Divergent

My daughter has to read this book for school and was not excited about it.So I bought two copies and told her I would read it with her. I'm done reading it and almost finished with the second book in the series. I love this series so far between this and the second book.The first book is definitely the best. I also watched the movie after finishing this book and by far. The book is a 100% better. The movie left so much out so if you've only seen the movie and you're thinking about reading the book and you enjoy reading, do yourself a favor and absolutely read the book. The movie didn't have any of the internal monolog that Tris had throughout the book. I could not put the book down.

I was a fan of dystopian fiction nearly two decades before the awesomeness that is Katniss Everdeen came along to knock Bella Swan’s pathetic ass off the YA bestseller charts. As is generally the case when a genre I quietly enjoy becomes the latest fad – and yes, this has happened to me more than once – I regard the bumper crop of new arrivals with a combination of excitement and skepticism. Veronica Roth’s “Divergent” had been on my Amazon wish list for several months, and although I thought it sounded intriguing, I also thought it sounded a bit gimmicky. Since it seemed to be selling well enough, I figured I’d grab a copy in a year or two when this year’s fad reads turn up on the shelves at Goodwill. There was no sense of urgency about it – until I learned the movie was coming out. I have a lifelong policy of never seeing a movie based on a book unless I’ve read the book first, and since my husband and I have a standing Tuesday-night movie date, it’s not at all unusual that a book skyrockets up my to-read list thanks to a Coming Attractions poster.Some books are so amazing that I put them down thinking it almost doesn’t matter anymore if the movie is any good, or even if I get to see it at all; I’m just grateful that it was made because otherwise, in a world of so many books and so little time, who knows how long it would have been before I got around to reading that particular one. “Divergent” wasn’t quite that good, but it was good enough to drive my casual excitement regarding the movie to a mild fever pitch. Before I even finished the novel, I downloaded a free e-book full of brightly colored stills from the film and studied them so I could better picture the characters and settings as I read. I’ve taken probably a dozen online “What’s Your ‘Divergent’ Faction?” quizzes, I’ve checked out some of the music from the soundtrack, I’m even trying to talk myself out of wearing Erudite blue and putting my hair up into a schoolmarmish bun when I go see the film. Really, fangirl much?“Divergent” is the kind of novel it’s easy and fun to get really, really excited about. The premise of a society divided into factions according to personality traits is a bit implausible, perhaps, but then again, I’ve spent my whole life daydreaming about a world where I could surround myself with “my kind,” and I imagine I’m not the only one. In Roth’s futuristic Chicago, everyone decides at the age of sixteen which personality trait s/he wants to define the rest of his or her life: selflessness (Abnegation), kindness (Amity), honesty (Candor), courage (Dauntless), or intellect (Erudite). Her protagonist, Beatrice “Tris” Prior, isn’t quite sure that she belongs in Abnegation, the faction in which she was raised, but the virtual-reality “aptitude test” that she hopes will tell her where she belongs only complicates matters. It turns out that Tris has roughly equal aptitude for life in Abnegation, Dauntless, or Erudite. Tris had never known such an inconclusive result was possible – but immediately she learns that there’s something dangerous about being “Divergent,” something that could get her killed for reasons she won’t begin to understand for several hundred pages yet.I was a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to relate to Tris as a character, knowing in advance that she was going to choose to join the Dauntless faction – the one faction for which I personally have no aptitude whatsoever, at least none that wouldn’t better qualify me for Abnegation or Candor. Of course, some of my favorite heroines have in abundance the kind of physical strength, emotional resilience, and mental toughness that the Dauntless prize – but they tend to be hardscrabble survivors like Katniss or mystical “Chosen Ones” like Buffy Summers. It is choice, not necessity or the Powers That Be, that has Tris jumping off moving trains and the roofs of buildings, practicing hand-to-hand combat, getting multiple tattoos - so I wasn’t sure I would feel much of a connection to this young thrill-seeker. I needn’t have worried. Beatrice Prior is a fully-realized, multidimensional character; Roth doesn’t just tell us what it means to be Divergent, she shows us. Having aptitude for multiple factions makes it harder to adapt to any one in particular. Although the action sequences in this novel are varied and thrilling, the real excitement here is in Tris’s psychological journey, as she discovers not only strength and selflessness and courage she never imagined she had, but also cruelty and vulnerability. There’s romance, here, too, and it manages to be exciting and sweet without ever dominating the plot. And although Tris’s love interest is much too young for my tastes – and heck, he would have been much too young for my tastes even when I was Tris’s age – I can’t help having just the slightest little bit of a crush on him.The premise couldn’t quite suspend my disbelief – really, is it reasonable that faction leaders would expect initiat...

I don't even know where to begin with my love of this book. I first read Divergent on September 3, 2011. Yes, I read it in one day I just couldn't put it down. And since then I have read twice more, once in April of 2012 and then again in March of 2013. Three reads, one day to read the book each time, it is that good. I don't even remember to eat when I'm reading it that's how wrapped up I get even knowing how it will end. Really there is no other word to describe Divergent other than masterful. It's simple masterful!Divergent is a story that takes place in dystopian Chicago about 16 year old Beatrice Prior. The world has been divided into five factions and when kids are 16 they must take an aptitude test to determine if they should stay in the faction they were born into or choose a new one. Beatrice struggles with her decision and when she makes a choice she is faced with a highly challenging initiation that she must complete in order to not end up factionless. She changes her name to Tris and embarks on a journey that will not only change her but the world around her and everyone she knows, including her hot trainer Four that she can't seem to get out of her head. When it comes down to it Tris will have some tough decisions to make and the world's fate may just rest of her tiny shoulders.FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC! Roth wrote a genius novel about typical teenage thoughts and emotions and threw them into this amazing dystopian Chicago and made it all believable! Every single page had meaning in it and completely enthralls a reader. Because when you look at the bare basics of the story, take out the factions, take out "Chicago" take out initiations and all you have is a teenage girl that is growing up. Brave at times, selfish at times, uncertain at times. You have Tris that is skittish around boys and around her feelings and her emotions. You have a girl that grows into her own skin. You have a typical teenager. And really I think that is why I part of me ♥ Tris so much. Sure she is strong but she is vulnerable and is unsure of her place anywhere which is what teens go through on a daily basis. Basically Tris' experience in the initiation as a hardcore puberty/growing-up and it is pure awesomeness! One of the best female leads in a book by far. Very few compare to her in my eyes and that is a testament to Roth's talent.Now in every good book where there is a good female lead you need a good male to counter the female. And let me tell you Divergent isn't lacking with the perfect counter for Tris. Ah Four...he just makes me want to sigh and smile and be hugged by him. Absolutely perfect male lead for this series. I honestly can't think of anything better than him for a book of this caliber. He is definitely tough and a hard shell to crack, but when that shell is cracked you can tell he cares with his whole heart because he really is a softy but had to make himself to survive. His interactions with Tris are so fired with energy you kind of need to fan yourself even if nothing is going on. It's hard to write chemistry and yet that is exactly what Roth has done for these remarkable characters.And did I mention the story and the action? There is something going on at every corner whether it be the physicality of the initiation, the drama of the initiates, or the navigation of relationships. There is never a dull moment but there also isn't any clutter either. Sure a lot is happening at once but it is paced in a way that makes sense and lays out the story and series in the best way possible. Even in an end that could have seem abrupt in some books, appears to be even paced and well thought out.Basically Divergent is one big gush fest of awesome! Veronica Roth is awesome! Tris is awesome! Four is awesome! The secondary characters that aren't all secondary are awesome! Divergent is awesome! Like I said, one big love fest of awesome. NOW READ IT IF YOU HAVEN'T!

Divergent is a straight-forward young adult drama-turned-action utopian story set in the near future. It has been oft compared to The Hunger Games, and that is a fair comparison if only for the fact that it involves a supposedly-perfect society in the future and centers around an adolescent girl with blooming, previously unknown potential.The story takes place at some undefined time in the future in a `fallen-and-restored' version of Chicago, Illinois (this is never expressly clarified, but the hints are there. Plus, it's the author's home city). In this society, there are five factions or sub-cultures within the culture, each with their own traits and chosen ways of life. The factions each have elders that make decisions for all the people as a whole, though there is no president or sole person in charge. When a child turns sixteen, he or she is tested for what faction they would best fit into, which may or may not be the faction they were born in. The test results are only for evaluation and reference, as the child still has the option of staying in their home faction or moving on to another, regardless of suggestion.The book opens with Beatrice on her testing day, and the faction-choosing day that follows. This, if you hadn't guessed, is where things take a turn from the norm. It's also where this `Divergent' term comes in, but I shan't ruin that part.To be honest, the plot takes a little while to get moving, even after Beatrice chooses her faction and begins training. If the book has one flaw, it is the author's lack of detail. When I sit down to read a `sci-fi' novel describing a version of humanity's future that differs greatly from our present, I want to know, in at least moderate detail, how things are different. What advances have been made technologically to improve life? What does the architecture look like? How do people dress? A small amount of this information is revealed as the story progresses, but I failed to get an accurate, overall picture of what this future really looked and felt like because the plot is largely dialogue-driven. Through the speech, one gets hints of the surroundings and situation of life, but the scenes are frustratingly acute in their focus.I realize that this is, after all, a novel written primarily for teens, so you may perceive I'm expecting too much from a young adult novel and feel tempted to suggest I go read some Tolkien. I understand that; I'm saying the lack of detail is blaring in this story, and it was a bummer because it could have been stellar. Other readers may not be so bothered by it.Alright, on to the good stuff: the plot is pretty original, or at least it tries to be. It would be hard to be completely original in the wake of books like 1984 or Brave New World, as most books of this sort of kind of trickle-down copies of one of those, including The Hunger Games. But Roth still makes it fun to read, and once you really become familiar with the different factions and what they stand for, their society (and it's flaws) start to gain some depth. The characters are enjoyable and diverse, especially the chemistry between Beatrice and a faction trainer named Four.This book has been criticized for it's violence, but I did not find it to be excessive or unnecessary. There is no more violent content than can be found in the later Harry Potter books or Hunger Games. Plus, it's presence in the story is tasteful and makes for compelling action. Additionally, the `simulation' scenes, in which characters literally face their fears in a virtual-reality type setting, are among the most creative and exciting sections of the book. They are intense, widely varying, and some are undeniably creepy.I got the feeling that there is something big and weighty buried beneath the subtext of this book; something larger than the lives of these kids in factions, something that could shake their reality forever. This is the first of three books, so I reckon that the author is building up to something epic which will unfold later. Divergent does have an ending of it's own with an exciting climax, and while it doesn't exactly end on a cliffhanger, there are definitely some threads intentionally left unconnected. Also, the villains (the ones who aren't blatantly obvious) are being hinted at all through the book, but never fully acknowledged, so I'm sure they will come into play later as well.For what it is, Divergent is a good book full of interesting ideas, a writing style that is easy to read, and events that keep one tearing through large chunks in one sitting and coming back for more. A fun little piece of escapism with promise of greater things to come.

Ten Likes/Dislikes:1. (+) Tris, the Protagonist - Even when Tris is doing something that's kind of vicious, I was still rooting for her. Maybe it's because she's small and from the most hated faction, and I love cheering for the underdog. Or maybe it's because she's tough and doesn't break despite the s*** she has to endure, and I wish I had that sort of fire and courage. Or maybe it's just everything about her--her view of the world, the way she develops and matures, etc. Tris is a strong female protagonist that readers will love.2. (+) The Story Idea - This sort of reminds me of Harry Potter and how people would sort themselves into different houses, but the idea of separating society based on virtues is still fascinating to me, and something to which I think everybody could relate. And I could see how such a society could quickly lose sight of what its original goals were. Roth did a good job developing this.3. (+) Twists and Turns - Let's just say I was surprised by some things. And I couldn't stop reading Divergent (which brings me to my next point...).4. (+) The Writing/Pacing - The writing is simple and beautiful, which makes the pacing of the book appropriate. I worried that since it's close to 500 pages, it would be a slow read but not at all! It was an engrossing story.5. (+) Novel Feels Complete - I hate it when novels end on cliffhangers. Granted, this has a cliffhanger in that you don't really know what happens next, but that's to be expected with a dystopian novel (s*** happens, society falls apart, etc.). When I say Divergent feels complete, I mean that this novel could stand-alone and it would still be one of my favorite reads of 2011.6. (+) The Romance - Sometimes I take issue with YA novels that have characters that fall in love easily... but this isn't easy. Tris and her romantic interest face their fears together and (Tris especially) have everything they've known challenged. It's believable and endearing. I loved that the her romantic interests likes Tris for her--not because she's pretty but because she's fierce and independent. I also loved that Roth didn't completely describe the romantic interest--just a few things about him. And thank God, he's not one of those extraordinarily beautiful boys.7. (+/-) The Villains - Some of the villains were believable and compelling, but the issue I had was that they had seemed to have the same flaw--a competitive nature that led them to be scared of losing their power. I wish they were a tad more developed beyond that, but Roth does make the reader sympathize more with Tris because of them.8. (+) Flawed Characters - I think that the story idea also allowed for Roth to create such flawed characters, which, in my opinion at least, makes them much more interesting, realistic, and compelling.9. (+/-) Other Characters - At the same time, I wasn't all that attached to the other characters. I think that this is because I was siding so strongly with Tris that when she questioned whether or not Christina or Will were her friends, I did too. And I also nursed a grudge against them. This also speaks of the excellent writing in this book--that the reader is so able to slip into Tris's world. Perhaps the other characters will redeem themselves in later books.10. (+) The Cover - For a dystopian novel, I think this cover was just the right fit. A simple symbol of the faction that she questions and loves at the same time. Anything more would've probably not represented Tris's character very well.This has become one of my favorite reads of 2011. Can't wait for the rest of the trilogy to be published!!