I've only read snippets of my wife's copy of Divergent, but there IS an inordinate amount of smooching.
Very insightful criticism.

Noah,
I think the length of the review has a lot to do with my reactions. Have reviews always only been 500 words or am I conflating them with longer feature articles?
I think it's a lot easier to praise a work in a brief review than it is to criticize it. Legitimate criticism really does need adequate support and this…

I feel like your presentation is a little glib. I don't doubt your criticism, but I wish you presented it in a way that was a little more precise.

Any idea as to what the next Back Issues series is going to be? I find these very helpful in picking up on subtle nuances.