Divergent (Divergent Series) (original 2011; udgave 2014)

The major gripe I have about this book is how disjointed it feels towards the end. There is just a long time spent on initiation and then bam out of nowhere the action starts and we are thrown into crisis mode! But . . .then it gets really good. Once the surprise wears off the ending is enthralling. I'm looking forward to continuing the series. I'd highly recommend Divergent to other fans of Twilight and/or the Hunger Games. ( )

I really, really enjoyed this book. At first I found the narrator's voice a little distracting, but I soon got past it, as she seemed to so clearly inhabit Beatrice/Tris, and I got so caught up in the story that it really didn't matter who was reading it.

I appreciated the strong heroine, who understood her limitations yet tried to work around them. And, thankfully, there was no love triangle. I was left with questions which may be answered in the subsequent books, such as what happened to create the Factions, and what is going on in the rest of the world.

Although this is the first book in a series (I think trilogy), I don't feel as resentful toward it as I have toward other first books lately. It could stand on its own if you don't feel like exploring the world any further. ( )

Re- read April 2020
3.5 stars
Read it again and enjoyed it more than the first time.
Most of the stuff that kinda bothered me last time was pretty much explained in the 3rd movie, so I was able to understand some of the reactions and what I considered plot holes better.
Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.


July 2015
2.5 stars
This is one of those times when I liked the movie better than the book.

Heather K brought up some excellent points.
That said, I was able to enjoy the book much more than her, mostly because I've read it without thinking so much. Which is probably because the book and the movie are basically the same. The movie is a fun way to spend an idle hour or two if you have nothing better to do, but I can't bring myself to say the book was worth the two days it took to read it. ( )

I could not say anything better than https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2250020-tatiana> .

So without further ado, please read Tatiana's review:

As seen on the http://www.thereadventurer.com

We all know why Divergent was written. There is no doubt 99% of dystopias published during the last year or so have been trying to at least partially replicate the success of the trilogy. Public wants to read more dystopian stories, publishers want to sell them, authors want to write them. Everyone is happy.

I have read a few new dystopias recently and liked or disliked them to various degrees. There are dystopias for any taste, dystopias that emphasize separate aspects of the trilogy. There are dystopias that bank on romance (Matched or Delirium). There are dystopias that take the shock value route (Wither). And then there is Divergent that caters to the crowd who wants more action in their dystopias. And action this novel delivers!

In a few words, Divergent is a one long initiation trial. Beatrice Prior is a member of a society that has been maintaining its peaceful existence by separating its citizens into 5 distinct factions. These factions are formed on the basis of virtues they cultivate in their members - Candor values honesty the most, Abnegation - selflessness, Dauntless - bravery, Amity - peacefulness and Erudite - intelligence. At 16 all citizens take a test that is supposed to help them decide if they want to stay with the faction into which they were born or transfer to another faction forever. Beatrice's test results are inconclusive and puzzling. Ultimately she decides to abandon her own faction (Abnegation) and her family and enter another (Dauntless). But of course, the transfer is not easy. The initiation trials are grueling. Divergent is essentially a depiction of Beatrice's road to becoming a Dauntless, both physically and emotionally. Beatrice's unusual test results come to play too, and in a major way.

This emphasis on multiple trials and exercises is the strongest and the weakest part of the story. Veronica Roth has a special talent for writing great fighting scenes, pulse-raising and adrenaline-pumping scenes. Her imagination in terms of inventing different tests and challenges seems to be limitless. Something exciting happens to Beatrice every day of her trials. But that is also the weakness of the story. About 85% of the book is dedicated to action and exercises. The actual story starts only around page 415 of this 500-page book. Only then stakes are raised and real action begins. If you ask me, 400-pages is a lot of prep to finally get to the meat of the story.

Don't get me wrong, I liked the book (3 stars means "i liked it" on Goodreads). Divergent is good entertainment. I liked it, I was engaged in the story, I was even excited quite often. But something was missing for me. The novel has good characters, but they are not quite as interesting and compelling as they could have been; it has a lot of action, but the justification for the amount of violence involved is not quite adequate; it has a cute romance, but it never quite makes your heart contract in that sweet, painful way (you know what I am talking about, don't you?); the concept of factions is a unique one but not quite plausible; the explanation what a Divergent actually is is not quite climactic; finally, except for one plot twist (p 415), the story takes a rather predictable road.

I liked Divergent. I liked it more than Matched, Delirium or Wither. I liked it less than Blood Red Road or Ship Breaker. It entertained me. It promotes all the good things - bravery and self-sufficiency, friendships, honesty, determination. It is all about girl empowerment. But as the same time it isn't particularly thought-provoking or chilling. It never truly touched my heart. It is a write-by-numbers dystopia.

The verdict? I guess, you'll have to see for yourself?

P.S. While I am on the subject of dystopias and have your attention, I want to recommend one of my most favorite dystopias that doesn't get nearly as much acknowledgment as it deserves. Please, check out Neal Shusterman's Unwind Unwind (Unwind, #1)

You will not regret it. (less) ( )

Fast-paced, heart-throbbing, heartbreaking, emotional... this book was everything I hoped for and then some.

Rating: 4.75/5


Chicago, Illinois. The town is divided into 5 factions: Abnegation for the selfless, Dauntless for the brave, Erudite for the knowledge-cravers, Candor for the honest and Amity for the peaceful. At 16, every boy and girl is submitted to an aptitude test, and according to the result, the boy or girl must choose a faction, for he will be a part of it for the rest of his life, or will be (God-forbid-it) factionless.

However, for Beatrice Prior, an Abnegation 16 years-old girl, things didn’t go according to the plan, because the truth is, she’s not like the others, she’s Divergent. And she has to keep the secret or the government will chase her and she won’t get out of it alive.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This book made me want to create a special shelf: “Why didn’t I read this sooner?” I knew it had to be something big if it was nominated best fantasy and sci-fi book of the year 2011, it took me all this time to grab it and when I finally did, boy was I blown away!

The events just flew one after another, I didn’t get tired or bored, there was non-stop action and built excitement, and the writing was sharp and good: the scenes were described in detail; I mean I flinched each time someone got their ribs, nose, jaw or any other bones broken! It was full of surprises, but the timing was perfect, every event came smoothly, unpredictably; I was kept on edge the whole time.

Plus point: character depth. Each character was real, likable, with a story-background and that way I could emotionally connect with them. They were put through a lot and it affected them. Witnessing Beatrice’s transformation into Tris was fascinating and engrossing, she was somehow weak and a good little girl, afraid to act the way she always wanted: selfish and then she becomes fierce, fearless, strong, cold-eyed and brave. I’d like to see more heroines like that: not super kickass born and definitely not TSTL and useless ones; but a girl who blossoms into an Amazonian woman by her own.

The romance was paced and unplanned, there were some hints but very faint. Then: Boom! It just happened and it was natural and sweet and swoon-worthy just like Four.

By the end my heart broke so many times I lost count, it was my favorite part when everything escalated into a frenzy and the real deal started, I couldn’t drop the book or shift my eyes away for even a second.

My problem with dystopian novels is their lack of explanations on the reasons the world as we know it had come to this situation. What happened? Was it an apocalypse, a war, a revolution, an invasion? Or is it a parallel world? Life on another planet? Explain it to me damn it! And that ending wasn’t satisfying; I hope I will get all my answers (or at least half of them) in book 2.
( )