ALLEGIANT: MAJOR, MAJOR SPOILERS INCLUDED!!!

ALLEGIANT: MAJOR, MAJOR SPOILERS INCLUDED!!! STOP READING NOW IF YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED THE BOOK! ALSO CONTAINS A MAJOR THE FAULT IN OUR STARTS SPOILER!

     As you may know many, many people are outraged about Tris's death at the end of Allegiant, some have even threatened Veronica Roth (the author) which is ridiculous. Anyway, although I'm obviously devastated, I understand why she did it.

   The point of Tris's death was to show both her bravery and selflessness, the two main qualities that she possesses. Yes, I am extremely saddened by her death because it was so sudden and unexpected unlike say, August Water's, where although it may have been surprising, you had pages and pages to say goodbye to him. Although I desperately wanted a happy ending for Tris and Four, this ending fits her character perfectly.

     It show how selfless she actually is, and it shows how much selflessness(Abnegation) and bravery(Dauntless) go together. Not to mention it ties in her brains(Erudite) which is the other faction for which she had an aptitude. Although it may seem senseless to give your life for a brother who betrayed you, and to an extent it was, it gave insight to the fact of how selfless Tris really is. The brains came in when she was able to figure out how to steal the memory serum and activating it while staying alive for as long as possible. So in a way Tris's death display all three components of her divergence, her ability to sacrifice her life for someone even though they wronged her, her bravery to do what she did and her intelligence to be able to complete the task. In way her death although devastating to not only the other characters but to the readers, was very poetic and symbolic of her life.

    Throughout her life, Tris tried to balance her intellect, selflessness, and her bravery, and even though it lead to her demise, in her last act, she successfully balanced these three qualities. So, even though it was upsetting to see a character as inspiring and loved as Tris go, to not read the book because you wanted a happy ending seems a little absurd. Although, escaping to a world of fiction is enjoyable, it has to have instances of reality to make it believable. Throughout the Divergent trilogy many deaths occur, Tris's parents, Al, Will, among countless others, but to denounce an entire book because the ending isn't what you hoped for is a little extreme.

    I know many are outraged by Tris's death and they have the right to be, but her death allowed you to see the extent of her love and bravery. As much as I wished and hoped that Allegiant's epilogue would be Four and Tris's wedding or some other happy occasion, the epilogue was still beautiful, but in a sad way. As a whole I thought Allegiant was excellent, it was full of twists and even though Tris's death was shocking and sad, it really summed up Tris as a whole. So I understand why Veronica Roth did what she did.

 

~Simply Nerdy

A Short Post on Teen Wolf

     As I anxiously await the Teen Wolf finale this Monday, I have to say that I'm a little sad. After this episode, I will have to wait until January 6th for the show to come back on and I don't know if I can. The characters on the show are so funny and original. The plot is always new and exciting, each episode leaves me with my mouth wide open! Teen Wolf perfectly balances the seriousness, the violence/action, the romance, and the comedy, for a blend that is truly special and exhilarating.

Wow,The Next Few Months Are Going To Be Awesome

      I have come to one extremely deep and important conclusion, wow the next few months are going to be awesome.  As the book nerd that I am, these upcoming months are going to be spectacular and that  is because of so many reasons. So now I am going to  list the reasons for the upcoming months' awesomeness:

#1: August 2013: The Fault in our Stars movie will begin shooting.

      As you may know Fault is my favorite book. I am however concerned about the movie, because I don't want it to be bad portrayal of such an outstanding book. So, I have mixed feelings about this one, but I am trying to keep a positive attitude, who knows, it might be a great movie. So this could be awesome or it could be disastrous.

#2: October 22, 2013: Allegiant, the final book in the Divergent Trilogy comes out.

     Since finishing Insurgent, I have been forced to wait five months for the final installment in the Divergent Trilogy.  Thank the lord, I only have to wait two more.  I am so psyched for the book! Hopefully it will be as good or better than the other two. The one thing I'm worried about though, is that with the new format (dual narration by Tris and Four),  the book will be not as good.  With that aside, I can hardly wait until October!

#3: November 22, 2013: Catching Fire the movie comes out.

    Being the Hunger Games  fan that I am, it's needless to say that I am extremely excited for the Catching Fire movie. I thought the first movie was an excellent adaptation from the book, and I am confident that this one will be too.  Judging by the trailer (which was fantastic, click the link to watch it), I think I'll be right.

#4: February 14th, 2014: Maze Runner the Movie comes out.

     As you can tell from yesterday's post, I am a huge Maze Runner fan, and I can't wait until the movie comes out. One of the reasons why I can't wait, is because Dylan O'Brien is playing Thomas. I am a big Teen Wolf fan and O'Brien's character Stiles is my favorite. I think he will make a great Thomas. I just want to see the movie!!!

#5: March 21, 2014: The Divergent movie comes out.

    I love Divergent and Insurgent, so having the first film come out is so exciting! I think the actors that were picked are great, and I think the movie will be really good. I love the idea of the Divergent society, and can't wait to see it and its characters come to life!  

   
See what I mean about the next couple of months being awesome?

~Simply Nerdy

I Want to Be a Glader.... And Other Maze Runner Trilogy Thoughts

 ****Contains Spoilers from the Maze Runner Trilogy****
   
    In the past few days, I have finished the Maze Runner Trilogy. I thought I would like it, but I was wrong. I LOVED it!!! I was so  surprised , because it was creepier than the books I usually like. I loved everything, the characters, the plot,  all of it! The books left me with one thought, I want to be a glader. Of course I  don't want to be thrust into a dangerous maze, with a Flare-infected world around me, but I want to be friends with the gladers.
      
    First, I love the way those shucks talk. (God I love saying that.) I think the way that they speak  normal English with some of their own phrases mixed in, is a cool little twist from James Dashner. I think saying things like "good that" and "slim it" are fun and I loved all their other lingo as well.

     Beside the fact that I love the way they talk, I love them! Minho is my favorite character, because he is so funny and brave. I love his personality. I think all the characters are really well written. Thomas is a strong main character, he is relatable and likable. Although  the books are male dominated, I like how Dashner put in strong female characters like Theresa and Brenda. Plus, at the very last minute, a woman saves them all, Ava Paige.

     Besides the lovable characters, Dashner throws in so many twists that it keeps it interesting. All the way to end surprises keep coming. I never expected throughout the entire series, that Theresa would die. I always thought that she would be safe. Also from the beginning, I would've bet money that Thomas and Theresa were going to be together for like ever. The way Dashner slips Brenda in makes it  a very subtle love triangle. (I'm "Team Brenda" by the way, I just never thought it was going to happen.)

    Through all the tragic deaths that practically killed me, to the endless plot twists, the Maze Runner Trilogy is phenomenal. The characters are witty and original and the plot has never been "done before".  The whole series is amazing, and I can honestly say that I love it as much as Hunger Games and Divergent, although Harry Potter still wins.

~Simply Nerdy

The Perks of Being a Wallflower- Book and Movie

    ****Contains spoilers from The Perks of Being a Wallflower****

      I love both the book and the movie, The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Oddly enough, although this has only ever happened with one other book/movie (Gatsby), I preferred the movie.  I think they are both great though.

    One thing that I love about Perks is the characters. Patrick is my favorite, I think he is so funny, but especially after the Brad fiasco and throughout the book, he has  as many insecurities and issues as the rest of the characters.  He just uses his personality and humor to hide it, which makes Patrick stand out to me.

     I think Sam was portrayed more likably in the movie. Emma Watson did fabulous job as Sam also.  I felt that Logan Lerman was phenomenal as Charlie! While reading the book, I liked Charlie, but in the movie I loved Charlie and that was because of Lerman.

     Even with the cuts they made from the movie like the pregnancy, I though it was an excellent interpretation of the book. This was most likely because Stephen Chbosky, the author of the book, directed the movie. The only thing I wished they put in was the poem, because I think that part is so emotional and adds a lot to the Secret Santa scene. Overall I love both Perks the book and movie.

~Simply Nerdy

Thoughts on Glee Season 4

***Contains some Glee spoilers***
  
    With the tragic passing of Cory Monteith, I can't help but wonder what will happen to my favorite show, Glee. I'm sure season five will start off with some good ratings, because everyone will want to support a show that just lost a cast member. Over time though, I think the ratings will plunge, and this is coming from a die-hard gleek! I still love the show, but let's be honest, season 4 was subpar.

     First of, honestly I think the new characters are okay. They sing well, and the writers have had some interesting stuff for them, so really it could of been much, much worse. Sure, it's definitely not the same, but although Marley will never be Rachel nor Jake Puck, it's not too bad. I also really like seeing Kurt, Rachel, and Santana off in New York. The new location is fun and interesting, and the new cast is bearable. Moving on.

    Now you  ask, Why was season 4 a downward spiral? Well I guess I'll start with the fact that the romances were poor. Without the big fan favorite couples of Brittana, Finchel, and Klaine, (Wemma doesn't exactly draw a big hype, if you know what I mean, and even that was rocky,) the show lost it's viewers attention romantically speaking. Yea, the first five minutes of the Jake-Marley-Ryder love triangle was fun, but after that you were kind of like, yawn. So love-wise, it was disappointing.

    Next, is Mr. Shuester, who besides the fact that he left the show for some time, got a bit creepy. He was always a bit off  and just seemed unattached from Glee club as a whole. So in a nutshell,  this was not Will's year.

     They did had some stand out episodes, like the one about the school shooting, which was strong and emotionally powerful. Also the whole "Glee gone Grease" thing was fun. Some other episodes were very good too, like the "guilty pleasures" one.  But then they would come out with one like the "diva" episode and you were left there like "Really?".

    Without the solid romances and totally lovable characters, the show suffered. They did however have good guest stars, like Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kate Hudson. Irritatingly though, the finale was lack luster and inconclusive. All in all, sadly for me and the gleek nation, Glee is headed down a very rocky road.

~Simply Nerdy

Thoughts on Peeta and Gale

    ****Contains HUGE spoilers from the Hunger Games****

     I am a very big Hunger Games Fan, but it took me sometime to decide if I was "Team Gale" or "Team Peeta". See I first read the books at a youngish age, so I was Team Gale all the way, because I did not understand how he was involved in Prim's death. After I read the books again, I switched to Team Peeta. I then understood that Gale inadvertently killed Prim.
    I'm going to be honest, I am not a huge Prim fan, it's not that I hate her or anything, I was just never attached to her.  Prim meant everything to Katniss, so it basically insured that Gale was no longer a contender for her hand in marriage after that.
     Not only was Gale partially responsible for Prim's death, he was not the warmest guy ever. He was much harsher than Peeta. Also, I think Gale and Katniss were a little too similar. I think it was good for Katniss to choose Peeta especially after all the bad things that had happened to her. Peeta was positive and loving, so I think it was beneficial to be with someone more optimistic and kind. Peeta is sweet and I think he and Katniss make a good match.

~Simply Nerdy 

Silver Linings Playbook Review

***Contains spoilers from Silver Linings Playbook***

  Today I decided to post about a movie I recently watched, Silver Linings Playbook. I thought the movie was phenomenal. First off I thought it was hilarious but it was also so brilliant, heartfelt, and romantic. Jennifer Lawrence was indeed Oscar-worthy as Tiffany and Bradley Cooper was outstanding! He was so convincing and  sweet as Pat. The two of them had great chemistry and everything seemed so natural.

    I also thought the premise was original and interesting. I loved when Pat and Tiffany went to the diner and he ordered Raisin Brand, and I loved how the first time they met they had the conversation about their medications.  I also thought it was great when Tiffany explains to Pat's dad all about how when Pat is with her that the Pennsylvania teams always win. I thought that part was so cute.

    I thought the characters were amazing as well. They were so quirky and fun. I thought Pat's friend Danny was great. I loved his positivity and humor. On that note, usually a movie with such a dark things in it, like mental illness, divorce, and death, is usually a bit negative, but what I liked was the positive message SLP sent. With Pat's persistence in starting over it sent a good message. Overall I though the SLP was excellent and the cast and crew should be commended.

Why John Green is Amazing.

    *This post has numerous John Green book spoilers!!!!

    My favorite author is John Green. He wrote my all-time favorite book, The Fault in Our Stars and wrote other  books that I love like Looking For Alaska and Paper Towns.  He also is half of Vlogbrothers, my favorite YouTube channel. So basically John Green is amazing and I am going to give you seven reasons why.

#1: He is funny.

   John is hilarious! He writes that way too. Even when his books are sad, he makes you laugh. Just from the first 40 pages of Fault, I laughed out loud at least 25 times (I got more than a few dirty looks). The way he writes certain scenarios makes them funny. Like when Augustus  is dying, he adds bits of humor into the struggle with"The Last Good Day Before The Last Good Day". Even though Gus is dying and in pain, him and Hazel have a hilarious conversation about how his good looks are not his fault and that he is so gorgeous it might hurt others etc.. John is very clever too, like the time he had one of his characters who was black accidently buy a shirt that says something along the lines of "Keep the Confederate States of America Alive".  See what I mean?

#2: He writes good romance.

    John writes very good romances. I love the way he wrote the love between Hazel and Gus. The way he writes Augustus, it is impossible not to fall for him, which Hazel eventually realizes.  He wrote such a romantic and unique Amsterdam trip in Fault, and I loved it all, from the champagne dinner, to the faithful kiss in Anne Frank's house. It's not just in Fault that he writes romance well either. In Paper Towns he develops the relationship between Ben and Lacey flawlessly. As well as with Colin and Lindsay in An Abundance of Katherines. 

#3: He can bring you to tears.

   I get extremely emotionally invested in most fictional characters, and even though I feel like I know them so well, and care for them so much, books just don't bring me to tears. Except Fault. Approximately a dozen times or so I burst into tears. The only way to stop my crying was to tell myself I needed to keep reading, and the tears were blurring my eyes too much, or because John would make me laugh.  

#4: He is a convincing teenage girl.

    Fault is narrated by a Hazel, a sixteen year old girl and John is extremely convincing. I mean at one point he comments (as Hazel) on August's jawline. What guy would think to write that! He wrote from Hazel's perspective perfectly! The way he wrote about the complexity of her feelings about Gus, was exactly how a teenage girl would feel. So props to John on that one.    

#5: He is half of Vlogbrothers.

    Along with his brother Hank (who is also amazing), John runs the You Tube channel Vlogbrothers. The two correspond in videos on random topics back in forth twice a week. Not only are their videos funny but they are also informative and entertaining. And also I think DFTBA is extremely catchy:). 

#6: He is smart.
   
   John is very smart. Sometimes his writing is like way over my head, but usually I can figure it out. That's what I like about his writing, it challenges me. It makes me think about things from a different perspective. Although occasionally I disagree with John, I respect his opinion because he is well informed. The way he writes makes you think. I enjoy reading his books and watching his videos because he challenges me to think, unlike so many other books and especially with other YouTube videos, which are usually mindless forms of entertainment.

#7: He keeps it real.

    I love many types of books. I am very into futuristic or fantasy/adventure books, like Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and Divergent. I do love those books, but there is something refreshing about John's books, he keeps it real. Like in Alaska how he leaves Alaska's death ambiguous, you want to know so badly but he leaves you without an answer. That is like real life though, sometimes you don't get a answer. Like why Gus's cancer comes back, you don't know, and you will never know, and that's what makes me love his books. He doesn't always feel the need to give a happy ending either or even closure for that matter. In Paper Towns for example, at the end you think you'll get closure as Q's walking away, but then Margo comes back and kisses him, and you are left with uncertainty. Sometimes in life though you will always remain uncertain, and John recognizes that. These are some of the many reasons why John Green amazing.

~Simply Nerdy

My Top 5 Favorite Book Couples

   For today's post I decided to list my personal top 5 favorite book couples. Keep in mind I have not read every book in the world and this is only my opinion. Also, I came up with my list only today, so I could have easily neglected a couple that I love. So in the comments feel free to express your opinion on my list and any couple you would add or take away. Also this post contains numerous spoilers from, The Harry Potter Series, The Hunger Games Trilogy, Little Women, The Fault in our Stars, and the Divergent Trilogy.

#5: Finnick Odair and Annie Cresta: The Hunger Games Triology

   When talking about literary couples Finnick and Annie don't come up much, but I think their love is beautiful. I think the idea that a good looking, charming, funny, victor who could have any girl he wanted, chose yes another victor, but one plagued by mental illness. When Finnick is in his second Hunger Games and the gamemakers trap him and Katniss in the part of the arena that makes them hear the screams of their loved ones, Finnick hears only Annie's cries.
  It is at that moment that Katniss and all the readers realize that Finnick does not love some ditsy capitol girl but Annie. This just adds to the beauty of Finnick's character, because up until that point although he was humorous and friendly, you believed him to be a self-centered, materialistic, capitol drone. When on the contrary he loves Annie only and would do anything for her. This makes Finnick so loveable and heroic. This is why I love Finnick and Annie, because there love survived all the obstacles.  

#4: Jo March and Theodore "Laurie" Lawerence: Little Women

   One of my favorites books is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Throughout the story the romance between Jo and Laurie grows. They start out as best friends and soon they are inseparable. They are very similar and share many laughs as well as heart felt moments. They are always there for each other and I love the fact that with all the time they spend with each other they never grow tired of one another. Although he is very close with all the March sister, he is always closest to Jo.

   Once they get old enough Laurie proposes. Jo rather unfortunately says no because she says they are "too alike" and would always "quarrel". He tells her that he'd let her win every fight but she still turns him down. After that he goes on a quest to wait for her but they both grow to love other people and unfortunately my fourth favorite fictitious romance ends without marriage or even dating.


#3: Tris Prior and Tobias "Four" Eaton: Divergent Trilogy

  
    The Divergent romance of Tris and Four is simply amazing. One of the reasons I love it is because there is no love triangle. Don't get me wrong, I love a good love triangle, but I also love the fact that they just knew they are meant for each other and went for it. Even though they fight a lot (I mean like every ten pages in Insurgent), they always come back to each other. Also, I love that they both protect each other. I mean Four protects Tris more than the other way around, but she did heroically save him from killing her under the serum at the end of Divergent. They both trust each other's skills  and help each other.  Not to mention they love each other so much.I mean who didn't get choked up when all Four wanted to do was see Tris when Janine was going to kill her.

      They are so different but so similar at the same time. As Tris says neither of them are "very nice", but it's just their tough exterior. They are both part Abnegation and are very selfless especially when it comes to saving each other. Their love is true and all they want is to keep the other safe.

#2: Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger: Harry Potter Series

      Ron and Hermione were meant to be and everyone knows it. From the very beginning I'm sure they had feelings for each other, but by about book 6 it was full-fledged love. Sure Ron had that unfortunate fling with Lavender Brown in book 6, but when it came down to it and he was in the hospital, he uttered Hermione's name, so it's all good. Even before they shared that faithful kiss in the Chamber of Secrets, or would actually admit to each other their feeling, they would "discreetly" hold hands and protect each other so you knew they both felt it. Together they balance each other out, with Hermione's logic and seriousness and Ron's humor they complete each other . It was meant to be since the Sorcerer's Stone and still is.

#1: Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Water: The Fault in Our Stars

    I may be biased considering The Fault in Our Stars is my all-time favorite book, but who doesn't love the Hazel/Gus romance? From the first description of the gorgeous Augustus, you instantly fall for him, I mean by the time he starts saying he's "grand", you're head over heels and thankfully Gus was falling for Hazel too. Even before they are official you can't help but swoon over how gentlemanly Gus is and how natural and effortless their connection is. From their witty banter and mutual love of AIA, you knew it was bound to happen. (I mean come on when he calls her "Hazel Grace" who wouldn't go out with him) 


   At the time Gus offers to share his wish with Hazel, she is still struggling with the idea of herself being a grenade. But after their romantic Amsterdam trip with that breathtaking dinner, and the catastrophic meeting with Van Houten, she begins to let herself fall. By the time of the heart wrenching confession from Gus about his relapse, Hazel is fully in love. Even with Gus's illness their relationship still grows. With Hazel constantly around it was inevitable. The way Augustus is around her even with his condition is admirable and romantic, and by the time Gus dies, no one could argue that they weren't meant to be. That is why I love them because even though their relationship was short lived and full of struggle, they were meant to be.

  I hope you enjoyed this even though it was extremely long (sorry). But who doesn't love a good fiction romance? 

Good People and Deatheaters





"I want you to listen to me very carefully, Harry. You're not a bad person. You're a very good person, who bad things have happened to. Besides, the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters. We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are."

-Sirius Black
     

 

    Sirius Black is one of my favorite Harry Potter characters. This is one of his best known quotes, but often people only focus on the part of the quote about both light and dark  inside us. That part is very true and important, but today in this post, I want to focus more on the part highlighted in green, "the world isn't split into good people and deatheaters."

 

    When I saw this picture on Pinterest, I instantly fell in love with it because I believe it captures the character of Draco Malfoy perfectly. Although he seems all cool and confident on the outside he is always struggling like most people. I think this quote really applies to him, especially the highlighted portion. I believe that deep down Draco is a good person. He makes bad choices though, and some of those choices are not necessarily his fault. By being born into a family of deatheaters, one is more likely to make bad decisions, except in a rare case like Sirius, who still does do wrong things, like tormenting Snape when he was younger, but ultimately leans heavily toward the "good people side".

 

      Although most deatheaters are bad people not all are. Like Narcissa Malfoy is not a great person but saves Harry (you could argue that she does it because Draco is alive and all but still). Some people are truly evil, like terrorists, serial killers, and dictators but most often  people are just conflicted. They are battling the light and dark inside them and ultimately make the wrong or right decision. That is what Draco does. You know he doesn't want to kill Dumbledore but the urge to please Voldemort and his family wins against the urge to do the right things.

 

   Rarely people can automatically be put  unto one side. Most of the time it's the struggle that reveals who the person has chosen to become, even if they have potential to be on the other side. The deatheater side of Draco wins but given a different circumstance it could have been the other way around.

 

   Another example is Harry, with all the fame and glory it could have gone to his head and he could have turned to the dark side on a quest for power. But he didn't. Throughout the series many people tell him he is similar to Tom Riddle. It probably is because he was a piece of Voldemort's soul. Harry and Tom both wanted power, Tom wanted the power to rule ruthlessly and murderously. Harry wanted the power to stop him. Harry went to the "good people side" rather than the "deatheater side" because unlike Tom, Harry used his willpower and leadership abilities to spread light, while Voldemort spread darkness.

 

~Simply Nerdy

 

 

 

The Essence of a Nerd

  


 Hi there. As you can probably figure out for yourself from the name of this blog (Simply Nerdy), I consider myself a nerd. So I decided that for my first real post,  that I'd write about what I consider a nerd to be.

    So first off, I think it is crucial to point out that I do not believe by any stretch of the imagination that being called a nerd is an insult. I mean by my definition, a nerd is just someone who gets excited about and appreciates things they find interesting. . When thinking of a nerd though most picture a dorky kid who's like really into science, which is stereotypical and inaccurate. Sure someone who is passionate about science  could be considered a  "science nerd" but that does not mean they are dorky or uncool!

    On that note there are all kinds of nerds. For example I am a huge "book nerd", I love to read and get emotional and enthusiastic about books. You can be a "music nerd", a "photography nerd",  a "sports nerd", or any other kind of nerd. Pretty much everyone is a nerd because everyone has at least one thing that they get excited over and are passionate about. So by calling someone a "nerd" as an insult doesn't make sense because you are just pointing out that they have found their passion, which almost everyone does eventually.

    So the bottom line is that since everyone is a nerd,  being called a nerd is basically a compliment because it means that you are fulfilling your gift of loving something so much that people take note of it. Those haters are basically acknowledging that you love something and you should be proud of that! So keep going nerds because everyone is one.

~Simply Nerdy

Welcome

      Hi there and welcome to my blog, Simply Nerdy. This blog talks about mostly books, but sometimes other things too, like movies and tv shows. I hope you enjoy these post.
-Simply Nerdy