked if she ever read historical fiction, she said “We read one for school and I didn’t really like it. It was kind of boring. I really like Jane Austen’s books though!” Perhaps the book she read was just not in her range of the type of book she likes. Perhaps if she was pointed in the direction of historical fiction books that had the regency feel of Jane Austen, she would be pleasantly surprised with historical fiction. There are many historical fiction books set in the regency era, one of which could be The Musician’s Daughter by Susanne Dunlap.