Divergent Review

Divergent
by Veronica Roth
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

I would not suggest starting this book if you have things to do that require you to be productive. I would've finished it in one sitting if it wasn't for the fact that I had to go to school the next morning. I had a dream about this book. I can't remember that ever happening before, unless I had a dream about Harry Potter that I don't recall off the top of my head. I actually dragged on reading it for a bit because I didn't want it to be over so fast. I also afraid that there was going to be a big cliffhanger before the next book.

Before the Choosing Ceremony, I was wondering which faction Tris would choose. She didn't really seem to fit perfectly into any of them. I was actually surprised by her choice, but when she got there I realized it was exactly the right faction for her.

I love Four and his relationship with Tris. It's a very nice break from the typical "knight in shining armor/damsel in distress" couples. I just really, really love Four. And then there's Eric. I don't think I've ever hated a character so much. Not because he's a badly written character, exactly the opposite. He's evil. Also Jeanine. And Marcus.

Overall: 10/10 I can't wait for the next installment so I can find out what's happening to Tris and Four next. Also, I think I'd be in Erudite if I had to choose.

****SPOILER WARNING****

Just a couple spoilery things I wanted to talk about. First, I feel like I should have seen it coming that Four is Tobias, but I was surprised. I liked it.

And there was one thing that bothered me in the whole story. I had trouble suspending disbelief that Tris was able to run around doing all that stuff after she got shot, lost a lot of blood, and almost drowned.

Comments

LM Preston said…
Wow! A 10 out of 10! You have my fingers itching for this one.
June 3, 2011 at 5:42 PM
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