Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Release Date: May 3, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Rating: YA 14+
Pages: 487

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.

First off, let me just say that I honestly cannot believe that I waited this long to read this book. Probably because I was a little skeptical about how this book was going to turn out as it was Veronica Roth's first novel. However, picking up this book from the library shelf was probably one of the best decisions I have ever made. 

Okay, I might be exaggerating a little bit... but I seriously loved it. Like, love love loved it. There are many  books out there that one might read and think, oh, what a good read. But there are only a few books that make an impression on you, and stand out... books that you will probably remember a long time after you have read them, because you can relate to them... reading the book is like reading your life story. Or maybe it's because you fall in love with the characters... or maybe you just loved the book. A lot. For whatever reason it may be, the book is going to stay with you for a long long time. I hope I'm making sense... or is it just me who feels like this sometimes?? Whatever the case, I absolutely loved Divergent. My only critique is that it should have been longer, because that's just how much I loved it. I know I'm repeating myself a lot  but there is just no other word to describe how I feel about this novel other than the word love. L-O-V-E. 

I tore through the entire 487-page book in an afternoon -- an afternoon when I was sick with a cold and supposed to be napping.  Instead, I was locked in my bedroom reading.  (Shhhh. Don't tell.)  I had so much fun!

Divergent is set in future-day Chicago. Beatrice (Tris) is going to take the aptitude test, a test to determine which of the five factions she belongs in. The choice will be hers, she will decide the rest of her life, and whether she stays with her family or abandons them. The five factions are: Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). *SPOILER ALERTS* To everyone's surprise, including herself, she chooses Dauntless. *gasp!*

I have to admit, one of the main reasons I liked Divergent so much is because of Four. Four is one of the trainers Tris encounters in Dauntless. Tris describes herself as being 'drawn to a boy who seems to both threaten and protect her.' Four, in my opinion, is the perfect guy. He is brave and fierce, yet at the same time he has a very vulnerable and soft side to him. Tris is also one of my absolute favorite characters of all time. Unlike most female book characters these days, Tris seems real. She is real. I think that the worst book characters are the ones who are unrealistically brave and self-sacrificing... characters whose personal thoughts and opinions sound planned out... fake characters. It's impossible to relate to those types. This book was most definitely not the case. Roth made Tris raw and open when she needed to be, and brave and strong when the time came. Every single emotion... every word that Tris spoke was believable. As the reader, I went through every up and down, every high and low with Tris... and I felt every heart-break and every joyful moment with her. *SPOILERS OVER*

I have to admit I am a little nervous about how Divergent the movie is going to turn out. Some books, I think, are better to just be left as great books. However, it is understandable why there is going to be a movie based on this book. Full of action and adventure, a heart-stopping romance and a killer plot, Divergent keeps the reader captivated till the very end. The next book in the trilogy, Insurgent is coming out soon and I can't WAIT to get my hands on it!

5 Muffins- Positively Enticing!

If you like this, try:

The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games trilogy #1) by Suzanne Collins

Delirium (Delirium trilogy #1) by Lauren Oliver

Legend by Marie Lu