Mackenzie
Written on May 6, 2012
Gushing review coming soon!
- ISBN10 0063040514
- ISBN13 9780063040519
- Publish Date 1 June 2021 (first published 1 May 2011)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
- Imprint Collins
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 544
- Language English
- Special Anniversary Edition
Reviews
Gushing review coming soon!
Ace
Written on May 2, 2012
cornerfolds
Written on Apr 23, 2012
Jo
Written on Apr 22, 2012
I LOVED Divergent! In my review of Under the Never Sky, I said it was missing something that stopped it from blowing me away. Divergent has that thing! Which is really odd, because considering it's a dystopia, most of the book doesn't cover the dystopian society at large, but on Tris and her life as she changes Factions.
In Divergent, there are five factions; Abnegnation (the selfless), Erudite (the intelligent), Candor (the honest), Amity (the peaceful), and Dauntless (the brave). At sixteen, teenagers undertake an Aptitude Test to work out which Faction they would be best suited, and the day after, at the Choosing Ceremony, they choose which Faction they wish to join. Tris has spent her whole life in Abnegation, with her perfect, selfless family who don't even bat an eyelid when it comes to doing things for others. Tris, on the otherhand, sometimes has selfish thoughts about what she would like. She's not sure that Abnegation is right for her, but leaving would mean leaving her whole family behind - and possibly never see them again. When she takes her Aptitude Test and her results come back inconclusive, not giving her one Faction she suits best, but several possibilities, which is so rare Tris has never heard of it, she doesn't know where she belongs or what to do. Going with her gut instinct, she takes the huge decision to leave Abnegation and move to Dauntless, where she finds her selfless, quiet life is nothing compared to what she's just signed up for.
Loooove! As I said earlier, this book focusses on the most part on Tris' new life in Dauntless and the training that is a part of her initiation. It was just so fascinating to see her reactions to the brutal life that is the norm for the brave, a life of fighting and facing your fears, but also her relationships with people. Tris hadn't had friends before Dauntless, so growing to trust those from over Factions other than Abnegation, who behave and think so differently, is strange and sometimes difficult for her. There are characters in this book you immediately warm too, and there are those that you loathe.
There are some events in this book that I found difficult to read. This wasn't just because those events were beyond what anyone should ever have to go through, but also because Veronica Roth has written a story so unlike anything else out there, I had no idea what I was going to be round the corner! I literally had no clue how things were going to pan out at any stage of this book, and it was amazing and gripping! Yet, as I said, some parts are disturbing and absolutely sickening.
Then there's the love interest! Oh, I do love Four! He is just the coolest guy, and the relationship etween him and Tris throughout the novel feels like something that could happen in our own world, it was just so real and believable, despite the dystopian society. This was another of the things I was never sure of. We're all used to the "Will they? Won't they?", but I actually wasn't sure at all. Divergent isn't a romance, it is a dystopia, and the romance in it isn't certain, which just adds to the excitement of the book!
My heart was in my mouth more times in this book than I can count, during training, during Tris' moments with Four, and during the wait for danger to pounce. Because things do take a turn for the worst, and change everything for every important character in this book. Roth doesn't shy away from putting her characters - and her readers - through hell. No-one we love or hate is left unscathed. It's just brilliant!
In case you hadn't guessed, I absolutely loved this book! There really aren't any words for me to express just how much this book blew me away. I am so, so happy that I have Insurgent I can pick up straight away. I don't know how anyone else was able to wait! An incredible, incredible book. If you haven't read this book yet, what the hell are you waiting for?!
Ashley
Written on Apr 21, 2012
Divergent is something great.
Side note: are there any other psycho gigglers out there??
Veronica Roth got everything right from the very beginning: she created a character who is different — one who stands out from her peers. Almost all of the really popular books have that key difference in the main character. In Harry Potter, Harry Potter is “the chosen one.” In Twilight, Bella has a unique mind and she has the only mind that Edward can’t read. In The Lord of the Rings, Frodo has a strange resilience to the ring’s evil that almost no one else has. In The Golden Compass, Lyra has this magical and unique ability to read the alethiometer without any practice.
See what I’m getting at? People like characters who have some unique difference from everyone else around them. Beatrice (or Tris, as she becomes known as later), has this key difference. When that difference became known, that’s when I released my first insane giggle. I was like “OMG YES! I’M EXCITED NOW!” I maintained that same level of excitement throughout the entire book — it’s just that good!
I love all the characters. I read about her friend Christina and I love her cute, bubbly personality, and I think, “I’d love a friend like her!” I read about Peter and just like Tris, I hate his guts. I want to punch him, maim him, do something violent. I love the slow burning romance in the book. I just read Shiver, where there was no slow burning romance (the full on romance just suddenly existed), so this was a really nice change. This is the way romance is supposed to be! It’s something that builds over time as you get to know a person, and Veronica found that perfectly.
This is the kind of book where I finish reading and I just want more, more, more. I wish I had the second book, Insurgent, in my hands now!
Angie
Written on Apr 12, 2012
Sure bravery and selflessness are great qualities to value, but the level of exaggeration of their actions (or inaction) bothered me. This one-mindedness was briefly acknowledged towards the end, but the explanation just wasn't good enough. I never was able to accept this world and it hindered my enjoyment of the novel.
I did like Tris though. She had her own thoughts and opinions, and didn't follow the one-track mindedness of the factions. But I suppose there wouldn't be a story if she was just another faction member. She was something known as "divergent" but what that means, no one knows, but it might get her killed if anyone finds out. It's a super interesting concept, but we don't get many answers about what exactly divergence is or why it happens. Perhaps in future books?
Divergent does end on a cliffhanger, which is the only reason why I'll probably read the second book. Maybe there will be some more world building that can explain more of why things are the way they are. Plus I'd like to see more of the Amity faction, which seems like it will be a bigger part of the next book.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
Jordon
Written on Apr 11, 2012
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I bought this book quite a while ago so the fact that I took so long to read it is just silly because this is my next five club rated book! (The first and only book that I loved and have rated five clubs is Unearthly by Cynthia Hand).
I'm not going to re-hash the plot because the summary above pretty much sums it up! Plus it's a little complicated to get into.
I loved this plot! It was thrilling and exciting, there was lots of development and unexpected twists, it wasn't narrow or boring. The dystopian element was awesome. I just loved it.
The whole time I wasn't reading this book I day dreamed of getting home from work or class or the movies to read it. It was one of those books that I never wanted to stop reading or put down yet I wanted to take my time with it to make it last. These are the qualities that I personally find make up a five club rated book. This is how I feel with all and every five club book.
So yes I did love this book but there were a few small things that irked me. I do think that some of the conflict between some characters was resolved too easily or too quickly. I wanted more of a build up to the romance, or perhaps I wanted a little more of the moments where the physical attraction is noted, and also the realization of the romance is noted. After a certain twist the character that was involved suddenly feels like they've become a completely different person, which slightly annoyed me but I was easy to forgive that in the end.
No book is perfect, and when you find a book that is perfect, it is bound to not be perfect in the eyes of someone else. We all have different opinions. And those little things that irked me actually made me love the book all that much more because if everything had been perfect then I could have possibly gotten bored.
Tris was so interesting and so different to the typical YA main female character. She was strong, her thinking was cruel at times and she could handle herself; she was very refreshing. I love a good kick ass main character that isn't stubborn all the time or all roses, love hearts and unicorns. Although there were times when she was a little stubborn but that's just the right amount of stubbornness that someone should have. Otherwise it get's frustrating when someone is so accepting all of the time.
As the reader there were things that you saw that Tris didn't but I put that down to her up bringing and not yet grasping the situation of things. At times I did wonder why she couldn't figure the answer to things or understand why a certain someone acted the way they did, but that was okay because if she had then I do think she would have become unnatural.
Four was just awesome. I love the good mysterious type, especially when they don't treat the MC like crap. I felt like that even though he acted tough and was strong he was kinder than Tris was, his whole nature was kinder, I felt like he was more of a good guy than Tris was if that makes sense. I liked that a lot. It was definitely a twist to the usual characterization that you see.
The world that Roth has made up is just so exciting and interesting that I was completely drawn in and believed every word that was said. To me the logic made sense and I didn't find myself trying to find loopholes or doubt anything that was said. The factions were pretty interesting, I wanted to know more about each one, about how they lived, why they lived that way, how they were so easily convinced that that was how they had to live and what to believe.
I was fascinated with the world that Roth has created and I can't wait to delve into it again.
This book is hyped up so much that I was worried I would be disappointed because my expectations were pretty high up there. And when I have high expectations 90% of the time I am disappointed. But wow, I was absolutely not disappointed at all! This book was very entertaining, it was well thought out, it was exciting, it was gripping and it is a book that I think everyone that enjoys dystopian should have! I really do think this one is up there with The Hunger Games.
Overall I loved everything about this book. It had me guessing the whole way through and then I was still surprised to find out the twists. This book was gripping and very exciting to read, I had fun reading it and found I could not get it out of my mind when I wasn't reading it.
I loved it so much that I can't stop saying I loved it and I'm pretty sure most of this review is me saying that I loved it... I definitely recommend it.
Miss J
x
Stephanie
Written on Apr 10, 2012
The factions were also amazing to me. It had never occurred to me that we as a nation would align ourselves not by political parties but by the moral we most value. It seemed so….narrow-minded and yet is something I’ve not personally come across in fiction.
What I Could Have Lived Without: I really, really wanted to love this book like everyone else has obsessed about this book. It just wasn’t that awesome for me. Don’t get me wrong! It was a good read but not fantastically over the moon. I think that some of my problem is that the things meant to be big reveals were actually things I had already deduced. While I wasn’t swept away by Divergent I will be reading the sequel Insurgent.
Recommended For: Readers who enjoyed The Hunger Games and seeking a similar read.
Avoid If: I honestly can’t think of a reason to avoid it. This is one of those books where it’s best to from your own opinion.
Linda
Written on Mar 22, 2012
Tris started out as a little boring goodie-two-shoes to me, but she very quickly showed that there was a lot more to her than that! This world is very cold, where separation is used as a solution to prior problems in human-kind. It is difficult to read about 16-year-olds who have to make choices that will completely change their lives, and that they won't have the right to see their families anymore. At the same time, it is enticing to see them as taking responsibility for themselves and their choices, and what they do with their new lives.
The fight-scenes were really great, and I loved that Tris stayed both brave and selfless, although I really don't like the idea of complete selflessness.
The budding relationships, the new friendships and the fair of some of the leaders made the pace of this story so fast it was impossible not to want to keep reading faster and faster. I dreamt of simulations last night, being in impossible situations of fear, and, like Tris, trying to figure out how to save both someone else and myself at the same time.
I loved how Tris could be both ruthless and kind, brave and scared, happy and sad, strong and afraid. I loved how she dealt with her fears, thought about what to do to make sure her fears weren't going to paralyze her, but make her truly stronger.
I truly look forward to Insurgent, May will be here fast enough!
Jyc
Written on Mar 2, 2012