Book Review: Dear Pen Pal (The Mother-Daughter Book Club, #3) by Heather Vogel Frederick

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Dear Pen Pal (The Mother-Daughter Book Club, #3)  by Heather Vogel Frederick  is the third book in a middle grade book series that is being rereleased. Chaos erupts in this third installment as the daughters in the book club get themselves into trouble. Each of the girls have big changes in their lives:  Jess is going to boarding school; Megan's grandmother comes to live with her; Emma starts a campaign against school uniforms; Cassidy has a lot of unexpected change coming to her family. Will the mother daughter book club stay together? I'd like to thank NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Dear Pen Pal  by Heather Vogel Frederick with it's upcoming rerelease to the public. I always love a good book that involves books, even if its target audience is children between the ages of eight and twelve. It wasn't until I reached the end of the book that I realized that it...
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Book Review: Insurgent (Divergent, #2) by Veronica Roth

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The Running Bibliophile Book Review Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Insurgent (Divergent, #2) by Veronica Roth explores a world where choices have consequences and loyalty is constantly tested. With the factions in turmoil and war looming over Chicago, Tris, Four, and several others seek temporary refuge with the peaceful Amity faction. But, safety is fleeting. When members of the Erudite and Dauntless factions arrive in search of refugees, whom they view as traitors, Tris and her allies realize they can’t stay hidden for long. Forced to move on, they join forces with the factionless, only to uncover shocking truths that change everything they thought they knew.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth took me only six days to read, and while I genuinely loved the sequel, I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as its predecessor, Divergent. That didn’t really surprise me, though, because I tend to feel this way about sequels. I had similar reactions to New Moon by Stephenie Meyer and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, where the second book just didn’t quite capture the same magic as the first.

One of the main reasons I didn’t enjoy Insurgent as much was that certain parts felt a bit slow. There were moments where the pacing lagged, which pulled me out of the story slightly. Another reason, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, is that while I love romance as part of a story, I don’t want it to overshadow the plot. In Insurgent, I felt like the romantic elements sometimes distracted from the larger stakes and action, rather than enhancing them.

insurgent veronica roth book review
That being said, there were so many things I loved about this book. I appreciated that the story picked up immediately after the events of Divergent, which made it feel like a true continuation rather than a disconnected sequel. I also loved how nothing was ever quite what it seemed, and the massive reveal about Four’s backstory was especially compelling. I won’t go into details because I don’t want to spoil anything for readers who haven’t experienced it yet, but in my opinion, it was a powerful and memorable twist. And the ending, oh my goodness, was absolutely fantastic. I didn’t see it coming at all, but when I looked back, it felt like the only way Insurgent could have ended.

Even though I gave Insurgent three out of five stars, I truly adored this book. Considering that I don’t usually gravitate toward dystopian novels, that says a lot. If you’re a fan of the first Divergent book, young adult dystopian fiction, or fast-paced stories filled with action, secrets, and emotional stakes, I definitely recommend reading Insurgent by Veronica Roth.


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