Friday, May 13, 2011

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Genre: YA dystopia
Pages: 495 (hardcover)
Published: May 2011 by Katherine Tegen Books
Recommended for: Hunger Games people.  Definitely.

My Take:

Wow, just wow.  I was blown away by how intense and absolutely enthralling this much-buzzed-about new dystopia is.  Divergent is a quick read despite being nearly 500 pages-- because, believe me, before long you'll most likely find yourself physically incapable of putting it down for even a second. 

Tris has always lived in Abnegation-- the faction where her father is an important politician, and where charitable goals of selflessness and good will towards others rule every action taken by its initiates.  In Tris's city, every individual must choose to belong to one of five factions depending on what they believe is the most important virtue: the Candor believe that honesty is the only thing which can keep humanity from descending again into the apocalyptic chaos of the past, the Amity are dedicated to peace, the Erudite to the gaining of knowledge to prevent ignorance.

 Although Tris was raised in Abnegation, the faction who strive to live their lives for others, and knows that leaving would break her family's hearts, she cannot help but feel drawn to the raw excitement and reckless freedom of Dauntless-- the warrior faction who value bravery over all else.  Tris is told that she is a Divergent-- someone who does not fall neatly into any of the factions-- but what exactly that means, she doesn't yet know.  Only that to be Divergent is to be considered extremely dangerous by those who run the city behind the smoking curtains... the very people whom are doing their best to make sure that the morals of every faction grow more and more corrupt each day.  Tris and her fellow initiates must face physically and emotionally grueling trials in order to be initiated into their new faction-- but the biggest test of all, for Tris, might well be if she can know her own heart well enough to make terrible choices in the face of death and city-wide corruption.

Divergent raises a ton of questions which will likely have you pondering your own psyche.  The clever and unique structure of the five factions was really fascinating to me-- I'm OCD, so I have an unhealthy adoration for categories of any kind.  The factions reminded me of the four Houses in Harry Potter; the initiation process of the grim training and arena battles of The Hunger Games.  There's plenty for Hunger Games fans here, I think: constant action and suspense, treachery among fellow teens trying to win the top training spots which was reminiscent of HG Arena baddies like Cato and Clove.  Tris is a lot like Katniss, too.  They're both underdogs, but also both very strong gals-- Tris doesn't take any crap, and she's quick to see where both Abnegation and Dauntless fall short of their supposed faction manifestos.

I didn't mention romance in my little synopsis, but there's a great one here.  Four is the enigmatic and athletic young mentor assigned to train Tris and the other initiates of her new faction for their initiation.  His and Tris's falling in love isn't unexpected by any means, but wow, are the moments they spend alone together amazing.  Four is going to be featured in a heck of a lot of My Book Boyfriend posts-- I can see it coming already!  The last 75 pages or so of this book were mind-blowing and, if possible, twice as intense as the rest of the story.  Another painfully abrupt cliffhanger promises a new dystopian trilogy on the way...but Divergent is definitely a stand-out.  Veronica Roth is a superbly gifted new author.  As for which of the five factions I would pick at the age of sixteen... Dauntless sounds like a constant thrill ride and is definitely out of my comfort zone.  But in the end, I think I'd end up choosing Erudite, home of those who constantly seek knowledge.  All the best parties are in the library, after all.  ;)    

Cover: 5/5
Premise: 5/5
Characters: 4/5
Plot: 5/5
Overall Rating: 5/5

10 comments:

Amber said...

I totally agree with your review! I loved this novel and the fact that it raised so many questions was great. 150 pages out I knew i was finishing that novel that day, come rain or shine. Thanks for the review!

Alice said...

You've officially piqued my interest! Bookmarking this novel now :)

Lori L. Clark Art said...

I just ordered this book yesterday from Borders with my 40% off coupon. I cannot wait to read it. Thanks for the great review!

Kat said...

@Amber-- I know, this one was impossible to put down! I can't wait for the next installment already...

@Lori-- Hope you enjoy Divergent! :)

Katie (The Literary Files) said...

I'm so glad you loved this one! I'm reading it right now (only on chapter three) and your review makes me want to go finish it this second! I'm glad to hear there's a great romance in this book, that's always a bonus! Thanks Kat!

Miss Page-Turner said...

OH YES! I love your review, almost as much as Divergent;)I cannot wait for its sequel, this series promises to be epic!

If you like to check out my review of Divergent http://misspageturnerscityofbooks.blogspot.com/2011/04/book-review-divergent-divergent-1-by.html

Sugar and Snark said...

This book sounds great! Love the review :)

Maria Behar said...

Hi, there, Kat!

What a wonderfully detailed and ananlytical review you've written here! Your style is nothing short of magnificent! LOVE it!! You go, girl!

Yes, this books sounds truly awesome! I've seen it features on other blogs, so...(hint, hint, lol!) I agree with you -- I would choose the Erudite group myself. But of course! I think any bookworm worth his/her salt would choose this group!

And so, my TBR pile keeps growing and growing.....

Have a GREAT day!! : )

Maria @ http://anightsdreamofbooks.blogspot.com/

Maria Behar said...

Shoot, some typos....sorry 'bout that...

S E said...

Hi Kat.

After reading several of your reviews on the A Myriad of Books blog, I think you might enjoy my newly (self) published YA fiction novel, during your next review cycle. Your review of "Divergent" by Veronica Roth displayed the depth of insight that I am seeking for an early reviewer.

My book, Perfect Imperfection, centers around the adventures of a not-too-smart, over-weight young man with a receding hairline who stumbles onto and into a secret benevolent society of scientists, called Perfect Imperfection or PI. With assistance PI’s accelerated learning and artificial intelligence technologies, Billings trains to become a virtual secret agent that helps humanity in the face of accelerating scientific, ecological and social evolution. The antagonist, Blackbeard, an elite black hat hacker, employs cutting-edge tech to land the biggest score of his career. An epic virtual game of cat and mouse ensues, with everything in the balance.

I've tried to give hope to the reader despite the path the world is on, that there is a way to save us. The point behind the story is to show we can overcome the trivialness of our imperfections, be they physical, social, intelligence or economic. I will donate all profits of the book to causes that are consistent the book’s key themes.

Kat, by way of introduction, my name is S. E. Gould, and I’m a recovering software entrepreneur and corporate finance executive, looking to spend the best part of my life writing fiction that may help inspire the world to choose a better path.

If you are interested in reviewing, I am happy to send you a paperback version. Lastly, if you want an interview or run a giveaway for your followers, I can help you out there as well. If you are on a reviewing pause, please keep me in mind when you restart. I appreciate your consideration.



Regards,


S. E. Gould
segould at outlook dot com

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