Divergent by Veronica Roth

Just a little foreword....
Divergent is, in my opinion the best book ever, so if I gush, sorry in advance, now here is what I think -

Publisher – HarperCollins

Release Date – May 3^rd, 2011

Pages – 487

Series – The Divergent Series

Genre – dystopian, science fiction

Summary –

The book, Divergent, takes places in a dystopian society full of adventure, mysteries, and a little of that much adored romance.  This future society has designed five different factions in which its citizens live; each one designated by a certain quality:  selflessness (Abnegation), truth (Candor), intelligence (Erudite), bravery (Dauntless), and peace (Amity).  The book opens with, “There is one mirror in my house.”  Seeing as Tris was born into the Abnegation community this perfectly depicts how she views herself.  In this one sentence the reader can dip a toe into Tris’ life along with her personality.  A truly selfless person would not care how many mirrors hang on the walls of their household.  This sets up the basis for the whole book because it turns out that Tris is not completely selfless.  Nor is she completely brave, peaceful, truthful, or intelligent.  In fact, Tris is divergent meaning she has many different aptitudes.  As Tris’ 16^th birthday approaches the reader learns that she will soon be able to pick her own faction (community).  The book is compelling as it throws its audience into Tris’ life, helping her cope with leaving her family, becoming Dauntless through grueling initiation, and forming friendships strong enough to survive a rebellion.

Character development –

The book wastes no time getting to the point.  For you Suzanne Collins lovers, this book reminds me entirely of the Hunger Games, in that it spends no more than two chapters before sending you straight to the action.  Personally, I had no problem connecting with the main character, Tris, but others claim that they could never get into the book because they didn’t care about anyone in it!  As I remember this book I can see where these book critics are coming from.  Tris doesn’t have an emotionally scarring back-story or love that she has been pining over for years.  Tris is, simply, a teenage girl trying to fit in.  This makes her more relatable to me than anything else because, while she may have different protocols in finding herself, she is still trying to discover who she is just like you and I.

Language usage –

The words chosen by the author of this book are far from scholarly.  This is an easy read.  If you are looking for a book to boost your vocabulary this is not it!  However, Veronica Roth uses straightforward words quite well.  While reading I never found myself wanting more of a description or getting confused.  I quite enjoyed this book partly for its simplicity.  It was not hard to follow which added to the story.

Idea –

The idea of the book is one of the best I’ve ever seen.  It fights for the top spot with The Hunger Games and Harry Potter.  The idea that your personality determines where you live and what your life will be is amazingly original yet, at the same time, relatable to a common situation.  No, we don’t have different communities designated for different personalities, but, at the same time, we kind of do.  College is a great example.  Chances are that an avid artist is not going to end up at MIT.  The same idea suggests that a math head is not going to find themselves at California College of the Arts.  While this may not be as clear cut, Roth definitely portrays a likeness in the real world whether she meant to or not.

What the author was trying to convey –

I think that Roth is trying to tell a story of a strong young woman finding herself.  She is giving teenagers a story to relate to when it comes to their own lives. Fortunately, Roth does this in such a way that it is exciting and memorable.  Unfortunately, this theme can be vague at times.

Overall –

This book was both a fun read and a deep story.  If you are to take one thing from this entire review it is that Divergent is a fast-paced, exciting story with a inspirational female lead and a touch of romance.  Divergent is a book that will keep you thinking for a long time after you read it.  Anyone who enjoyed The Hunger Games will enjoy this book.

What I thought –

I loved this book!  I really related to Tris and the story kept me turning the page.  The book can be secretive, but that’s nothing for a suspense lover like myself. This is the best book that I have ever read and you can be sure that this is not the last time I will read it, even if I’m not one to generally reread.

Difficulty-

This book, in a literal sense, could be understood by the average 5^th grader, but understanding the deeper meaning of the book would be left to the intelligence of a 6^th or 7^th grader.  I would say that as long as you are a teen, you should be good.

Length –

This book is pretty long. However, I read it in 2 days!  The font is big and the spacing is ample.  It is one of those books that you just can’t put down, making it a pretty fast read.  Not to mention its far from challenging vocabulary.

Who should read it –

Everyone from my dad to my best friend have read this book and they all loved it!  I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone, but especially to teenage girls.  Again, Roth makes Tris relatable and a good role model.
If you liked this you might also like –

The Hunger Games                Uglies                         Matched
 by Suzanne Collins       by Scott Westerfield         by Allie Condie

 

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