Divergent Giveaway: Win a Copy of Divergent Signed by the Author and Cast!

March 21, 2014March 19, 201474 Comments

Happy Divergent Release Day!

I hope you all are going to the theaters today (and ALL WEEKEND) to go see this movie. Remember guys: movie sequels are only made if the first one is successful so let’s go out, visit this see Divergent and get Insurgent made!

So I hope by now that you all have watched my vlog recap of my time at the Divergent Black Carpet Premiere in Los Angeles. It was an absolute blast and I had such a great time. I am so glad I was able to meet people like Theo and Miles and Ansel. SO much fun.

Check out my full collection of pictures from the premiere on Facebook here.

Check out my vlog about the premiere here.

Luckily for all you who were unable to attend, my friend Abby got an extra book signed and by a TON of the cast and it looks like its time for me to have a giveaway!

Make sure you read this whole post! Its VERY important!

Here is the Prize:

One Copy of Divergent Signed By:

Author Veronica Roth
Kate Winslet (Jeanine Matthews)
Tony Goldwyn (Andrew Prior)
Ansel Elgort (Caleb Prior)
Theo James (Four)
Miles Teller (Peter)
Ashley Judd (Natalie Prior)
Zoe Kravitz (Christina)
Maggie Q (Tori)
Amy Newbold (Molly)
Christian Madsen (Al)

The Rules (Yes, there has to be Rules):

The contest will run from today, March 21st to April 4th!

The winner will be contacted within 12 hours of contest end, and if the winner does NOT respond within 24 hours, a new winner will be chosen.

The contest IS International

Make sure to come back every day to tweet about the giveaway and earn extra entries!

Share with your friends!

This contest is in no way endorsed by Veronica Roth, Neil Burger, Lionsgate Company, Summit Entertainment, Katherine Tegen Books, etc. WhatANerdGirlSays is not responsible for any lost or damaged prizes.

The Catch (Yes, There’s a Catch)

Now, that’s a ridiculously amazing prize. Look up above at that list. That’s incredible and it took some hard work to get those signatures. Which means I expect some hard work to be done to earn this prize.

There are a TON of ways to enter, so enter a LOT. Do all of those entries! Show me that you want this. Every person who does every single thing on the rafflecopter list will be entered into a special secret giveaway. Please email a snapshot of your completed rafflecopter to whatanerdgirlsays at gmail dot com.

There are also options to show off your Divergence. Show me you are Dauntless, Abnegation, Erudite, Amity, and Candor. More details in the rafflecopter. Those who do those entries will also be entered in the secret giveaway!

Are you ready to enter already? Here you go!

Enter Now!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Divergent Black Carpet Los Angeles Premiere Vlog Recap!

March 20, 2014March 20, 20145 Comments

Hey guys! How’s it going? I hope you’re having a wonderful week and I hope that you’re planning on going out to see Divergent tomorrow. You all know how important that first weekend is for a movie, viagra in order to get a sequel so go out there and watch it guys!

As you guys might have seen on my Twitter and Instagram and Tumblr and Facebook, I went to the premiere on Monday. It was an absolute blast, and I just…I had so much fun.

Now instead of writing up a recap of the premiere, I decided to do a vlog instead. I know, right? I’m becoming more and more determined to do more vlogs.

So here we are, check it out on YouTube, my vlog of the Divergent premiere!

If you’d like to see all the pictures that I took from the premiere, you can check them out at this link on the official What A Nerd Girl Says facebook page.

If you’re curious about the song that’s playing in the video, its a song called “Small Talk” by a band that I just discovered last week, Green Light Theory. You can check them out on Facebook. They are trying to get on Warped Tour so what little I can do, I’m trying to do!

Don’t forget to come back tomorrow to check out my epic Divergent giveaway! You’ll be sorry you missed it!

Thanks for watching guys! Happy Fangirling :)

A Divergent Review…Is Coming!

March 9, 2014March 9, 2014Leave a comment

I know, more about that’s a super weird title.

Forgive me for that.

On Saturday, check I was able to do something that I’ve been looking forward to for a few weeks now, treatment something that made me so extremely happy, something that literally has had a hold on my emotions all weekend long.

I got to see a pre-screening of Divergent.

AGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Me, before the screening.

My dear friend, Maggie, works for Lionsgate and asked me a few weeks ago if I’d like to go to a press junket screening and I immediately said yes. You guys know that I love Divergent. I don’t have tattoos on my collarbone for no reason ;)

I was able to bring a friend along with me and I immediately thought of my fangirl BFF, Sylvia from FangirlFeeels.

Now, if you’re looking for a review of the movie, you’ve come to the wrong place. I’m going to be reviewing it but not quite yet. I’m writing it up but I don’t want to post it too early. The movie is still two weeks away and I want to post it closer to that. Look for it around the Los Angeles Premiere day (the 18th).

But I will say a few things:

One, Sylvia and I had an awesome time, and we probably were some of the most enthusiastic people in the audience.

Two, the casting of this movie is absolutely phenomenal.

Three, Theo James. Seriously. I can’t…I can’t even handle him as Four. The level of attractiveness of that man is just off the charts. I seriously, I can’t even handle it right now.

Four, you’re seriously missing out if you do not go see this movie on the 21st.

I had a great time, I seriously enjoyed the movie, and I can’t wait to see it again. I’m waiting just as anxiously as those who haven’t seen it for release day because it was just that good. I’m so proud of the team behind this movie. Its going to be so great, and I’m going to see this in the theater so many times.

Thanks to Maggie for being such a doll and getting me into this amazing early screening. I appreciate it more than you know!

Stay tuned for the full review coming soon :)

For now, enjoy the trailer!

http://youtu.be/Aw7Eln_xuWc

Tuesday Top Ten-Favorite Fandom Labels

November 5, 201310 Comments

Hey guys, treat how is it going everyone? I hope you’re all having a wonderful week so far.

I want to warn you! Its five days into NaNoWriMo, order and both myself and Christina Marie are participating, this web in our different ways. Well, because of this, there may be less posts. We are going to do our best this month to keep up as best as possible, and that you’re incredibly patient with us.

This week’s Tuesday Top Ten is the top Ten Fandom Identifiers that I love. You know, when you meet Harry Potter fan and they immediately ask what house you are in? Or a Percy Jackson fan will ask you what god you’re a child of? You know what I’m talking about!

So here are ten groups that I am proudly a part of and why! Share with me what yours are!

10. Mage from the Tortall Series

Here’s the thing about the Tortall series: its like a YA version of Game of Thrones, except that Tortall came out first. But who is keeping track? Anyway, the point is that there are knights and soldiers and noble ladies and merchants and all of that fun stuff. And all I can think of is, do you really want to put ME of all people near a sword? I tripped and twisted my foot when walking down Main Street in Disneyland. I’d probably chop my own head off, no lie. But the one thing that always stood out to me was the mages. I loved that they were born with this magic and it was deep within them and they had to learn to wield it and control. I also love that your Gift would be a certain color. I’d like to think mine would be pink. Because that would be SERIOUSLY awesome. But yeah, I would be a mage if I lived in Tortall. I would make it so that I was born that way. Somehow.

9. Elf from Lord of the Rings

I’m not going to lie, a huge reason why I want to be an elf is not even about the immortality or the beauty or even the sexy sexy Orlando Bloom as Legolas. Those are all great reasons as well but my main reason is…do you see where they live? Its like a beautiful Impressionist painting. I remember seeing it the first time in The Fellowship of the Ring and dying of happiness at how incredibly beautiful it is. If I lived forever, Rivendell is definitely on the list of places to spend that forever. Plus, like I said before, they are incredibly beautiful and full of a ton of wisdom, which, you know, totally describes me. And hair…its like a damn shampoo commercial up in there!

8. Pokemon Trainer from Pokemon

Okay, is there anything else to be in that world? Seriously? Like, the people who work in the Poke Mart or who are working in the casino or Safari Zone and that…why would you do that! Why would you not be a Pokemon master? Or trainer? Or something? I just want to own all the Pokemon and have a Pokemon party, and dress them up in a little costumes and name them all after book characters…and…okay I’m slightly obsessed with Pokemon. Its fun. I first got into it when I was a kid and I’ve continued to love it. I think it was just kind of a fun concept as a kid, going out into the world, on an adventure, and catching these amazing creatures.

7. Amity from Divergent

It was really hard for me to pick a faction in Divergent because I want to be Divergent! I think, legitimately, everyone is divergent and embodies multiple characteristics. But in the spirit of the book, I eventually thought Amity fit kind of well, and I took a test and I was mostly Amity with a splash of Erudite. The Erudite value wisdom and knowledge, which seems to go hand in hand with some of the other ones you’ll see on this list. But Amity really fits me too. Amity is the peaceful and the friendly. They created the peace serum. They grow food and love to eat awesome foods, and they were bright colors and they just kind of sound like hippies. I am a very peaceful person, really, I hate drama and fights and confrontation, and I love food. Plus do you see their symbol? Its absolutely beautiful!

6. District 4 from The Hunger Games

I realize that no matter what district you live in, it pretty much sucks because everyone is hungry and poor and could possibly compete-and die-in the Hunger Games. But even so, I choose District 4. I wanted to pick whatever district that was California since this is future-USA but when I saw a map of Panem, it was under water…you know, like most dystopian novels. So the next best thing was district 4 because its the fishing district, which equals ocean! Gotta have my ocean. And I only eat fish when it comes to meat so that works out too! Plus is Finnick Odair is my favorite character of the entire series so I’ll hang out with him in that district.

5. Huntress of Artemis from Percy Jackson

Yeah, I wouldn’t be a child of god or goddess. Mostly because since I was a kid, I was obsessed with Artemis. I got really involved with feminism and women’s rights when I was young and Artemis was like a badass Greek feminist, and she had her cool pack of hounds, and her silver bow, and denounced men. Its all just awesome. I do realize that if I actually became a Huntress, I would have to give up my boyfriend and that really sucks, and that part is kind of lame. Boys are awesome, at times. At least to look at, if nothing else. But I like the idea of having a bow, and working with Artemis. She has the best stories and she’s the goddess of hunting (which makes no sense as a vegetarian but whatever) and the moon, and I love her. I would follow her for sure.

4. Companion of the Doctor from Doctor Who

Come on! I could be MYSELF! I could literally be myself! I want the Doctor to show up on my doorstep, and open the door and say “Allons-y” or “Fantastic!” or “Geronimo!” and I would shout back “YES!” and run right down into the TARDIS, in pajamas, most likely. I would be so excited. I wouldn’t even know where to go first, but I would let the Doctor get us lost through time and space, and do amazing things. The best part of Doctor Who is the beauty of the impossible and the encouragement of imagination and creativity, and it would be amazing to be a part of that. Being with the Doctor is like having your wildest dreams come true, and so much more. Plus I could spend lots of time exploring the TARDIS, which would be super fun, and maybe visit the ginormous library, or take a dip in the swimming pool. Sigh.

3. Shadowhunter from The Mortal Instruments

I would KILL to be a Shadowhunter. Its such a cool thing to be. I mean, sure, werewolves, and vampires and warlocks and faeries are all really cool. There are a lot of really cool things in The Mortal Instruments but being a Shadowhunter is top dog. They are badass, they get to wear black all the time and no one says they’re stupid or a mall goth or anything. They have the Runes, which are beautiful and make them fast or agile or help with their precision, and things like that. They get use all kinds of cool weapons like daggers and knives and long seraph blades and bows and whips, and they keep the world safe from demons. They live in beautiful churches, and travel around the world, and the homeland, Idris, is beautiful and perfect. Plus they have cool names like Herondale and Lightwood, Fairchild, Morgenstern, Penhallow, and such. Its so beautiful. I also think I could be myself if I was a Shadowhunter. Sara Shadowhunter.

2. Jedi Knight from Star Wars

What I really want to be is Princess Leia but that’s not really a category in Star Wars to be so….a Jedi Knight is really awesome. Plus, Leia eventually gets Jedi training, and can use a lightsaber and such so THAT is awesome. I’ve been watching Star Wars since I was a child, and I always thought Jedis were so great. They were warriors but peaceful warriors. Warriors that are in control, and wield these awesome weapons, made of LIGHT, like lightsabers. They have the power of the Force. They get to navigate the coolest vehicles, like X-Wing fighters and such. And their costumes are pretty awesome too. I would also like to think that I’d be part of the Rebel Alliance, a hidden Jedi come to save the Galaxy from the evil Galactic empire.

1. Ravenclaw from Harry Potter

My ultimate identifier. I have a Doctor Who tattoo and a Star Wars tattoo but I have a Ravenclaw tattoo. This is one that I embrace all the time. I represent it all the time. I try to put blue and silver into my every day outfits. I tend to pick out blue when it comes to choosing colors. When I get married, my colors are going to be blue and silver. I feel like I represent Ravenclaw in so many ways. Smart, always reading, wanting to learn, keeping to themselves, because they’re wrapped in learning and books. Its so me. They live in the highest tower, facing the mountains and little professor Flitwick is the head of House. I have so many amazing friends, from different walks of life and with different talents and careers, that are all Ravenclaw. We are unique and awesome. Wit beyond measure is man’s greatest treasure.

* * * * *

I hope you all enjoyed this week’s Tuesday Top Ten!

Share with me your own houses and such!

Happy Tuesday!

Allegiant-A Spoiler Filled Discussion

October 25, 2013October 25, 201316 Comments

Now that I’ve written my spoiler free review, website I’ve decided to jump into the books and discuss the moments that have been discussed all over the internet, doctor and discuss why I loved this book.

This is your last warning! I will be discussing spoilers from this point on, search so if you haven’t read it yet, I’d suggest you stop reading this and go over to my spoiler FREE review here.

All right. Moving on.

There has been a TON of hate and extremely negative reviews for Veronica Roth’s last installment of her Divergent Trilogy.

And her’s the thing: I was insanely surprised at the ending that she presents to us. She kills Tris Prior. Tris Prior who is the MAIN character of her novel. That’s almost unheard of. Almost.

This caused tears galore for me. I couldn’t stop crying, some of it was shock and some of it was just pure heartbreak at the thought of this character that I’ve grown to love and admire as dead. It was incredible. I never thought that she would do that but I honestly felt like it was the most logical solution to the situation that was happening in the book.

So I expected people to be surprised, upset, heartbroken. I thought that there would be a little anger but this outpouring of heartbreak and that all the Divergent fans would come swooping together to mourn together.

Yeah, that’s not what happened. People are PISSED, they are angry. They are saying its the worst ending to a series ever, they’re threatening Veronica on Twitter and Instagram. The reviews all over the interwebs are just awful, AND people are going up to Veronica at her Allegiant events, and telling her straight to her face, how much they disliked the book.

And I think so much of it boils down to the fact that she killed off Tris Prior.

I understand. I do. I almost wanted to throw the book when it happened too. I was in so much shock. There’s a small chunk of book left after her death, so there’s some processing time. I knew I liked the book immediately, but in the aftermath and recovery process of the book, I discovered more and more why I liked the book and why I agree with the choices that Veronica makes.

She kills off four characters that have been with us since the very first book: Edward, Tori, Uriah and Tris. And each of their deaths were hard to bear, the last two especially for me. But I think that Veronica recognizes what other authors have recognized: that in a war, a rebellion, a battle, a fight…people die. You can’t be picky and choosy on who dies in something like that. I think she took a page out of JKR’s strategy and definitely George R.R. Martin’s strategy, and realized that important people were going to die.

I mean, have read Game of Thrones? The main character dies in the VERY FIRST BOOK. Yeah. All these people insulting this book and Veronica Roth? Don’t read the first Game of Thrones book…or any of them really.

Tris’s death, to me, makes a lot of sense. The way it plays out is a bit awkward but I don’t think her actual death is unexpected. I mean it is because she’s the main character and I don’t think people expect the main character to die. But Tris, as a character, sacrificing herself for her friends and her family, the people that she loves? That is incredibly expected of her. When everyone accepts that Caleb will be the one to die, to sacrifice himself for the good of everyone else, I was surprised. I wasn’t surprised that Christina or Matthew or Peter or Four or anyone else would be okay with that, but I was incredibly surprised that Tris was okay with that. Despite his betrayal, Tris loves her brother, unconditionally, and she’s the reason they saved him from his execution at the hands of Evelyn. I couldn’t imagine her letting Caleb die, I just couldn’t.

So it made sense to me that Tris decided to task the risk and she died, in the hopes that the people she loved would be safe. She offers herself up in Insurgent to die to keep others safe, why would it be such a surprise that she does it in this novel? It was a VERY Tris-like action, and I think that her dying is more plausible than Four, who I think a lot of people believed would die.

Besides, we need to look at Veronica Roth as an author and as a person. She’s a Christian and a born-again Christian and she has some strong religious views that we do see peeking out of her story at times. She has not hesitated to thank God in every single one of her novels. I think that she used the sort of allusion as a sacrificing Christ figure in her book, and it honestly makes sense. Sure, Tris doesn’t resurrect like Jesus does but I think that Veronica was going with the more realistic approach, and I think its beautiful. Its a beautiful sacrifice. It reminds me of the sacrifice that Harry Potter makes in going into his death. Again, Harry lives but I think Veronica took more of a risk and I personally thought it was absolutely beautiful.

I think also we need to think of Veronica herself. She is my age, only 25, and even though she’s incredibly popular and has been reviewed so highly, she is still a person with feelings and emotions. She has expressed her concern over things like this, and has sought out help due to anxiety and stress. Whether or not you agree with the ending, to attack an author, and to say the things that have been said to her…its just ridiculous and absolutely immature. A book is an author’s baby, the same way a painting is to an artist or a song is to a musician. Whether you like a book or not, you should never attack it or the author.

Which brings me to this point: who are you to say that you know better than the author, the creator of the world and the characters? My friend Paulina said something, like, people get confused on the differences between a bad book and a book that simply does not end the way you wish it to. I think that happened a lot with this. People expected it to end a certain way…they wanted to be surprised, shocked, they knew it would break their hearts, but I’m sure everyone expected Fourtris (Four and Tris, for those not in the know) to live together happily ever after. Don’t they always? But they don’t, and I think a lot of anger comes from that.

Look, these are Veronica’s characters and she can tell the story, and treat them as she sees fit. And you don’t have to agree with that. One of my contributors is not a fan of the ending, but the way in which she handled her disappointment and dislike was done in an incredibly mature way. You may not like what Veronica has done with her characters and that’s okay! I’m not saying you’re wrong. I disagree with that, but we are allowed to disagree.

What I do disagree with is the disrespect being shown to Veronica Roth and her books, the amount of hate mail she is getting, the threats and the all around immaturity that I’m seeing from readers. I have seen one person on Twitter, tweeting Veronica incessantly, offering payment for a better ending to the book. That’s just ridiculous. Handle this like a mature adult, accept that this is the ending of the series whether you enjoy it or not, and move on.

I could go on and on about this. Its not necessarily my job to convince you that I’m right and that the ending is a good one, even though it is in my own opinion. I was heartbroken, I cried, and I definitely will be reading the book again, eventually, after I get through my insane stack of books waiting for me to read.

My job is to convince you that we all need to be respectful when in regards to someone else’s work. We may not always like what we see or what we read or what we hear but this is someone’s hard work. Someone poured their soul and hard work and their heart into something like this and we cannot sit here and presume to know better than them. Veronica Roth wrote the book that she set out to write, and she obviously took the time to make sure that it was the right book and the right story, because quite a bit of time has passed since the release of Insurgent.

And here’s my last thing: if you don’t like the ending of Allegiant, write yourself some fan fiction and move on.

Book of the Week-Allegiant

October 24, 2013October 23, 2013Leave a comment

I wanted to write this as soon as I finished the book but it was nearly impossible to do so. I felt the same as I did when I read City of Glass and Deathly Hallows and The Crimson Crown and The Last Olympian, thumb that sort of knocked out feeling you get when you read the last book of a beautiful and addicting and heartbreaking series.

I was having a hard time last night recovering from the things that Veronica Roth did to my emotions. Now I’m finally ready to share my review with you.

Of course, this entire review is spoiler free. I would never want to ruin a book that has just recently released. So I apologize if this review is incredibly vague but I wanted to highlight the things I loved and disliked about this book, but in a way that doesn’t ruin your own reading experience of the book.

I might, in the next few days, post a spoiler review for those of you who have read the book. If you’d like to discuss the book with me, which includes spoilers, then come on over to the official blog forums, and I’d be happy to talk about the book, and other books with you!

For now, enjoy the review!

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

GoodReads / Barnes and Noble / Amazon / Book Depository

Genre:

young adult, dystopian, romance

Part of a Series?:

The final book of the Divergent trilogy

Age Recommendation:

Keep in mind this is MY personal recommendation and it varies on the maturity of the reader.

14+

Plot Summary:

From GoodReads:

One choice will define you.

What if your whole world was a lie? What if a single revelation-like a single choice-changed everything? What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature-and of herself-while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author, Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

The Bad:

The pacing of the novel is really weird. Sometimes it seems like its going really slow, and that you’re learning a lot about what is going on, but nothing is really happening. Then all of a sudden, things seriously sped up and ended. So the pacing of the novel was incredibly awkward. I thought maybe the book could have been longer, or that the slower parts could be shorter and the action part longer. It seemed sort of weirdly balanced. Once the action started, it was so easy to finish the book, but the build up took a very long time.

The Good:

That all being said though, I really loved this book. I don’t want to spoil anything because the book just came out a few days ago, and I don’t want to ruin it for anyone. I want to tell everyone what I think without ruining it for those who have not been able to read it yet, or who are catching up on the other books.

I loved the direction that Veronica Roth took it in. The end of Insurgent leaves hanging with the idea of an outside world, that needs the Divergent. Which is so different than the city that Tris lives in, where the Divergent are hunted down. But when we finally see the outside world, its so different than what I had ever expected. What we learn and find out is incredible. Confusing, but incredible and it really explains so many plot holes that exist in the previous two books.

I really liked the back and forth between Tris and Four. I feel like, its kind of become a habit for authors to do this dual point of view thing, especially for final books. It would normally kind of make me mad because of the repetitiveness but I really liked it. The only thing we’ve gotten of Four in the previous books is Tris’s own vision of him. Getting into his head, seeing his motives, his love for Tris, his fears, his hopes, all of that, really helps to carry the story. They clash all the time, and they both have such different fears and different backgrounds and it motivates their actions in different ways, and its also the way they come together.

Some people had an issue with the end, and what happens there, and I’m going to try and say my thing without spoiling anything. I was immensely heartbroken by what happened at the end. It was incredibly unexpected and it ripped me to pieces. I spent a lot of time crying, which clouded up my glasses quite nicely. I think it makes the most sense, and that the way in which the events unfold seem so likely to me. In fact, before they unfolded, I was surprised at the direction that Veronica was taking the characters in. When things changed, and ended the way they did, it just made sense to me. The decisions that were made by the different characters just seemed to fit for each of them, and the ending was a full circle for the story. I think that Veronica took leaps and risks that some authors don’t do but I think it played out nicely for her.

I’ve also not cried this hard with a book since I read the epilogue of Clockwork Princess.

I don’t want to spoil much, because there is too much in this book to spoil for anyone but I loved it. I didn’t think it was perfect, because the pacing is just so weird, but I thought it was a beautiful, unexpected ending. People die, lives change, and I cried like crazy. Somehow my favorite character (I hope I never told you who that is…) survives but other characters that I love die. I think that there’s so much to learn and to still contemplate about their world and what could and will happen to everything and everyone. Its a beautiful book and I think Veronica leaves us with the same sort of bittersweet ending that JK Rowling leaves us with in Deathly Hallows.

Rating:

4 out of 5 Stars

Recommended or Not?:

Definitely, if you’ve read the rest of the series and you’ve loved it the way I have, it is necessary to read this one. You won’t be able to live with yourself with that Insurgent cliffhanger without finishing this novel.