Divergent Book (Requested Review)

RoseRedFlower This was a review requested to me by TwilightKitsune.

So during the whole Hunger Games craze that came after the Harry Potter craze, this book kept popping up on shelves. I kind of just thought it was trying to jump in on the whole bandwagon like Vampire Academy did. But thanks to a certain user I decided to finally read it for myself. Also, thanks Amazon for dropping it off at the wrong address so I had to wait another month before I could get it...

So I bet you're wondering what it's about. In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, 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). Kind of like how Harry Potter had their houses and Hunger Games had their districts. 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. Sucks for her. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Also the name Tris has a Celtic origin and means sad. Well, that's....sad. They must undergo some severe physical tests of endurance and extreme psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. It's like when American highschoolers have to take their SATS. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must discover who her friends really are and a romance forms as the book continues. Now I see why this book series was really adored by teenagers. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. She knows who killed JFK!

Nah....

And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her "perfect" society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves... or it might destroy her.

Veronica Roth wrote the book as a college student actually. That's right, she wrote a book in college that was done really well. Take that E.L. James. I think the praise it received is well deserved. While many argue it's just a Hunger Games clone, I did like how Roth executed her story. Tris had a really good character growth as the book went on and wasn't an annoying whiny woman who just wanted a man. She goes through so many struggles in the book. From physical, mental and emotional stress. It's a surprise she hasn't lost her mind going through everything she does.

For example, after Tris joins Dauntless she does wild acts like jump inside a moving train. She had a sense a freedom after joining Dauntless but there was a dark side about the faction. One kid didn't catch the train in time and he was kicked out of Dauntless. And someone else died after he missed the jump on top of Dauntless HQ. This helps identify the world that Divergent builds off of.

The romance in this book though is my least favorite thing about the book though. While I like Tris and Four as separate characters, there's so many moments when it feels forced. Like when he shows blatant favoritism with Tris, the two keep catching each others gazes and some of their conversations are slow.

Also, Peter sucks.

I won't spoil anything else in case anyone is interested in the book. I found it really enjoyable when the romance with Tris and Four wasn't going on. I haven't read the other books yet so I might read those later. Plus that book did end on a cliffhanger of all things so I'm probably going to read the sequel anyways. I watched the movie this was based on and it's not as good as the book. The drama in the book is great, the characters are interesting and I loved reading about Tris' choices.

Also, I'm Candor when I took the Buzzfeed quiz.

Comments

"They must undergo some severe physical tests of endurance and extreme psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. It's like when American highschoolers have to take their SATS."

This is why you're the best reviewer ever - TwilightKitsune

Aw thanks. - RoseRedFlower