Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Date Read: November 17^th, 2012

Date Published: May 3^rd, 2011

Publishers: Harper Collins

Format: Paperback

Pages: 487

Blurb: 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.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series--dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

Review:

This book has been sitting on my shelf since 2011 and I only picked it up this month. I wish I’d read it sooner because it was absolutely amazing. From page one it had me and I couldn’t stop until I’d reached the end. And what an ending it was. Badly need Insurgent but I have to wait until Christmas. I’ve read books before about people being separated into groups of people but this was so different which made it even better. It was imaginative and I could picture the world as I read the words. (Love the cover as well, don’t know why they felt the need to re-do it for the UK, just use the US version as it relates more to the story, I managed to get my copy before they changed it though).

When you turn sixteen you have to choose which faction you want to be in. It is Beatrice (Tris)’s turn to decide whether she wants to be Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful) or Erudite (the intelligent). Her life changes dramatically and she has to learn to adapt to what she has chosen. The initiation process will challenge her and push her to her limits. Her secret threatens to destroy her. But as she finds herself growing closer to someone it could get better. There are twists and turns that are unexpected and there is terror.

Beatrice was an amazing character. I loved seeing the world through her eyes and experiencing what she felt. She was a conflicted character who had a lot to deal with. I couldn’t do half the things she did in this book. What I loved about her was that she was brave when she could have crumbled and she was kind. A plus is that she didn’t complain too much and that is what made her a great heroine. No one likes to listen to someone moan all the time. Boy, she can kick ass when she wants to.

Now let’s talk about the love interest, Four. Aww, what a sweetie! He made me want to hug him and never let him go. I’ve read reviews where people have called him a “bad boy” but honestly he isn’t. Only once does he show any indication of being that and it’s when he’s drunk. The other times he is just doing his job as an instructor and it’s aimed at everyone, not just Tris. I definitely have a crush on him (I should probably stop crushing on all these fictional characters but they are just so perfect). He is a hero but he has his fears and one broke my heart because you felt his sadness. They are perfect for each because they are so similar.

All the other characters in this book had their place and I loved them. Even the bad guys because they were so evil I loved them because they were the perfect Villain. Every character is in the book for a reason, there’s no “let’s create another character just for the hell of it” because having a character who does nothing for the book and story is just pointless. So well done Veronica!

Overall this book amazed me. I loved every page and I was never bored. There’s just the right amount of romance, a heap of action which is always good and unexpected turns that I didn’t see coming. I can’t fault this book and I look forward to reading the rest and any other series that she writes. And for those who haven’t read it yet, you better hurry!