Review - Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title and Author: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books

Publication Date: January 1st, 2011

Paperback/Hardcover: 487

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Summary:

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.

  

Review:

It took me a long time to get around to reading Divergent because I wasn’t too sure about it but I can definitely say now that I was missing out on a great story that captivated and kept me interested right from the start.

Divergent is the story of Tris who after turning 16 has to choose which of the 5 factions that make up the society she lives in, she wants to be part of. Those 5 actions are: Abnegation, Dauntless, Candor, Amity and Erudite.

The easiest and safest choice for Tris would be to stay with her family at their faction (Abnegation) but Tris feels like she doesn’t belong there. When the results of her aptitude test are not exactly what she expected she knows she might be in danger and that she has a very important decision to make that can either make or break her.

Tris is a wonderful main character and heroine.  At first glance she might seem weak because of the fact she’s quite small and skinny but looks are definitely deceiving in this case. She’s strong, determined, brave and intelligent. She’s not afraid to fight for what she wants and believes and while doing so she grows up a lot.

It was easy to like Tris, as a narrator, she has a strong voice, and even when she is almost cruel in the pursuit of her goals I couldn’t help but to like her and want things to work out for her.

Now, when it comes to Four I think he complements Tris’ character perfectly. He’s Tris’s instructor. He’s also strong, intelligent, brave and practically fearless. When it’s needed he can be quite ruthless and maybe even a little bit mean but he’s also quite sweet, especially to Tris. It is obvious he cares for her and wants her to be safe and will do anything to keep her that way, even show her no mercy during training.

I really liked the way the relationship between Tris and Four developed. It’s a complex and difficult relationship and I enjoyed the fact they didn’t fall madly in love with each other at first sight. In fact, there was a wonderful built up to their relationship. The chemistry between them was great and when they finally got together I couldn’t help but to root for them.

Divergent is well-written and I think the author did a wonderful job setting up a world divided in 5 factions, each one of them with their own special characteristics, members  and way of life. It took some imagination from the author to do that, which I really appreciate.

The story develops nicely and at a good pace. The action was able to keep me gripped and turning the pages so I could find out what would happen next. There’s some mystery, some romance and a lot of action. This is a story about growing up  and finding out who you really are and what you are capable of.

All in all, I really did enjoy this book. The plot is very interesting and well-developed, the main character is fierce, intelligent and fearless and the world created was captivating.

If you like a good, well-written story that includes romance, mystery and action pick up this book. I’m sure you’ll be able to enjoy it. 

Rating: Somewhere Between Worth Your Time and Must Read (4 ½ Stars)

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