Divergent by Veronica Roth
US Release Date: May 3rd 2011
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Source: Purchased through Barnes and Noble
Genre: YA Dystopian
Rating: 5 out of 5
Buy it: Amazon / Barnes and Noble
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In a future Chicago, 16-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.
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Plot: Yes this is another dystopian novel but it's different. Instead, it is not plainly obvious that this society is corrupt. There are hints at is but for the most part you don't think of how cruel the government is and the way it operates. Most of the novel is focused on Beatrice as you watch her grow and develop in this society that can't adjust to her and people like her. It is full of action and surprises. While reading this I honestly did not know what to expect and there was always something exciting on the next page.
Pacing: Perfect! Not too fast, not too slow = just amount of world building + action
I did read this book fast but the pace wasn't over whelming in how quickly I had to get through everything.
Characters: Beatrice was a phenomenal protagonist. The development you see her under go through out the novel was extremely well done. She starts off as a pensive and self-consious girl who doesn't know her place in her own society and ends as a strong (both physically and mentally/emotionally) woman who has begun to learn understand who she is and what she must do to protect those she loves and what she thinks is right.
Four is a wonderfully gorgeous onion! He has so many layers and is so much deeper then the hot brute he seems to be in the beginning. The relationship that he and Beatrice share is awesome because they are both human and they both have weaknesses that they help each other with.
All of the other characters really add depth and life to the story. From the terrifying Eric to Beatrice's gentle brother, each character is unique and specific and you grow attached to them despite the fact that they are not major characters (well maybe not Eric).
Writing: Veronica Roth's writing was a lot more then I was expecting. Honestly, with dystopian/modern set novels I don't usually look for flowy language and detailed descriptions but Divergent had that (kind of) and made it work. Maybe flowy wouldn't be the right term but the way she described how Beatrice was feeling and her thoughts and the way she viewed the world was really interesting and added a whole new dimension to the novel.
Overall: Divergent was fantastic! There was action, adventure, romance, drama, suspense, and everything else you'd expect from a fantastic YA novel. But what gave it that extra umph was how it made me think about the way our society works. In between the ass-kicking and the surprises I thought about what something like "factions" would do to a society and how we've almost already developed our own factions in the way we think of ourselves and the people around us. Plus it's about figuring out your place within society.
But putting all that analysis-janx aside it was pretty flippin' fantastic!
5 out of 5 stars
Should you read it?
Yes!
If you loved Hunger Games you will love this. If you love action you will love this. If you love dystopian novels you will love this.
Should you buy it?
Yes!
This a book I know I will want to read again and again and again...and again.
