Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent by Veronica Roth
#1 in the Divergent Series
Author: Veronica Roth
Format: Kindle Ebook & Hardcover
Source: Bought Ebook – Gifted Signed Hardcover

Synopsis: 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. – via GoodReads

What I Liked: Tris was a great heroine! I think what I enjoyed most about her is that Roth molds her as we get to know her. She starts out not knowing herself. Beatrice would like to be everything she has been raised to be but Tris wishes for more. I feel like this really opens Tris up for the reader. Four was a sweetheart. As a reader you could tell that he had true morals and values that, while hidden at first glance, pegged him as a great lead male protagonist.

The factions were also amazing to me. It had never occurred to me that we as a nation would align ourselves not by political parties but by the moral we most value. It seemed so….narrow-minded and yet is something I’ve not personally come across in fiction.

What I Could Have Lived Without: I really, really wanted to love this book like everyone else has obsessed about this book. It just wasn’t that awesome for me. Don’t get me wrong! It was a good read but not fantastically over the moon. I think that some of my problem is that the things meant to be big reveals were actually things I had already deduced. While I wasn’t swept away by Divergent I will be reading the sequel Insurgent.

Recommended For: Readers who enjoyed The Hunger Games and seeking a similar read.

Avoid If: I honestly can’t think of a reason to avoid it. This is one of those books where it’s best to from your own opinion.

9 responses to “Divergent by Veronica Roth”

  1. It is one of those books that makes you think!

    Great Review!

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    1. It very much is! I am looking forward to seeing what the author does with the second book!

      Like

  2. I think all the hype ruins the actual book for people. Everyone is expecting to be wowed. I went into Divergent thinking I wasn't going to like it as much as everyone else does, and I ended up really liked it. I do that with most hyped books, though.

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    1. I think I'm going to start ignoring hype until I've had a chance to decide for myself. If it's that good, I'll hype it up afterwards! 🙂

      To be honest, I don't usually go so against the grain with hype books. Usually I'm right in the mix fangirling it with the best of them. I don't know if it was just the mood I was in or what.

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  3. Lol I'm going to read this one in June! I was going to post the review on your blog but since you have already reviewed this one I'm not sure if you want a second review about the same book on your blog or not. Might be interesting to see if we differ on how we liked it though 🙂

    Like

    1. You can still post it here if you want. I love having multiple reviewers it adds to the voice of the blog I think. Let me know if you're still interested!

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  4. pragyasharma100 Avatar
    pragyasharma100

    Though I didn't love Tris as much but I truly liked Four. I liked this book too though didn't end up loving it.

    My Review – http://reviewingshelf.wordpress.com/2012/05/20/di

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    1. I'm going to borrow from Shrek here: Four was like an onion….or a parfait. He had layers and it was really fun to find each layer!

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      1. pragyasharma100 Avatar
        pragyasharma100

        Ha ha! Very well said. 😀

        Like

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