Helpful Score: 6
In a future dystopian Chicago, Tris society is divided up into five factions: Abnegation (selflessness, and where Tris grew up), Candor (honesty), Erudite (wisdom), Amity (friendliness), and Dauntless (courage). All people in her society must choose which faction they wish to join at the age of 16, and Tris makes a choice that startles everyone, including herself, when she decides to join Dauntless.
But truly being a part of Dauntless is not so easy, as Tris and other initiates must first pass a long and difficult trial that tests their physical, mental, and emotional strength. As Tris makes friends and maybe even falls in love, she also uncovers a burgeoning plot to upset the order of their society, and learns what it truly means to be Dauntless.
Everyone, listen up. The hype for this book? Its legit. At long last I do think I may have found the book that I will truly encourage fans in Hunger Games deprivation to pick up. DIVERGENT is fast-paced, with a thoroughly developed dystopian world, engaging plot, and an admirable protagonist. In a word, it is excellent.
As soon as Tris chooses to join the Dauntless faction, DIVERGENT becomes an unputdownable read as Tris navigates the often dangerous trials of her initiation period that keep both her and readers on their toes. Its a classic enough plot structurethe trials that the protagonist must face in order to meet his or her goalbut one that always holds my attention, and Veronica Roth plots the story exceptionally well. When Tris is not learning how to handle weapons that she may have never seen before in her life, she is cautiously navigating her emotional connections with her new friends or nemeses. Physical action blends seamlessly with relationship intrigue to appeal to readers who generally prefer one over the other.
In the midst of all this action, Tris emerges as perhaps the strongest dystopian heroine I have read about since Katniss. All doubts that I may have had about whether or not she truly belongs in Dauntless disappeared only a few chapters in, and from then on I was firmly rooting for her the whole way. While not resourceful, per se (she is in a new faction, after all), Tris has unmatched mental strength, and just a bit too much determination to prove herself, that help carry her triumphantly through obstacles. In short, I like her. I like her I like her I like her. She is just the sort of girl I hope I could be like if, God forbid, I were ever in her situation.
Supporting characters, while nice and attractive, I wish were developed some more, in particularly Cristina, Tris closest female friends through the Dauntless initiation. Tris love interest is pretty good as far as love interests in YA speculative fiction usually go: he has no need for silly, enigmatic broodfests, and actually likes Tris for her strength and not because of some impenetrable vague reason like insta-luv (this is my interpretation of it, anyway). The ending, unfortunately, felt rushed, and while I dont disagree with it being a good way for the book to end, it lacked the forceful punch I was looking for, and to which I felt like the rest of the book had been building up.
My minor quibbles with supporting character development and the ending aside, I found DIVERGENT to be an entrancing read throughout. Dystopian? Strong female protagonist? Fast pace? Subtle critiques on our societys incessant need to label and categorize everything? Read DIVERGENT for all of them. In the meantime, I will be camping outside the nearest bookstore for the next book in this series, thank you very much.
But truly being a part of Dauntless is not so easy, as Tris and other initiates must first pass a long and difficult trial that tests their physical, mental, and emotional strength. As Tris makes friends and maybe even falls in love, she also uncovers a burgeoning plot to upset the order of their society, and learns what it truly means to be Dauntless.
Everyone, listen up. The hype for this book? Its legit. At long last I do think I may have found the book that I will truly encourage fans in Hunger Games deprivation to pick up. DIVERGENT is fast-paced, with a thoroughly developed dystopian world, engaging plot, and an admirable protagonist. In a word, it is excellent.
As soon as Tris chooses to join the Dauntless faction, DIVERGENT becomes an unputdownable read as Tris navigates the often dangerous trials of her initiation period that keep both her and readers on their toes. Its a classic enough plot structurethe trials that the protagonist must face in order to meet his or her goalbut one that always holds my attention, and Veronica Roth plots the story exceptionally well. When Tris is not learning how to handle weapons that she may have never seen before in her life, she is cautiously navigating her emotional connections with her new friends or nemeses. Physical action blends seamlessly with relationship intrigue to appeal to readers who generally prefer one over the other.
In the midst of all this action, Tris emerges as perhaps the strongest dystopian heroine I have read about since Katniss. All doubts that I may have had about whether or not she truly belongs in Dauntless disappeared only a few chapters in, and from then on I was firmly rooting for her the whole way. While not resourceful, per se (she is in a new faction, after all), Tris has unmatched mental strength, and just a bit too much determination to prove herself, that help carry her triumphantly through obstacles. In short, I like her. I like her I like her I like her. She is just the sort of girl I hope I could be like if, God forbid, I were ever in her situation.
Supporting characters, while nice and attractive, I wish were developed some more, in particularly Cristina, Tris closest female friends through the Dauntless initiation. Tris love interest is pretty good as far as love interests in YA speculative fiction usually go: he has no need for silly, enigmatic broodfests, and actually likes Tris for her strength and not because of some impenetrable vague reason like insta-luv (this is my interpretation of it, anyway). The ending, unfortunately, felt rushed, and while I dont disagree with it being a good way for the book to end, it lacked the forceful punch I was looking for, and to which I felt like the rest of the book had been building up.
My minor quibbles with supporting character development and the ending aside, I found DIVERGENT to be an entrancing read throughout. Dystopian? Strong female protagonist? Fast pace? Subtle critiques on our societys incessant need to label and categorize everything? Read DIVERGENT for all of them. In the meantime, I will be camping outside the nearest bookstore for the next book in this series, thank you very much.
Helpful Score: 4
I have questions. Once my questions are answered, maybe I'll move my overall ratings up from 2.5 stars to 3.5 stars. Here is the thing, If the world doesn't make sense to me, I'm not going to enjoy the book as much as I could enjoy it.
So, here are my questions- (there are no spoilers here that will ruin the book)
Why, at the beginning, can Beatrice look in the mirror ONLY when her mom cuts her hair? What does her mom cutting her hair have to do with anything?
When Tris (aka Beatrice) goes down the zipline from the 100 story building, she has to fall in the arms of her fellow Dauntless from 20 feet up. Who caught the first girl down the zipline?
So, is the food synthetic, artificial (from the beginning of the book) or is it fresh (from later in the book)?
Why is the marsh dried up, but they have a river, waterfall and of all things, a drinking fountain?
Why do you need a backup generator to run the elevator up but you clearly have electricity to run other things?
Isn't carbon dioxide a problem if you are really deep underground?
How is it the scientists can make microscopic transmitters but there is not enough material to finish paving the roads?
Who runs the trains?
Why is tattooing and piercings a sign of being brave? It said somewhere that the dauntless were not the artistic ones?
So, here are my questions- (there are no spoilers here that will ruin the book)
Why, at the beginning, can Beatrice look in the mirror ONLY when her mom cuts her hair? What does her mom cutting her hair have to do with anything?
When Tris (aka Beatrice) goes down the zipline from the 100 story building, she has to fall in the arms of her fellow Dauntless from 20 feet up. Who caught the first girl down the zipline?
So, is the food synthetic, artificial (from the beginning of the book) or is it fresh (from later in the book)?
Why is the marsh dried up, but they have a river, waterfall and of all things, a drinking fountain?
Why do you need a backup generator to run the elevator up but you clearly have electricity to run other things?
Isn't carbon dioxide a problem if you are really deep underground?
How is it the scientists can make microscopic transmitters but there is not enough material to finish paving the roads?
Who runs the trains?
Why is tattooing and piercings a sign of being brave? It said somewhere that the dauntless were not the artistic ones?
Helpful Score: 2
Stumbled into this series...it is FANTASTIC!
I love the characters, the writing...dare I say I like it more than the Hunger Games
Its another take on the theme that we (humans) have caused disastrous things to happen to our world. From chaos, extreme structure has taken over. At 16 yrs old every adolescent must choose one of 5 factions, to live and work with. Each is in charge of a part of society and held to different values and rules.
Beatrice is the main character. She chooses a faction other than the one she has grown up in...what follows is an ingrossing adventure. This is the first book...insurgent is second and the third is not released yet.
I love the characters, the writing...dare I say I like it more than the Hunger Games
Its another take on the theme that we (humans) have caused disastrous things to happen to our world. From chaos, extreme structure has taken over. At 16 yrs old every adolescent must choose one of 5 factions, to live and work with. Each is in charge of a part of society and held to different values and rules.
Beatrice is the main character. She chooses a faction other than the one she has grown up in...what follows is an ingrossing adventure. This is the first book...insurgent is second and the third is not released yet.
Helpful Score: 1
The heroine in this book "tries selflessness on for size, and then she tries bravery, but at the end, it's what she does out of love that's more important than any virtue."
This is my kind of dystopian fiction where the sacrifices have meaning, things can be very dark but there is the possibility of hope, and the girl can both take care of herself and lean on another from time to time. I would hesitate to recommend it to sensitive young readers, but anyone who enjoyed Hunger Games will be fine with this. I was surprised to find that the last 70 pages of my copy were "bonus materials" (wait - you mean the story is already over?) but I did enjoy them.
This is my kind of dystopian fiction where the sacrifices have meaning, things can be very dark but there is the possibility of hope, and the girl can both take care of herself and lean on another from time to time. I would hesitate to recommend it to sensitive young readers, but anyone who enjoyed Hunger Games will be fine with this. I was surprised to find that the last 70 pages of my copy were "bonus materials" (wait - you mean the story is already over?) but I did enjoy them.
Helpful Score: 1
Divergent was an amazing debut novel by author Veronica Roth! I truly enjoyed it! It has everything...interesting characters, twists and turns in the plot here and there, and so much more! Despite some major errors with the world-building, I found it to be a practically perfect read!
Our book is set in future dystopian Chicago. The world is now divided into five factions based on your personality traits. These five factions are:
On one day each year, every 16-year-old decides for themselves which faction they wish to be in for the rest of their lives. Our story follows Beatrice Prior on her sixteenth birthday. She must decide if she wishes to stay loyal to her Abnegation family or become the person she is meant to be - someone Dauntless.
What if you possess more than one personality trait? What if you're a normal person and are kind, honest, brave, selfless, and intelligent all crammed into one?
ALERT! ALERT! You're Divergent!
How can someone be just one personality trait? It's impossible! Wouldn't everyone be Divergent? The idea is superb and overly brilliant, but it's truly unrealistic. The author never explains how this is possible.
And I think that's virtually my only problem with the story. The world-building simply didn't make sense to me. If there was a little more information on how the world was created and how it's possible for everyone to only have one personality trait, than this book would be a definite 5-star read.
As for the writing? It's beautiful, superb even. Veronica Roth does a wonderful job inserting so many sensory details into the story - it's truly eloquent. I could literally visualize all the fight scenes in my head, I could hear the crashing of the swords during the Dauntless training sessions - it was top-notch. First person present tense is definitely not the easiest tense to write in, but Roth writes so beautifully, so eloquently that she makes writing look virtually effortless, and I admired that about her writing.
The sentences didn't seem choppy or incomplete; they were all so complex and thought-out. Each sentence Roth writes is in the book for a reason, and I loved her simplistic, yet complex, writing style.
However, at some points the writing reminded me just a tad too much of the writing in the trilogy (that trilogy being [book:The Hunger Games|2767052]). However, this fact was easy to overlook because Roth simply wrote beautifully.
The book consisted of well-developed, multi-dementional characters - most of which I learned to love. One of my favorite things about Divergent was that there was so much character development in it! Each and every character - down to even the smallest of secondary characters - were well developed and, to put it simply, had so much depth within them.
I really liked Tris - I enjoyed her as both a protagonist and a person. She truly never gives in, and I just could not stop rooting for her! She was truly butt-kicking!
Aside from our main character Tris, there are lots of interesting secondary characters as well. I really enjoyed reading about characters such as Christina, Mr. and Mrs. Prior, Four, and Caleb. They too had so much depth and personality that they felt like real people to me - despite them being secondary characters.
I didn't really have many problems with the romance between Four and Tris. It certainly wasn't my favorite aspect of the book, but it wasn't my least favorite aspect either(* cough * the world-building * cough). I enjoyed how there was no love triangle in the story, and that the romance didn't overpower the story as a whole. However, I would still like to find a YA dystopia without a romance...
All in all, despite its world-building flaws, I really did enjoy Divergent. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire 487 pages, and I cannot wait to finish the series! (The last 150 pages were totally action-packed and I loved them!)
But, would I recommend this book? My answer would be yes. Even though it has a multitude of world-building-related flaws, it is still a highly entertaining and enjoyable read. However, if you do decide to read it, you should consider turning off your brain to help you get past the elements of the story containing poor world-building.
We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another.The plot of Divergent was creative and original and I really enjoyed it! The premise is fresh, and unlike anything I've ever seen before, and I quite liked it! Veronica Roth truly lets her imagination soar while she writes, and I quite liked seeing her talents at their highest potential.
Our book is set in future dystopian Chicago. The world is now divided into five factions based on your personality traits. These five factions are:
On one day each year, every 16-year-old decides for themselves which faction they wish to be in for the rest of their lives. Our story follows Beatrice Prior on her sixteenth birthday. She must decide if she wishes to stay loyal to her Abnegation family or become the person she is meant to be - someone Dauntless.
What if you possess more than one personality trait? What if you're a normal person and are kind, honest, brave, selfless, and intelligent all crammed into one?
ALERT! ALERT! You're Divergent!
How can someone be just one personality trait? It's impossible! Wouldn't everyone be Divergent? The idea is superb and overly brilliant, but it's truly unrealistic. The author never explains how this is possible.
And I think that's virtually my only problem with the story. The world-building simply didn't make sense to me. If there was a little more information on how the world was created and how it's possible for everyone to only have one personality trait, than this book would be a definite 5-star read.
As for the writing? It's beautiful, superb even. Veronica Roth does a wonderful job inserting so many sensory details into the story - it's truly eloquent. I could literally visualize all the fight scenes in my head, I could hear the crashing of the swords during the Dauntless training sessions - it was top-notch. First person present tense is definitely not the easiest tense to write in, but Roth writes so beautifully, so eloquently that she makes writing look virtually effortless, and I admired that about her writing.
The sentences didn't seem choppy or incomplete; they were all so complex and thought-out. Each sentence Roth writes is in the book for a reason, and I loved her simplistic, yet complex, writing style.
However, at some points the writing reminded me just a tad too much of the writing in the trilogy (that trilogy being [book:The Hunger Games|2767052]). However, this fact was easy to overlook because Roth simply wrote beautifully.
The book consisted of well-developed, multi-dementional characters - most of which I learned to love. One of my favorite things about Divergent was that there was so much character development in it! Each and every character - down to even the smallest of secondary characters - were well developed and, to put it simply, had so much depth within them.
I really liked Tris - I enjoyed her as both a protagonist and a person. She truly never gives in, and I just could not stop rooting for her! She was truly butt-kicking!
Aside from our main character Tris, there are lots of interesting secondary characters as well. I really enjoyed reading about characters such as Christina, Mr. and Mrs. Prior, Four, and Caleb. They too had so much depth and personality that they felt like real people to me - despite them being secondary characters.
I didn't really have many problems with the romance between Four and Tris. It certainly wasn't my favorite aspect of the book, but it wasn't my least favorite aspect either
All in all, despite its world-building flaws, I really did enjoy Divergent. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire 487 pages, and I cannot wait to finish the series! (The last 150 pages were totally action-packed and I loved them!)
But, would I recommend this book? My answer would be yes. Even though it has a multitude of world-building-related flaws, it is still a highly entertaining and enjoyable read. However, if you do decide to read it, you should consider turning off your brain to help you get past the elements of the story containing poor world-building.
Helpful Score: 1
Excellent character development. Interesting premise. Page turner. Safe for teens. Swearing and some kissing. PG rating.
Helpful Score: 1
Disappointing. Eager to hop on the Hunger Games train of the post-apocalyptic genre, readers find themselves skimming the surface of the Divergent trilogy, never able to fully immerse themselves in the world or the characters. Roth paints a fascinating picture: a world comprised of five factions of which the characters must select one to join during their 16 year, or be ostracized from the communities, but thats all you get of the book, a fraction of what it could have been. We only ever get a surface view of the characters personalities and the world they live in. My hope was that as the trilogy went on Roth would go deeper. Unfortunately, Roth stuck to the relative safety of generalizations, overused simile, and repetitive conflicts between the main characters of Tris and Four, and of violence/revolution.
SPOILER ALERTS for the entire Divergent trilogy
My biggest complaint is that throughout the books the only major deaths are of main female characters: Triss mother, Jeanine Matthews, Tori (although she was more of a theme throughout the books than a main character, a grounding mechanism and source of answers for Tris, like many characters never really having a chance to develop a strong personality so her death barley affects us until we meet her brother), and finally Tris herself. The main message coming from Roth seems to be that once a female character has a position of power she must give it up, like Evelyn, and sit ideally by, or die by bullet. I would have loved to see Johanna Reyes have a chance to become a main character, but her story was always overshadowed, first by Marcuss involvement and then the disbanding of their revolution and world. In Roths Divergent trilogy the primary source of movement throughout the books is violence and revolution. There is nothing else pulling the story forward until the epilogue, at which point its too late. The epilogue feels more like a consolation prize, that maybe the world can change to become a better place but not until everything has been soaked with blood and death, exhausting the extent of Roth's writing ability.
SPOILER ALERTS for the entire Divergent trilogy
My biggest complaint is that throughout the books the only major deaths are of main female characters: Triss mother, Jeanine Matthews, Tori (although she was more of a theme throughout the books than a main character, a grounding mechanism and source of answers for Tris, like many characters never really having a chance to develop a strong personality so her death barley affects us until we meet her brother), and finally Tris herself. The main message coming from Roth seems to be that once a female character has a position of power she must give it up, like Evelyn, and sit ideally by, or die by bullet. I would have loved to see Johanna Reyes have a chance to become a main character, but her story was always overshadowed, first by Marcuss involvement and then the disbanding of their revolution and world. In Roths Divergent trilogy the primary source of movement throughout the books is violence and revolution. There is nothing else pulling the story forward until the epilogue, at which point its too late. The epilogue feels more like a consolation prize, that maybe the world can change to become a better place but not until everything has been soaked with blood and death, exhausting the extent of Roth's writing ability.
Helpful Score: 1
This book was pretty flippin awesome. I'm 1000% invested in these characters and their journey. I'm left with a lot of questions and am so ready to move on to the next book and see if they are answered. (Too bad I have to wait for it to come out)
Helpful Score: 1
Whether I should rate this one at 4 stars or 5 is a tough call. Perhaps 4.5 stars would be better. I quite liked the book. It did remind me a bit of The Hunger Games series but this heroine is outstanding in terms of bravery. The only attribute that bothered me was the need to be subservient to her lover, Tobias or Four as he is known to the Dauntless (brave) faction. Chicago is divided into five factions: Dauntless, Candor (honest), Amity (peaceful), Erudite (intelligent), and Abnegation (selfless) each of which supposedly follows a lifestyle devoted to the core value. Beatrice or Tris as she becomes known grew up in Abnegation but has always felt that she did not belong. She questions, she has strong opinions and values herself for who she is. When she turns 16 she must take a test to determine where she would best fit. Once she decides there is no turning back. The trouble is that she shows strong tendencies for both Abnegation and Dauntless. She is Divergent, a dangerous classification and she doesn't know why it is so. Nevertheless, she is determined to pass through the Dauntless initiation. Those who don't become factionless and lead a dreary life of toil and near starvation performing the lowest level of work in the city. As she struggles to pass all the tests she discovers that she is drawn to one of the teachers, Four. His nearness unsettles her but she gradually learns to trust him and follow his advice to pass through initiation without revealing that she is Divergent. Discovered Divergents are killed as they are viewed as a threat to the factions. Tris must also develop friendships as only friends can really protect her through initiation. As the story uncoils one jumps off running trains, jumps off high buildings, runs through the streets and finally fights in a war between factions with Tris. I am looking forward to the sequel.
Helpful Score: 1
This book is definitely one of my favorites. I received this book Monday March 7th and was finished with it Tuesday March 8th. It took me less than 24 hours to read this book (minus working and sleeping). This is a must own must read book for me. I hope the rest of you will like it as well. Way to go Veronica Roth for writing such a fantastic tale. Divergent will keep you reading with every turn of a page.
Divergent picks up with Beatrice, also known as Tris later on in the book, about 2 days prior to her Choosing ceremony. At the Choosing ceremony she must pick the faction she will spend the rest of her life with. All students around the age of 16 go through the aptitude test which will show them which faction they have an affinity for. From there that student must decide to stay with their current faction or choose one of the other 4 factions.
After her choosing she begins training as an initiate (new recruit). During this time Beatrice/Tris grows as a heroine. She is not automatically the strong heroine type in my opinion. As her training progresses she strengthens not only physically but mentally as well. She is a fantastic heroine because she is so flawed, just like the rest of us. She is a victim for pride, jealousy, confusion, anger, doubts, fear, and contempt. She is an everyday character. Yet what makes her such a strong heroine is as the story progresses, she progresses. She becomes braver, more selfless, and bolder.
As she trains with the faction of her choosing she beings to discover secrets within her faction and other factions. Secrets that will change the world and her life as she knows it. She must decide whether she truly believes Faction before Blood or is her family more important than her faction. Is her family more important than all of mankind.
Of coarse through all of this she does have a love interest. The best part of this love interest is that it's not this all consuming love at first sight I must be with this person. We see the relationship develop over time. Just as any real relationship does. So to me it seemed more real than most other books. Of coarse the love interest is definetely a cutie. He's strong, smart, kind, and couragous. What is not to like?
As the novel progresses we slowly gain more information about all of the factions. Not everything is laid out infront of the reader but instead you are slowly drawn into the mystery and secrets just like the characters of the book. You don't know everything up front instead you have to slowly navigate through their world just as Tris does.
I was emotionally drawn into this novel. I did get teary eyed in some spots and found myself smiling in others. The descriptions were so clear that I could see everything in my head and felt like I was right there in the action. I could feel my heart race at certain spots just as the characters did. My only disappointment with this book is that I have to wait for the next book!!!! Well I assume there will be a book 2.
Veronica Roth you wrote a fantastic story and I can not read more. Congratulations
Divergent picks up with Beatrice, also known as Tris later on in the book, about 2 days prior to her Choosing ceremony. At the Choosing ceremony she must pick the faction she will spend the rest of her life with. All students around the age of 16 go through the aptitude test which will show them which faction they have an affinity for. From there that student must decide to stay with their current faction or choose one of the other 4 factions.
After her choosing she begins training as an initiate (new recruit). During this time Beatrice/Tris grows as a heroine. She is not automatically the strong heroine type in my opinion. As her training progresses she strengthens not only physically but mentally as well. She is a fantastic heroine because she is so flawed, just like the rest of us. She is a victim for pride, jealousy, confusion, anger, doubts, fear, and contempt. She is an everyday character. Yet what makes her such a strong heroine is as the story progresses, she progresses. She becomes braver, more selfless, and bolder.
As she trains with the faction of her choosing she beings to discover secrets within her faction and other factions. Secrets that will change the world and her life as she knows it. She must decide whether she truly believes Faction before Blood or is her family more important than her faction. Is her family more important than all of mankind.
Of coarse through all of this she does have a love interest. The best part of this love interest is that it's not this all consuming love at first sight I must be with this person. We see the relationship develop over time. Just as any real relationship does. So to me it seemed more real than most other books. Of coarse the love interest is definetely a cutie. He's strong, smart, kind, and couragous. What is not to like?
As the novel progresses we slowly gain more information about all of the factions. Not everything is laid out infront of the reader but instead you are slowly drawn into the mystery and secrets just like the characters of the book. You don't know everything up front instead you have to slowly navigate through their world just as Tris does.
I was emotionally drawn into this novel. I did get teary eyed in some spots and found myself smiling in others. The descriptions were so clear that I could see everything in my head and felt like I was right there in the action. I could feel my heart race at certain spots just as the characters did. My only disappointment with this book is that I have to wait for the next book!!!! Well I assume there will be a book 2.
Veronica Roth you wrote a fantastic story and I can not read more. Congratulations
Helpful Score: 1
Divergent was breathtakingly amazing. It was downright perfection in my opinion. I don't even know what else to say, it was just that good. If your like me and have let it sit on your bookshelf month after month afraid to pick it up because you are afraid it wont live up to the hype...pick it up now and read it. I regret taking so long to read Divergent. Five stars doesn't even do it any justice. Okay let me stop gushing over it and get on with the review.
Sixteen year old Beatrice Prior lives in a time where society is divided into five factions. Abnegation-the selfless, Candor-the honest, Dauntless-the brave,Erudite-the intelligent, and Amity-the peaceful. Then there is another group of people, one that if your are found out by others what you are will get you killed - Divergent.
I finished Veronica Roth's debut novel in a matter of hours. If you want an intense and compelling read Divergent is it. There was betrayal, corruption, and not to mention romance that developed realistically between Four (Tobias) and Tris (Beatrice).
The world building and plot was immaculately done. Then there were the plot twists that had me to the point where I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. And of course the fact that even all the secondary characters were all very well fleshed out which helped me fall in love with Divergent that much more.
Overall this was a fascinating read and I looking forward to picking up Insurgent when it releases.
Sixteen year old Beatrice Prior lives in a time where society is divided into five factions. Abnegation-the selfless, Candor-the honest, Dauntless-the brave,Erudite-the intelligent, and Amity-the peaceful. Then there is another group of people, one that if your are found out by others what you are will get you killed - Divergent.
I finished Veronica Roth's debut novel in a matter of hours. If you want an intense and compelling read Divergent is it. There was betrayal, corruption, and not to mention romance that developed realistically between Four (Tobias) and Tris (Beatrice).
The world building and plot was immaculately done. Then there were the plot twists that had me to the point where I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. And of course the fact that even all the secondary characters were all very well fleshed out which helped me fall in love with Divergent that much more.
Overall this was a fascinating read and I looking forward to picking up Insurgent when it releases.
Enjoyed the film, couldn't finish the book. The idea works, but the execution didn't grab me. Too much of the wrong details in the wrong places.
I avoided reading this book for a very long time because I assumed it was just another addition to the YA craze that has been sweeping the nation ever since Twilight hit the stands. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a good YA novel every now and again, but this one reminded me a bit too much of the Hunger Games, and I thought, "Nope. Not going to give that one a chance."
All I can say is that I am REALLY, REALLY glad that I decided against that foolish decision. I really loved this book. I devoured it in just a couple of days. And while there are some vaguely Hunger Games-like qualities to the book, it really is its own, unique story.
So, if you are holding out on reading this book because you think it is just another piece of YA trash or because you feel it is going to be too similar to something you've already read, please give it a chance. It really, truly is a great book. I went out and bought the second and third ones immediately.
All I can say is that I am REALLY, REALLY glad that I decided against that foolish decision. I really loved this book. I devoured it in just a couple of days. And while there are some vaguely Hunger Games-like qualities to the book, it really is its own, unique story.
So, if you are holding out on reading this book because you think it is just another piece of YA trash or because you feel it is going to be too similar to something you've already read, please give it a chance. It really, truly is a great book. I went out and bought the second and third ones immediately.
I thought Divergent had some interesting ideas about conformity, the status quo, and being "different", but I did not like it as much as the Hunger Games. While Divergent had some intense, action-packed scenes, it was more introspective and not as fast-paced as the Hunger Games.
My favorite dystopian series is still the Uglies trilogy by Scott Westerfeld.
My favorite dystopian series is still the Uglies trilogy by Scott Westerfeld.
While many people I know have praised this book for its fast pace and intriguing characters, I myself found Veronica Roth's Divergent a take-off of other dystopian-related series. Being no fan of the Hunger Games' world's brutal reality, this book is slightly more appropriate for YA fiction fanatics. I would not recommend this book at all to readers expecting Harry Potter-quality fiction, but fans of other pop series would most likely enjoy this book.
I got an advanced reading copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program. I had heard wonderful things about this novel and was very excited to read it. It ended up being an absolutely wonderful book. It grabbed me from the first sentence and didn't let go until the end. Roth builds an interesting and engaging world, with wonderful characters, and a fast-moving plot that pulls the reader in quickly.
Beatrice lives in a future world where humanity has been divided into five factions to ensure survival of the human race. They are Abnegation (selfless and serve others before themselves), Candor (lawmakers and always honest), Amity (people who are friendly and peaceful), Erudites (people who are smart and study a lot), and Dauntless (protectors and warriors). Beatrice has been raised in Abnegation and is used to always dressing in grey and never being able to look in a mirror, but sometimes she has trouble being completely selfless. On the day she turns sixteen it is time for her to take her exam and find out which faction she is best fit for. But something goes wrong, she is different, she is Divergent. Now it is up to her to choose without any sort of guidance; will she choose Abnegation and stay with her family? Or will she choose Dauntless the place she truly feels she will fit in? As she makes her choice and her story continues Tris (Beatrice) finds out that being Convergent is more dangerous than she thought.
This book drew me in right from the first page. Beatrice is a wonderful character, she has valid concerns, is realistic, and is tough enough to try and stay true to herself. The characters she meets up with in her faction are also very interesting. All of them have their own stories and fears. The boy she ends up spending a lot of time with, Four, is not only fairly swoon-worthy...but is just in general very interesting and very tough.
The world Roth has created is unique, intriguing, and utterly engaging. It is a supposed utopia on the edge of collapse. As with most dystopians things on the surface appear hunky dory...then as the reader learns more we realize that things underneath are not right at all.
There are a ton of action scenes and that coupled with the wonderful plot really propel the reader forward. At first it seems like that book is going to be about Tris's training in her faction, but then the plot continues to reveal more and more surprises. The climax of this book is truly outstanding and heartbreaking and Roth doesn't pull any punches when it comes to putting our beloved characters through the wringer.
The ending is well done but leaves the reader desperately wanting to know what will happen next. It is well wrapped up, but you can just tell there is so much more of this story to be told. Roth's writing style is incredibly readable and engaging and I adored it.
Overall I just can't say enough fantastic things about this book. I loved the world, the characters, the plot, and the writing style. There really wasn't anything here that I can complain about it was just all so well done. If you love YA dystopias you have to give this a try. If you loved the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins or enjoyed Matched by Ally Condie, check this out. I absolutely cannot wait to pick up the next book in the series.
Beatrice lives in a future world where humanity has been divided into five factions to ensure survival of the human race. They are Abnegation (selfless and serve others before themselves), Candor (lawmakers and always honest), Amity (people who are friendly and peaceful), Erudites (people who are smart and study a lot), and Dauntless (protectors and warriors). Beatrice has been raised in Abnegation and is used to always dressing in grey and never being able to look in a mirror, but sometimes she has trouble being completely selfless. On the day she turns sixteen it is time for her to take her exam and find out which faction she is best fit for. But something goes wrong, she is different, she is Divergent. Now it is up to her to choose without any sort of guidance; will she choose Abnegation and stay with her family? Or will she choose Dauntless the place she truly feels she will fit in? As she makes her choice and her story continues Tris (Beatrice) finds out that being Convergent is more dangerous than she thought.
This book drew me in right from the first page. Beatrice is a wonderful character, she has valid concerns, is realistic, and is tough enough to try and stay true to herself. The characters she meets up with in her faction are also very interesting. All of them have their own stories and fears. The boy she ends up spending a lot of time with, Four, is not only fairly swoon-worthy...but is just in general very interesting and very tough.
The world Roth has created is unique, intriguing, and utterly engaging. It is a supposed utopia on the edge of collapse. As with most dystopians things on the surface appear hunky dory...then as the reader learns more we realize that things underneath are not right at all.
There are a ton of action scenes and that coupled with the wonderful plot really propel the reader forward. At first it seems like that book is going to be about Tris's training in her faction, but then the plot continues to reveal more and more surprises. The climax of this book is truly outstanding and heartbreaking and Roth doesn't pull any punches when it comes to putting our beloved characters through the wringer.
The ending is well done but leaves the reader desperately wanting to know what will happen next. It is well wrapped up, but you can just tell there is so much more of this story to be told. Roth's writing style is incredibly readable and engaging and I adored it.
Overall I just can't say enough fantastic things about this book. I loved the world, the characters, the plot, and the writing style. There really wasn't anything here that I can complain about it was just all so well done. If you love YA dystopias you have to give this a try. If you loved the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins or enjoyed Matched by Ally Condie, check this out. I absolutely cannot wait to pick up the next book in the series.
This was a pretty good book. It wasn't a great book, and it didn't nab my attention as thoroughly as some other novels have, but it wasn't a bad book either. The premise was interesting and I did find some of the characters to be quite intriguing, but something about the story just wasn't enough. I still recommend it, but I wasn't invested enough to search out the sequels.
Very entertaining book. I read it so fast (a true page turner). It had a lot of pretty brutal and violent scenes. I'm curious how that will translate for the movie. I need to read book 2 !
SUSAN S. (susieqmillsacoustics) -
This is a page turner! A very well done dystopian tale. It is set in Chicago, where the democratic society has been done away with. The country is now divided into 5 factions depending on one's beliefs. At 16, they choose the faction they wish to belong to permanently. Choosing a different faction other than the one you were born into means leaving your family and being labeled a "traitor". I look forward to reading the next, but this one does wrap up well enough that it is not urgent to read the next.
Summary
The setting is the future city of Chicago. The city has been divided into 5 factions; The Candor faction values honesty, Abnegation values selflessness, Amity peacefulness, Erudite are the pursuers of knowledge and Dauntless are the brave. When children reach the age of 16 they must choose which faction they want to belong to. The tag line of the book is one choice can transform you. The story follows Beatrices transformation as she makes her choice. Beatrice goes through a series of tests that are designed to identify which faction would be the best fit. However, Beatrices results are inconclusive. She is divergent, having an affinity for more than one faction. Being divergent is dangerous and Beatrice is warned to keep this fact a secret for her own safety. Adolescences in hard enough without throwing in a grueling initiation process, new friends, enemies, a possible love interest, and all while having to hide who you really are.
Critical Analysis
This dystopian novel is a blending of fantasy and science fiction with a dash of realism thrown in creating the perfect recipe. Roth has developed characters that are stunningly real in this future world. Beatrices series of physical and emotional struggles are authentic. The initiation process adds a suspense to the story line and the romance is not overdone. One weakness is that the outside world is not fully developed. I was left wondering what was outside the citys fence.
The setting is the future city of Chicago. The city has been divided into 5 factions; The Candor faction values honesty, Abnegation values selflessness, Amity peacefulness, Erudite are the pursuers of knowledge and Dauntless are the brave. When children reach the age of 16 they must choose which faction they want to belong to. The tag line of the book is one choice can transform you. The story follows Beatrices transformation as she makes her choice. Beatrice goes through a series of tests that are designed to identify which faction would be the best fit. However, Beatrices results are inconclusive. She is divergent, having an affinity for more than one faction. Being divergent is dangerous and Beatrice is warned to keep this fact a secret for her own safety. Adolescences in hard enough without throwing in a grueling initiation process, new friends, enemies, a possible love interest, and all while having to hide who you really are.
Critical Analysis
This dystopian novel is a blending of fantasy and science fiction with a dash of realism thrown in creating the perfect recipe. Roth has developed characters that are stunningly real in this future world. Beatrices series of physical and emotional struggles are authentic. The initiation process adds a suspense to the story line and the romance is not overdone. One weakness is that the outside world is not fully developed. I was left wondering what was outside the citys fence.
Contrary to what I expected given the very simple writing, this story moves quickly. Be advised that much of it is quite brutal.
Roth handles several coming-of-age issues with appreciable sophistication. The concept is original; the general storyline, not so much. Overall, though, I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading the sequel.
Roth handles several coming-of-age issues with appreciable sophistication. The concept is original; the general storyline, not so much. Overall, though, I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading the sequel.
I first saw Divergent in Half Price Books a few months ago and it peaked my interest; I just recently got the chance to see the movie with my significant other and that confirmed for me the need to read the series because for me when it comes down to whether a movie or the book that it was based on and which will be better the book will almost ALWAYS win.
Divergent took me into the faction based society of Beatrice who lives in a world where at sixteen teenagers must choose one of five factions they will stay in for the rest of their lives; these factions are based on different aspects of the human character; and to choose which they should join the candidates are tested; given the results then the choice is ultimately left up to them. Beatrice is followed through her initiation, into her chosen faction called Dauntless, through the forming of new friendships, into learning what it is to form a life beyond her nuclear family, and most importantly Beatrice finds that she has a more complicated path to follow then most and the novel follows her path as she learns that the most important thing is not always what you are but who you are.
I enjoyed the book because it delved into the complicated idea of what a society can turn into when humanity tries to take the best of itself and split it up into different pieces instead of using them together to work as a moving whole piece. The characters and descriptive scenes described in the book were amazing to imagine for me as a reader; Roth has an amazing talent as a writer; it's inspiring for me to know she wrote this piece of literature so young and it's a book I can't recommend enough. I am reading the second book in the series now.
Divergent took me into the faction based society of Beatrice who lives in a world where at sixteen teenagers must choose one of five factions they will stay in for the rest of their lives; these factions are based on different aspects of the human character; and to choose which they should join the candidates are tested; given the results then the choice is ultimately left up to them. Beatrice is followed through her initiation, into her chosen faction called Dauntless, through the forming of new friendships, into learning what it is to form a life beyond her nuclear family, and most importantly Beatrice finds that she has a more complicated path to follow then most and the novel follows her path as she learns that the most important thing is not always what you are but who you are.
I enjoyed the book because it delved into the complicated idea of what a society can turn into when humanity tries to take the best of itself and split it up into different pieces instead of using them together to work as a moving whole piece. The characters and descriptive scenes described in the book were amazing to imagine for me as a reader; Roth has an amazing talent as a writer; it's inspiring for me to know she wrote this piece of literature so young and it's a book I can't recommend enough. I am reading the second book in the series now.
AT my advanced age, I didn't know if this possibly young adult novel would appeal, but I enjoyed it so much that I bought the rest of the trilogy. Its themes apply to all ages.
I absolutely couldn't put this book down! I loved it's world and it's characters...Tris and Tobias(Four) are my favourites though. While reading this book I kept finding myself wishing I had a chance to do some of the things Tris did and wondering if I have half as much bravery as she does. Really an awesome book.
This book was incredible... if you liked the Hunger Games, then I am pretty sure you will like this one, too. The characters were very believable and had qualities that the reader can relate to. I finished the entire thing in a day. I can't wait for the second one!
This was the December 2011 pick in my online book club, The Reading Cove. I didn't really think I'd like it, but to my surprise, I really got into it!
At first, I wasn't feeling Tris too much - it felt like she was shaping up to be a really self-absorbed person - but once she got into the second phase of her initiation training, I began to identify with her a lot more. I enjoyed her growth throughout the story as she figured out who she really was, and who she wanted to be.
This is my first YA dystopian novel and I'm sure it won't be my last because I am interested in the sequel, INSURGENT. I'd like to continue following Tris. She had some really horrible things happen in her life and that should make for a very interesting character as she gets older.
I also enjoyed the faction-based society, totally bought into it.
This one gets a solid B. Pretty good read.
At first, I wasn't feeling Tris too much - it felt like she was shaping up to be a really self-absorbed person - but once she got into the second phase of her initiation training, I began to identify with her a lot more. I enjoyed her growth throughout the story as she figured out who she really was, and who she wanted to be.
This is my first YA dystopian novel and I'm sure it won't be my last because I am interested in the sequel, INSURGENT. I'd like to continue following Tris. She had some really horrible things happen in her life and that should make for a very interesting character as she gets older.
I also enjoyed the faction-based society, totally bought into it.
This one gets a solid B. Pretty good read.
This is a difficult book to gauge, except in comparison to other books within the same genre and audience, so I guess I'll approach it on that level. In many ways, the book read as though it wanted to be the next "Hunger Games," with a heroine reluctantly pulled into a struggle against a seemingly unbeatable system that ultimately seeks her destruction. Yet, it does not have quite what it takes to pull it off. I do enjoy the world that Roth created here. It reminds me very much of the best dystopian novels that I have read, while having a uniqueness to it which captured my attention. The central plot, however, is extremely slow to develop, leaving the whole book building up to the very end, when we finally catch on to what the trilogy apparently is meant to revolve around. This made it feel slow, and the writing did not help, though that did improve a bit at the end. Yet, I did feel that, in terms of my ultimate level of enjoyment, the book rightfully deserves four stars, mainly because it did leave off with what I hope to be a fair bit of potential (fair disclosure: I did start the second book already, and that has helped to form my opinion). Overall, it does not hold up to the greatest young adult works, in excitement or writing, but with it apparently being her first published book, I see potential talent here, and a story that has a lot of room to grow. After all, if even J.K. Rowling grew a lot as a writer as her series progressed, I cannot blame other authors for needing to do so too.
Coming right off the heels of finishing a book that had me absolutely speechless with awesome, I was a bit apprehensive that there was no way this could be as good and I would end up disappointed. I almost considered putting off reading it for exactly that reason. I am so glad I didn't. This was engaging, intriguing, and heart wrenching. The author takes you on a wild ride in this one for sure.
Beatrice had to make a choice, she has to choose the faction of society in which she will spend the rest of her life. She does not want to stay in the faction she was born, but that is the only way to stay with her family. But if she chooses a faction that she feels will let her have a life that fits her then she gives up ever seeing her family again. And as if that weren't stressful enough, she also has a secret that sets her apart from everyone in any faction. A secret that she has been told has to remain that way or else she will not be alive long enough to choose her faction. A single choice that changes everything, which one is the right one to make. That is the question posed by this book and it is a fascinating one.
One thing that I most loved about this book was how the writer seemed to adjust her writing style to the situation she was writing. When writing scenes for Abgenation you felt the peaceful feeling that they strive to inspire in others, it feels safe but also almost confining as well. When writing for Dauntless you find yourself feeling constantly on edge, because you never know when a scene is going to reach out and slap you across the face with no warning. It made this book a joy to read since I never knew what to expect. And when the book reached its exciting ending I was stunned at how quickly and viciously it had all come to the an end. It fit the book perfectly and made me frustrated that there is so much more to the story that I want to know. This is what the beginning of a series is supposed to do, make you want that second book more than anything else. And for me, this one did that exactly.
Note: All reviews also posted to my Goodreads profile.
Beatrice had to make a choice, she has to choose the faction of society in which she will spend the rest of her life. She does not want to stay in the faction she was born, but that is the only way to stay with her family. But if she chooses a faction that she feels will let her have a life that fits her then she gives up ever seeing her family again. And as if that weren't stressful enough, she also has a secret that sets her apart from everyone in any faction. A secret that she has been told has to remain that way or else she will not be alive long enough to choose her faction. A single choice that changes everything, which one is the right one to make. That is the question posed by this book and it is a fascinating one.
One thing that I most loved about this book was how the writer seemed to adjust her writing style to the situation she was writing. When writing scenes for Abgenation you felt the peaceful feeling that they strive to inspire in others, it feels safe but also almost confining as well. When writing for Dauntless you find yourself feeling constantly on edge, because you never know when a scene is going to reach out and slap you across the face with no warning. It made this book a joy to read since I never knew what to expect. And when the book reached its exciting ending I was stunned at how quickly and viciously it had all come to the an end. It fit the book perfectly and made me frustrated that there is so much more to the story that I want to know. This is what the beginning of a series is supposed to do, make you want that second book more than anything else. And for me, this one did that exactly.
Note: All reviews also posted to my Goodreads profile.
If you liked Hunger Games then you will like this book!
Right from the very beginning you are drawn into the story of people who have differing beliefs - and who live, according to beliefs, in factions. Only the children are in close proximity - in school. At age 16 they have to choose to stay with their family faction or choose another.
I believe Ms. Roth has the tiger by the tail with this one!
Enjoy!
Right from the very beginning you are drawn into the story of people who have differing beliefs - and who live, according to beliefs, in factions. Only the children are in close proximity - in school. At age 16 they have to choose to stay with their family faction or choose another.
I believe Ms. Roth has the tiger by the tail with this one!
Enjoy!
Loved it! I was pretty much useless for 2 days because I couldn't put it down. I am eager for book two. I highly recommend this book.
I was skeptical about this book when i picked it up, BUT this book was beyond AMAZING!! I thought it started off kind of slow, but by the time chapter 5 rolled around.. i couldn't stop myself from flipping the pages. I couldn't put it down, i finished it just as fast as i picked it up.
I won't spend my time picking apart the flaws in the book, because i think you should read it yourself. I would recommend this to anyone. Especially if you are digging dystopians right now, do yourself a favor and check out Divergent. It's definately one of the best out right now.
I won't spend my time picking apart the flaws in the book, because i think you should read it yourself. I would recommend this to anyone. Especially if you are digging dystopians right now, do yourself a favor and check out Divergent. It's definately one of the best out right now.
Oh my goodness! I just finished reading this book and I literally couldn't put it down until I got to the end! And even now I cannot wait to read Insurgent to see what happens next - I just have to wait until it comes out next month! You could actually feel the emotions within Tris as she stuggles with her decisions. From being Beatrice to becoming Tris it was like you were there with her to feel scared, excited, ashamed, guilty, angry, brave and finally loved. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.
NO SPOILERS.
Terrific, un-put-downable book, intelligent enough for adults. Perfect for fans of the Hunger Games series: dystopian, post-Apocalyptic setting; strong, brave heroine; harrowing tasks for her to tackle; and something mysterious going on underneath the society's surface that you have to wait to discover (and which will probably unravel over the upcoming books in the series, since not all of your questions are answered by the end of this book). Read it in two days during vacation, even with a small infant to care for -- that's how good it was! Thank goodness for naptime ; )
Terrific, un-put-downable book, intelligent enough for adults. Perfect for fans of the Hunger Games series: dystopian, post-Apocalyptic setting; strong, brave heroine; harrowing tasks for her to tackle; and something mysterious going on underneath the society's surface that you have to wait to discover (and which will probably unravel over the upcoming books in the series, since not all of your questions are answered by the end of this book). Read it in two days during vacation, even with a small infant to care for -- that's how good it was! Thank goodness for naptime ; )
A new author writing similarly to The Hunger Games - well done.
I liked this. It was slightly confusing in the beginning, but once Tris's training started, the book just seems to fly by. I'm not sure what I was expecting when I started reading it, but the story pretty much kept me entertained throughout the majority of the book. It was really interesting to watch Tris's character grow and change. I want to read the sequel, to see where this story leads.
LOVED this book! It was wonderfully written. Once I began reading it, I had to make myself put it down. Then, once I did put it down, the story filled my thoughts. I was constantly wondering what was going to happen next, or WHY on earth did he/she do that?! The flow of the story and the sequences of scenes are just perfectly put together. I cannot wait to finish the series. A must read!
Upon turning 16, her decision to switch virtuous factions throws Beatrice Prior into a world far separated from the one she's known, without her family or any indication of what's to come. Little does she know that her powerful ability to control her fears could become the key element that could rip the government's five factions apart. Though reminiscent of Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games, with a strong-willed female lead, Divergent is a story all its own, with unexpected twists and a lightning-fast speed that makes you crave more. The characters are deep, emotionally complex beings with untold back stories just itching to be revealed, and Beatrice's romantic relationship with one of them is sensual and sexy, but still appropriate for its intended audience. An addictive read with hopefully many sequels to come.
- T.C. Robson
BookNom - booknom.blogspot.com
- T.C. Robson
BookNom - booknom.blogspot.com
Good book, story was engaging and kept you turning the pages. Interesting way to see the world and how you are a part of it.
I liked this book, didn't love the ending though.
This is one of the best books!!! You can;t go wrong with reading these:)
I absolutely loved it. Kept me up at night to finish it even after already seeing the movie. Well written.
Reviewed by my 11 year old daughter, Katie:
After reading "The Hunger Games" I wanted to read another dystopian series. I saw several references that said this series was simalar. I was greatly disappointed to find that they are nothing alike. The characters do not have very much personality, and the main character was extremely annoying. She was whiny and unbearable. The story has some good ideas, but it was a bit over-the-top. There are factions, and if you fit into more than one faction, you are a threat to society. The antagonists are Erudite, the intelligent, the protagonists are Dauntless, a faction which causes chaos.
After reading "The Hunger Games" I wanted to read another dystopian series. I saw several references that said this series was simalar. I was greatly disappointed to find that they are nothing alike. The characters do not have very much personality, and the main character was extremely annoying. She was whiny and unbearable. The story has some good ideas, but it was a bit over-the-top. There are factions, and if you fit into more than one faction, you are a threat to society. The antagonists are Erudite, the intelligent, the protagonists are Dauntless, a faction which causes chaos.
I stumbled upon The Hunger Games trilogy in 2011, reluctantly read the first book despite the genre being one I generally don't tend towards but fell in love. It felt different and I was open to something different. I searched Good Reads for recommendations on the next book to read and the lovers of The Hunger Games consistently recommended Divergent. They were right! I read it in less than a week and was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't a regurgitation of The Hunger Games but something else fresh and new. I'm wondering if I'm now a true convert to this YA dystopian genre. Next up: Uglies.
Great story and written very well.
!! SPOILERS ALERT !!
Better than some other YA books I could name, and better than the movie. My review includes spoilers, especially for explaining what Divergent/divergence is.
Comparing the book to the movie, the book offered much-needed expansion of some key points: Tris decision, divergence, and the faction system. It made Tris decision seem less rash, Divergents less special-snowflake rare, and provides more insight to the faction system. Both the book and movie were focused on Tris training in the Dauntless faction, but it seemed even more prominent in the book, as if it took up 75% or more of the story. While thats good great even, as it helps show essential character building for Tris I wish the conflict at the end had been longer/more-depth.
Backtracking to the faction system for a bit. The factions are the trademark of the book, similar to The Hunger Games in The Hunger Games. Were told that the faction system was created to pursue and maintain peace. To this, my mind says, Huh? Purposefully separating/segregating people does not have a good record of inspiring lasting peace, so why would a city decide to remodel its whole society with that at its core?
Moving past that, you have the problem of divergence, another trademark of the book. Divergents are people that dont fit in one particular faction, and are considered a threat. Again, my mind says Huh? The majority of the population should be divergent. The idea of a human always being brave or selfless or honest is laughable. Most people would have traits from multiple factions, to a greater or lesser degree. Divergents were shown in the book to successfully pick and blend into factions, so why are they a threat? Do they have some biological immunity/quirk the simulation serum doesnt work right on them, which isnt explained - or telepathy or what? As far as I can tell, they just have more rounded personalities, which isnt very threatening.
As with most popular YA books, there is romance. Theres no love triangle, but the love-interest is a tad predictable: strong, masculine guy with a mysterious/haunting past. There are multiple antagonists, and while some may seem a bit shallow, they are at least given motivations of some sort and varying personalities.
Tris is a toss-up. She comes off as a bit more aggressive and badass than Katniss from The Hunger Games because she leans how to use weapons, and do hand-to-hand combat, and actually applies her skills. On the other hand, I get more special snowflake vibes from Tris, which makes me want to not like her and look for faults.
This book requires a lot of suspension of disbelief and not questioning things, which I found difficult. Between and the heavy focus of the initiation, it wasnt a bad book, but it wasnt a great one. I will read the sequel
Better than some other YA books I could name, and better than the movie. My review includes spoilers, especially for explaining what Divergent/divergence is.
Comparing the book to the movie, the book offered much-needed expansion of some key points: Tris decision, divergence, and the faction system. It made Tris decision seem less rash, Divergents less special-snowflake rare, and provides more insight to the faction system. Both the book and movie were focused on Tris training in the Dauntless faction, but it seemed even more prominent in the book, as if it took up 75% or more of the story. While thats good great even, as it helps show essential character building for Tris I wish the conflict at the end had been longer/more-depth.
Backtracking to the faction system for a bit. The factions are the trademark of the book, similar to The Hunger Games in The Hunger Games. Were told that the faction system was created to pursue and maintain peace. To this, my mind says, Huh? Purposefully separating/segregating people does not have a good record of inspiring lasting peace, so why would a city decide to remodel its whole society with that at its core?
Moving past that, you have the problem of divergence, another trademark of the book. Divergents are people that dont fit in one particular faction, and are considered a threat. Again, my mind says Huh? The majority of the population should be divergent. The idea of a human always being brave or selfless or honest is laughable. Most people would have traits from multiple factions, to a greater or lesser degree. Divergents were shown in the book to successfully pick and blend into factions, so why are they a threat? Do they have some biological immunity/quirk the simulation serum doesnt work right on them, which isnt explained - or telepathy or what? As far as I can tell, they just have more rounded personalities, which isnt very threatening.
As with most popular YA books, there is romance. Theres no love triangle, but the love-interest is a tad predictable: strong, masculine guy with a mysterious/haunting past. There are multiple antagonists, and while some may seem a bit shallow, they are at least given motivations of some sort and varying personalities.
Tris is a toss-up. She comes off as a bit more aggressive and badass than Katniss from The Hunger Games because she leans how to use weapons, and do hand-to-hand combat, and actually applies her skills. On the other hand, I get more special snowflake vibes from Tris, which makes me want to not like her and look for faults.
This book requires a lot of suspension of disbelief and not questioning things, which I found difficult. Between and the heavy focus of the initiation, it wasnt a bad book, but it wasnt a great one. I will read the sequel
Love this series!
fantastic!
!! SPOILER ALERT !!
Final rating: 3 stars. Better than some other YA books I could name, and better than the movie. The following review contains spoilers.
Comparing the book to the movie, the book offered much-needed expansion of some key points: Tris decision, divergence, and the faction system. It made Tris decision seem less rash, Divergents less special-snowflake rare, and provides more insight to the faction systrm. Both the book and movie were focused on Tris training in the Dauntless faction, but it seemed even more prominent in the book, as if it took up 75% or more of the story. While thats good great even, as it helps show essential character building for Tris I wish the conflict at the end had been longer/more-depth.
Backtracking to the faction system for a bit. The factions are the trademark of the book, similar to The Hunger Games in The Hunger Games. Were told that the faction system was created to pursue and maintain peace. To this, my mind says, Huh? Purposefully separating/segregating people does not have a good record of inspiring lasting peace, so why would a city decide to remodel its whole society with that at its core?
Moving past that, you have the problem of divergence, another trademark of the book. Divergents are people that dont fit in one particular faction, and are considered a threat. Again, my mind says Huh? The majority of the population should be divergent. The idea of a human always being brave, or always being selfless, or always being honest is laughable. Most people would have traits from multiple factions, to a greater or lesser degree. Divergents were shown in the book to successfully pick and blend into factions, so why are they a threat? Do they have some biological immunity/quirk the simulation serum doesnt work right on them, which isnt explained - or telepathy or what? As far as I can tell, they just have more rounded personalities, which isnt very threatening.
As with most popular YA books, there is romance. Theres no love triangle, but the love-interest is a tad predictable: strong, masculine guy with a mysterious/haunting past. There are multiple antagonists, and while some may seem a bit shallow, they are at least given motivations of some sort and varying personalities.
Tris is a toss-up. She comes off as a bit more aggressive and badass than Katniss from The Hunger Games because she leans how to use weapons, and do hand-to-hand combat, and actually applies her skills. On the other hand, I get more special snowflake vibes from Tris, which makes me want to not like her and look for faults.
This book requires a lot of suspension of disbelief and not questioning things, which I found difficult. Between and the heavy focus of the initiation, it wasnt a bad book, but it wasnt a great one. I will read the sequel.
Final rating: 3 stars. Better than some other YA books I could name, and better than the movie. The following review contains spoilers.
Comparing the book to the movie, the book offered much-needed expansion of some key points: Tris decision, divergence, and the faction system. It made Tris decision seem less rash, Divergents less special-snowflake rare, and provides more insight to the faction systrm. Both the book and movie were focused on Tris training in the Dauntless faction, but it seemed even more prominent in the book, as if it took up 75% or more of the story. While thats good great even, as it helps show essential character building for Tris I wish the conflict at the end had been longer/more-depth.
Backtracking to the faction system for a bit. The factions are the trademark of the book, similar to The Hunger Games in The Hunger Games. Were told that the faction system was created to pursue and maintain peace. To this, my mind says, Huh? Purposefully separating/segregating people does not have a good record of inspiring lasting peace, so why would a city decide to remodel its whole society with that at its core?
Moving past that, you have the problem of divergence, another trademark of the book. Divergents are people that dont fit in one particular faction, and are considered a threat. Again, my mind says Huh? The majority of the population should be divergent. The idea of a human always being brave, or always being selfless, or always being honest is laughable. Most people would have traits from multiple factions, to a greater or lesser degree. Divergents were shown in the book to successfully pick and blend into factions, so why are they a threat? Do they have some biological immunity/quirk the simulation serum doesnt work right on them, which isnt explained - or telepathy or what? As far as I can tell, they just have more rounded personalities, which isnt very threatening.
As with most popular YA books, there is romance. Theres no love triangle, but the love-interest is a tad predictable: strong, masculine guy with a mysterious/haunting past. There are multiple antagonists, and while some may seem a bit shallow, they are at least given motivations of some sort and varying personalities.
Tris is a toss-up. She comes off as a bit more aggressive and badass than Katniss from The Hunger Games because she leans how to use weapons, and do hand-to-hand combat, and actually applies her skills. On the other hand, I get more special snowflake vibes from Tris, which makes me want to not like her and look for faults.
This book requires a lot of suspension of disbelief and not questioning things, which I found difficult. Between and the heavy focus of the initiation, it wasnt a bad book, but it wasnt a great one. I will read the sequel.
Divergent is the amazing beginning to the trilogy. You follow the story of Tris as she makes the toughest decision of her life yet. Which faction to choose. I love the way Veronica Roth shows that Tris has a fire burning within her but she also has a soft side. I also like how Tris is learning to have relationships with her new faction as relationships were pretty much shunned in Abnegation. It is a must read, but you cannot stop there! You need to read all three. Plus the character Four is amazing!
Divergent is the first book in the Divergent Trilogy. It sounded reminiscent of the Hunger Games which is why it was on my "to read" list. Then my 12 year old wanted to read it for school so I thought I'd better get a move on and check it out. It was fantastic!
This story is another from the dystopian genre where the futuristic world is quite different from what it is today. There are five factions where people live and each faction has its own style of people - each person conforms to the personality of the society (faction) in which they live. At the age of 16, each person gets tested to see which faction he/she is best suited for but ultimately gets to choose his/her faction. The rest of his/her life is dependent upon this one choice.
Beatrice (later named Tris) is the heroine of the book and represents another strong, smart, confident protagonist (much like Katniss in the Hunger Games.) As she nears the end of initiation for her chosen faction, an uprising occurs that sends her and those she loves and hates into a fight for survival. This book is full of suspense, action, betrayal, and a touch of romance.
I highly recommend this book!
This story is another from the dystopian genre where the futuristic world is quite different from what it is today. There are five factions where people live and each faction has its own style of people - each person conforms to the personality of the society (faction) in which they live. At the age of 16, each person gets tested to see which faction he/she is best suited for but ultimately gets to choose his/her faction. The rest of his/her life is dependent upon this one choice.
Beatrice (later named Tris) is the heroine of the book and represents another strong, smart, confident protagonist (much like Katniss in the Hunger Games.) As she nears the end of initiation for her chosen faction, an uprising occurs that sends her and those she loves and hates into a fight for survival. This book is full of suspense, action, betrayal, and a touch of romance.
I highly recommend this book!
This is Book 1 of the Divergent trilogy.
There are many comparisons made between this series and The Hunger Games trilogy, but there are actually very few similarities other than the post-apocalyptic setting and that the main character is a girl. In reading the author's notes, I was not surprised to see that one of her favorite books was The Giver by Lois Lowry. Divergent is like The Giver on steroids, and I have to give Mrs. Roth credit for building a very interesting world and for creating an interesting story.
In all, I liked the book. It was a teen book that was grown up enough for adults to enjoy, although I did find some of the teen angst and whining a little excessive (and annoying). I thought that the characters were pretty well developed, the pacing was swift, and the plot was interesting. Roth struck a good balance between fantasy and reality by placing her dystopian society in the ruins of Chicago, thus giving a sense of solidity and familiarity to an otherwise unfamiliar world.
Four was my favorite character. He possessed a mystery, depth, and quiet strength that was realistic but not overdone. Tris was likable (most of the time) but there was much about her that I didn't necessarily understand. Sh was portrayed as being strong and weak, confident and insecure, desirable yet unattractive, decisive yet whiny... She was harder to define, but not necessarily in a good way. I wanted to like her and identify with her and cheer for her, but more often than not I just found her annoying.
In all, this was an enjoyable book with interesting characters and an entertaining world. It is apparent that the first book has only begun to scratch the surface regarding the secrets, conspiracies, and power struggles that are brewing within this strange society. I am looking forward to seeing what happens next.
There are many comparisons made between this series and The Hunger Games trilogy, but there are actually very few similarities other than the post-apocalyptic setting and that the main character is a girl. In reading the author's notes, I was not surprised to see that one of her favorite books was The Giver by Lois Lowry. Divergent is like The Giver on steroids, and I have to give Mrs. Roth credit for building a very interesting world and for creating an interesting story.
In all, I liked the book. It was a teen book that was grown up enough for adults to enjoy, although I did find some of the teen angst and whining a little excessive (and annoying). I thought that the characters were pretty well developed, the pacing was swift, and the plot was interesting. Roth struck a good balance between fantasy and reality by placing her dystopian society in the ruins of Chicago, thus giving a sense of solidity and familiarity to an otherwise unfamiliar world.
Four was my favorite character. He possessed a mystery, depth, and quiet strength that was realistic but not overdone. Tris was likable (most of the time) but there was much about her that I didn't necessarily understand. Sh was portrayed as being strong and weak, confident and insecure, desirable yet unattractive, decisive yet whiny... She was harder to define, but not necessarily in a good way. I wanted to like her and identify with her and cheer for her, but more often than not I just found her annoying.
In all, this was an enjoyable book with interesting characters and an entertaining world. It is apparent that the first book has only begun to scratch the surface regarding the secrets, conspiracies, and power struggles that are brewing within this strange society. I am looking forward to seeing what happens next.
Contrary to what I expected given the very simple writing, this story moves quickly. Be advised that much of it is quite brutal.
Roth handles several coming-of-age issues with appreciable sophistication. The concept is original; the general storyline, not so much. Overall, though, I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading the sequel.
Roth handles several coming-of-age issues with appreciable sophistication. The concept is original; the general storyline, not so much. Overall, though, I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading the sequel.
YA lit. seems to have its trends, and the shift has gone from vampires to dystopian societies with female heroines. I didn't think that I would be a huge fan on this theme, but I devoured the Hunger Games series, Match and now Divergent. There was a bit of buzz this summer as talk began about the movie coming out in the spring of 2014. I knew that my students would be talking about it, so I wanted to get a jump start on this soon-to-be trilogy (the third book in the series is due to be released on Oct. 22). I have to say that I loved this book. It was well written, action-packed, suspenseful, and contained developed and complex characters. Tris, the main character, is reminiscent of Katniss Everdeen, as she must use her inner strength to defend herself, her family, and a dangerous secret that she must protect in order to save her life and those that love her. Like the Hunger Games, Divergent can be a bit violent, so I recommend this book for audiences 13 years and up, but many of my sixth graders have already read it.
Divergent is a much talked about book in many circles these days, one I was a little reluctant to read but put it on my library hold list nonetheless. There is a lot of great YA dystopian fiction out there right now, so I tend to ask myself if I should really pick a new series up or not, because being on trend doesnt necessarily mean its actually a good book. While I wouldnt classify this as my favorite in the genre, its still a solid book and I was quite entertained while reading it.
We get to meet Beatrice basically on the day of her aptitude test, the first step to shaping the rest of her life. She is conflicted about what faction shell choose from the start, hoping the test will help make it more clear to her, which sadly doesnt happen. To me, its her first harsh lesson of many to come even if you think something might help you make a decision, you really need to be prepared to make it on your own.
To read the rest of my review, please visit my blog.
We get to meet Beatrice basically on the day of her aptitude test, the first step to shaping the rest of her life. She is conflicted about what faction shell choose from the start, hoping the test will help make it more clear to her, which sadly doesnt happen. To me, its her first harsh lesson of many to come even if you think something might help you make a decision, you really need to be prepared to make it on your own.
To read the rest of my review, please visit my blog.
I could not put this book down until it was finished. The story moves quickly, but the descriptions are rich. Read this book.
Review first published on my blog: http://memoriesfrombooks.blogspot.com/2013/12/divergent.html
Beatrice Prior lives in Chicago - a dystopian Chicago of the future. The society has been divided into factions based on certain personality characteristics and the development of that characteristic.
Abnegation focuses on being selfless. Amity focuses on remaining peaceful. Candor focuses on valuing honesty. Erudite focuses on learning. The Dauntless are the brave.
At age 16, all children of all factions are tested to determine the appropriate faction choice. Then, they are allowed to choose.
Beatrice is born into Abnegation, but on her sixteenth birthday, makes a surprising choice to leave her family. What follows is her trial period and training for her new faction. Along the way comes rumblings of dissatisfaction among the factions, and ideas that perhaps things should be different. Choices made impact Beatrice's future, her family, and perhaps the future of the society as a whole.
The target audience for this book is the young adult market. This story is engaging and entertaining. It certainly pulls you in and is action packed. The plot line for this book is very brief, occurring at the beginning when Beatrice makes her choice and towards the end - which I won't say to avoid a spoiler. The remainder of the book is focused on the often violent, competitive training for Beatrice and her group of initiates.
The action, and the sometimes violent descriptions of the action, take over the story. These sequences become the center point of the book rather than the plot line. That, for me, was the difficult part of the book. I am interested enough to read book 2 to see if and how the story develops further, but I hope that the following books focus more on a plot.
Beatrice Prior lives in Chicago - a dystopian Chicago of the future. The society has been divided into factions based on certain personality characteristics and the development of that characteristic.
Abnegation focuses on being selfless. Amity focuses on remaining peaceful. Candor focuses on valuing honesty. Erudite focuses on learning. The Dauntless are the brave.
At age 16, all children of all factions are tested to determine the appropriate faction choice. Then, they are allowed to choose.
Beatrice is born into Abnegation, but on her sixteenth birthday, makes a surprising choice to leave her family. What follows is her trial period and training for her new faction. Along the way comes rumblings of dissatisfaction among the factions, and ideas that perhaps things should be different. Choices made impact Beatrice's future, her family, and perhaps the future of the society as a whole.
The target audience for this book is the young adult market. This story is engaging and entertaining. It certainly pulls you in and is action packed. The plot line for this book is very brief, occurring at the beginning when Beatrice makes her choice and towards the end - which I won't say to avoid a spoiler. The remainder of the book is focused on the often violent, competitive training for Beatrice and her group of initiates.
The action, and the sometimes violent descriptions of the action, take over the story. These sequences become the center point of the book rather than the plot line. That, for me, was the difficult part of the book. I am interested enough to read book 2 to see if and how the story develops further, but I hope that the following books focus more on a plot.
An excellent young adult novel telling the tale of a 16 year old young woman in a dystopian future Chicago. She confronts change, love, death, friendship, enemies, fear, and hand holding. The story is exciting and absorbing and I enjoyed it as much as my 6th grader. There is a love story element, which is a through-line in the book but it is very young love with discreet touching (hand holding) and some kissing.
My real complaint about this book is the ending. It just abruptly ends and nothing is really resolved. Be prepared and just have the second book on hand because it will drive you nuts to wait and find out what happens.
My real complaint about this book is the ending. It just abruptly ends and nothing is really resolved. Be prepared and just have the second book on hand because it will drive you nuts to wait and find out what happens.
Excellent story with periodic surprises and twists throughout. Excited about the next book.
surprisingly good. Can't wait to read "Insurgent"
Love it!!!
Wonderful book! Absolutely loved it!
This book. . .I barely wanted to put it down.
Beatrice grew up in the Abnegation faction (think Amish people). They are very plain and selfless people who care for each other and those in need. But Beatrice and her brother Caleb are now going to take a test to see which of the 5 factions they best belong in. They will chose to stay with their family, or move into another faction, separating themselves from their family forever. What will Beatrice choose?
I really enjoyed this book and was glad I finally read it, after having it on my to-read list for a good 2-3 years. At first I was thinking it was a lot like The Hunger Games, and I saw some similarities in the beginning, but it still held as unique and different. I felt I was able to connect well to the characters in it, though at times there were actions that threw me for loops and made me go, "What?"
Either way, this story was well done and I look forward to reading the rest soon! I am glad there was no language of profanities in it. There were some make-out scenes in it, but thankfully it wasn't raunchy.
Beatrice grew up in the Abnegation faction (think Amish people). They are very plain and selfless people who care for each other and those in need. But Beatrice and her brother Caleb are now going to take a test to see which of the 5 factions they best belong in. They will chose to stay with their family, or move into another faction, separating themselves from their family forever. What will Beatrice choose?
I really enjoyed this book and was glad I finally read it, after having it on my to-read list for a good 2-3 years. At first I was thinking it was a lot like The Hunger Games, and I saw some similarities in the beginning, but it still held as unique and different. I felt I was able to connect well to the characters in it, though at times there were actions that threw me for loops and made me go, "What?"
Either way, this story was well done and I look forward to reading the rest soon! I am glad there was no language of profanities in it. There were some make-out scenes in it, but thankfully it wasn't raunchy.
Contrary to what I expected given the very simple writing, this story moves quickly. Be advised that much of it is quite brutal.
Roth handles several coming-of-age issues with appreciable sophistication. The concept is original; the general storyline, not so much. Overall, though, I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading the sequel.
Roth handles several coming-of-age issues with appreciable sophistication. The concept is original; the general storyline, not so much. Overall, though, I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading the sequel.
Great Book. Young Adults really love this book. Our copy is part of a Senior English Teacher's classroom library. It's called 'keep em reading'. :)
Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com
Beatrice lives in a world controlled by five factions. At the age of sixteen, the entire class must take a test to determine which faction is the best fit. Beatrice's test is inconclusive - she's a Divergent. Beatrice can't tell anyone about her testing. Instead, she goes home.
The next day, the ceremony takes place where the teens formally announce their faction choices. Beatrice takes everyone by surprise when she chooses Dauntless (the faction for bravery) instead of her own faction of Abnegation (who values selflessness).
At first, Beatrice isn't sure what life will be like. She doesn't expect learning how to shoot a gun, being taught how to fight against the other potential Dauntless initiates, or being forced to face her fears.
While keeping her secret about being a Divergent, Tris (she renamed herself after choosing Dauntless) learns that not everything is as it seems. As she sees more and more horror, she begins to question the Dauntless and the other factions. Is there something deeper happening in her world?
This first novel by Veronica Roth is a fast-paced, addicting read that pulls you in from the beginning and doesn't let go. It's a long but intense read; a perfect debut filled with tension, action, danger, family disappointment, friendships, loyalty, rule-breaking, and a little bit of romance.
I'm already looking forward to what happens next, as DIVERGENT ends with you needing more!
Beatrice lives in a world controlled by five factions. At the age of sixteen, the entire class must take a test to determine which faction is the best fit. Beatrice's test is inconclusive - she's a Divergent. Beatrice can't tell anyone about her testing. Instead, she goes home.
The next day, the ceremony takes place where the teens formally announce their faction choices. Beatrice takes everyone by surprise when she chooses Dauntless (the faction for bravery) instead of her own faction of Abnegation (who values selflessness).
At first, Beatrice isn't sure what life will be like. She doesn't expect learning how to shoot a gun, being taught how to fight against the other potential Dauntless initiates, or being forced to face her fears.
While keeping her secret about being a Divergent, Tris (she renamed herself after choosing Dauntless) learns that not everything is as it seems. As she sees more and more horror, she begins to question the Dauntless and the other factions. Is there something deeper happening in her world?
This first novel by Veronica Roth is a fast-paced, addicting read that pulls you in from the beginning and doesn't let go. It's a long but intense read; a perfect debut filled with tension, action, danger, family disappointment, friendships, loyalty, rule-breaking, and a little bit of romance.
I'm already looking forward to what happens next, as DIVERGENT ends with you needing more!
Divergent was an amazing debut novel by author Veronica Roth! I truly enjoyed it! It has everything...interesting characters, twists and turns in the plot here and there, and so much more! Despite some major errors with the world-building, I found it to be a practically perfect read!
Our book is set in future dystopian Chicago. The world is now divided into five factions based on your personality traits. These five factions are:
On one day each year, every 16-year-old decides for themselves which faction they wish to be in for the rest of their lives. Our story follows Beatrice Prior on her sixteenth birthday. She must decide if she wishes to stay loyal to her Abnegation family or become the person she is meant to be - someone Dauntless.
What if you possess more than one personality trait? What if you're a normal person and are kind, honest, brave, selfless, and intelligent all crammed into one?
ALERT! ALERT! You're Divergent!
How can someone be just one personality trait? It's impossible! Wouldn't everyone be Divergent? The idea is superb and overly brilliant, but it's truly unrealistic. The author never explains how this is possible.
And I think that's virtually my only problem with the story. The world-building simply didn't make sense to me. If there was a little more information on how the world was created and how it's possible for everyone to only have one personality trait, than this book would be a definite 5-star read.
As for the writing? It's beautiful, superb even. Veronica Roth does a wonderful job inserting so many sensory details into the story - it's truly eloquent. I could literally visualize all the fight scenes in my head, I could hear the crashing of the swords during the Dauntless training sessions - it was top-notch. First person present tense is definitely not the easiest tense to write in, but Roth writes so beautifully, so eloquently that she makes writing look virtually effortless, and I admired that about her writing.
The sentences didn't seem choppy or incomplete; they were all so complex and thought-out. Each sentence Roth writes is in the book for a reason, and I loved her simplistic, yet complex, writing style.
However, at some points the writing reminded me just a tad too much of the writing in the trilogy (that trilogy being [book:The Hunger Games|2767052]). However, this fact was easy to overlook because Roth simply wrote beautifully.
The book consisted of well-developed, multi-dementional characters - most of which I learned to love. One of my favorite things about Divergent was that there was so much character development in it! Each and every character - down to even the smallest of secondary characters - were well developed and, to put it simply, had so much depth within them.
I really liked Tris - I enjoyed her as both a protagonist and a person. She truly never gives in, and I just could not stop rooting for her! She was truly butt-kicking!
Aside from our main character Tris, there are lots of interesting secondary characters as well. I really enjoyed reading about characters such as Christina, Mr. and Mrs. Prior, Four, and Caleb. They too had so much depth and personality that they felt like real people to me - despite them being secondary characters.
I didn't really have many problems with the romance between Four and Tris. It certainly wasn't my favorite aspect of the book, but it wasn't my least favorite aspect either(* cough * the world-building * cough). I enjoyed how there was no love triangle in the story, and that the romance didn't overpower the story as a whole. However, I would still like to find a YA dystopia without a romance...
All in all, despite its world-building flaws, I really did enjoy Divergent. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire 487 pages, and I cannot wait to finish the series! (The last 150 pages were totally action-packed and I loved them!)
But, would I recommend this book? My answer would be yes. Even though it has a multitude of world-building-related flaws, it is still a highly entertaining and enjoyable read. However, if you do decide to read it, you should consider turning off your brain to help you get past the elements of the story containing poor world-building.
We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another.The plot of Divergent was creative and original and I really enjoyed it! The premise is fresh, and unlike anything I've ever seen before, and I quite liked it! Veronica Roth truly lets her imagination soar while she writes, and I quite liked seeing her talents at their highest potential.
Our book is set in future dystopian Chicago. The world is now divided into five factions based on your personality traits. These five factions are:
On one day each year, every 16-year-old decides for themselves which faction they wish to be in for the rest of their lives. Our story follows Beatrice Prior on her sixteenth birthday. She must decide if she wishes to stay loyal to her Abnegation family or become the person she is meant to be - someone Dauntless.
What if you possess more than one personality trait? What if you're a normal person and are kind, honest, brave, selfless, and intelligent all crammed into one?
ALERT! ALERT! You're Divergent!
How can someone be just one personality trait? It's impossible! Wouldn't everyone be Divergent? The idea is superb and overly brilliant, but it's truly unrealistic. The author never explains how this is possible.
And I think that's virtually my only problem with the story. The world-building simply didn't make sense to me. If there was a little more information on how the world was created and how it's possible for everyone to only have one personality trait, than this book would be a definite 5-star read.
As for the writing? It's beautiful, superb even. Veronica Roth does a wonderful job inserting so many sensory details into the story - it's truly eloquent. I could literally visualize all the fight scenes in my head, I could hear the crashing of the swords during the Dauntless training sessions - it was top-notch. First person present tense is definitely not the easiest tense to write in, but Roth writes so beautifully, so eloquently that she makes writing look virtually effortless, and I admired that about her writing.
The sentences didn't seem choppy or incomplete; they were all so complex and thought-out. Each sentence Roth writes is in the book for a reason, and I loved her simplistic, yet complex, writing style.
However, at some points the writing reminded me just a tad too much of the writing in the trilogy (that trilogy being [book:The Hunger Games|2767052]). However, this fact was easy to overlook because Roth simply wrote beautifully.
The book consisted of well-developed, multi-dementional characters - most of which I learned to love. One of my favorite things about Divergent was that there was so much character development in it! Each and every character - down to even the smallest of secondary characters - were well developed and, to put it simply, had so much depth within them.
I really liked Tris - I enjoyed her as both a protagonist and a person. She truly never gives in, and I just could not stop rooting for her! She was truly butt-kicking!
Aside from our main character Tris, there are lots of interesting secondary characters as well. I really enjoyed reading about characters such as Christina, Mr. and Mrs. Prior, Four, and Caleb. They too had so much depth and personality that they felt like real people to me - despite them being secondary characters.
I didn't really have many problems with the romance between Four and Tris. It certainly wasn't my favorite aspect of the book, but it wasn't my least favorite aspect either
All in all, despite its world-building flaws, I really did enjoy Divergent. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire 487 pages, and I cannot wait to finish the series! (The last 150 pages were totally action-packed and I loved them!)
But, would I recommend this book? My answer would be yes. Even though it has a multitude of world-building-related flaws, it is still a highly entertaining and enjoyable read. However, if you do decide to read it, you should consider turning off your brain to help you get past the elements of the story containing poor world-building.
