My 5 Favourite Book Series

1. Divergent Trilogy, Veronica Roth

Why: I can sum it up in one word: Tris. Tris, or Beatrice, is the protagonist of the Divergent Series. She is probably, like, the coolest chick ever. She's so real, not because she's super relatable (she's more badass than most people), but because she is so unique and so complex. The concept is also fun. The series is set in a post-apocalyptic society where teenagers join a "faction," a group of people that stress the importance of a specific trait: kindness, intelligence, bravery, selflessness, or honesty. My favourite part is that they have to go pass intense initiations to keep their spot in the faction they choose.

Critiques: The second book stared off a bit too slowly for my liking, but other than that I can't think of any. I haven't finished the third book yet, though, so maybe I won't like the ending.


2. The Underland Chronicles, Suzanne Collins

Why: I read the books for the first time in elementary school, and then re-read the series about a year and a half ago. They are aimed at a tween audience, but anyone who loves a good fantasy series should enjoy The Underland Chronicles. The stories are imaginative, crazy fun, and jam-packed with adventure! I mean there are giant roaches and rats for crying out loud! The series is filled with really good life lessons that resonate with people of all ages and backgrounds.

Critiques: Suzanne Collins cannot write endings. The last book in Underland Chronicles, like Mockingjay of the Hunger Games trilogy, left me feeling a tad empty. Maybe it's some literary choice Collins is making––I don't know––but it didn't really work for me.


3. The Mortal Instruments, Cassandra Clare

Why: I am a huge fan of the supernatural and this book series is stuffed with them (fairies, vampires, werewolves, warlocks, and of course... Shadowhunters <3). The main characters in this series are all very vibrant. The plots are really fun and gripping. There are some pretty funny lines that make me chuckle to myself.

Critiques: The books can be a little cheesy at times.


4. Matched, Ally Condie

Why: I really liked the writing style in these books. They were very pretty books. I know that sounds like a weird thing to say, but that's the best way I can describe them. Condie really brings the reader into the main characters heads... I loved that. The dynamics are quite realistic: not all the "good" people always get along. The best part of the series though has got the be how everything comes together at the end. I guessed a big part of the ending about half-way through the second book, and I am still really proud of myself... thinking about putting that on the old resume haha

Critiques: I don't really have any critiques. This was a solid all-around series. The reason it's not number one on my list is just while I enjoyed reading the books, I didn't have the desire to re-read the series.


5. Harry Potter, JK Rowling

Why: I mean it's Harry Potter. It's iconic. The plot of this series blows my mind. Wow. Rowling set up stuff in the first few books that is brought up again way later on. There are so many pieces that tie together it's nuts! A school of magic is such and intriguing concept. Love that romance is in the series, but that it plays a very minor role.

Critiques: The first three books were not very good. The stories were still good, but I didn't dig the writing in them. In my opinion, Rowling didn't figure out her style until the fourth book. From there on out she was golden though.

My Writing Story (So Far)

Every once and a while from the time I was eight until I was thirteen, I would have a "genius" idea for the opening scene of a book. I would always sprint to the computer, open up a Word document, and start clacking away at the keys. But each time I got one of these bursts of creativity, I would hit a road block about half-way down the first page. I would read and re-read what I had written, but I would have zero clue how to continue the story.

So when I got another one of these ideas when I was 13 (about half-way through grade 8), I was expecting to hit my usual road block. It didn't come (at least not for a while). I got through the first page no problem, and the second, and the third. In fact, I got about 30 000 words into that first real attempt at writing a "novel." But by the time I had hit that 30 000 word mark, I had improved so much that the first few chapters sounded like they were written by a whole other person. I scrapped that piece. 

My next attempt was a darker, much more mature book with a bunch of legal elements. While I was writing this book, I started telling people that I wanted to be an author. Almost all of the comments I got were, "I can't wait to read your book. I bet it's hilarious!" The comments made me freak out a bit because my book was not funny....like at all. It was super serious. I wrote myself a mental note to make my next book a little lighter, but I finished writing the serious novel because I was pretty invested in my characters. I owed it to them not to leave them hanging in the middle of a life-crisis.

I had just finished my first draft when I went to a summer writing camp. The instructor read an excerpt from it, and while she had some nice things to say, her critiques made me realize that I was a bit too young to give such a serious concept justice. So I put that novel to rest for a while and decided to write a fun book, sprinkled with humor.

After my first two tries didn't pan out, I was adamant about making this one work. I wrote my third book during the summer and fall of 2012. And now, just over a year later, I am finally finished editing it!

It's a crazy competitive industry, and I'm not expecting anything, but I have decided to give getting published a shot. Right now, I'm starting to write my query letters, which, for anyone that doesn't know, are letters that you send to literary agents to give them a small snapshot of what your book is like.

Thanks for reading! Comments are encouraged :) If you're reading this and you're a writer yourself, I'd love to get in touch with you!