Divergent (Divergent, #1)

by Veronica Roth

[lovelybookshelf]

I'm a sucker for dystopian fiction, whether it's a classic such as Fahrenheit 451 or The Handmaid's Tale, or a more recent title such as The Hunger Games or Wool. Last week I (finally!) gave Veronica Roth's Divergent a try. I'm going to try to stay vague so that I don't spoil the story for anyone.

The society in Divergent doesn't seem all that bad, though I disagree with the "seemingly perfect" description mentioned in the synopsis. I mean, the "factionless" are right there from the start, and I wouldn't call their situation perfect by any means. People seem to have the choice of which faction they wish to belong to, but it's a permanent decision (no changing factions later on) and not a guarantee.

There is a romance which takes a good while to develop. It's not overdone at all. There are also a couple of silly girly moments which reminded me that this is a YA novel, but truly, these moments were very brief.

You know what I loved most about this book? Tris wasn't a perfect, put-her-up-on-a-pedestal kind of heroine. She does possess all of the qualities important in a great protagonist, but she also has a darker side and we see her flaws clearly.

Divergent is the first in a series, so it ends on a cliffhanger. This is a fun, entertaining page-turner you don't have to think about too deeply. I can't wait to read the other books and find out what happens next.