Divergent (Divergent, #1)

by Veronica Roth

[jeannamichel]

Who needs TV, when you have books like Divergent? Divergent is a new twist on the dystopian genre. A 16 year old girl, Beatrice, discovers that she is Divergent and must choose which faction she belongs in (Amity, Erudite, Abnegation, Candor, and Dauntless). But being Divergent is dangerous and she must watch how she conducts herself around the faction leaders. In other news, a war is upon the Abnegation faction and there may not be a way to stop the Erudite from doing anything to get what they want. This fast-paced, adventurous novel, Divergent will leave you on the edge of your seat, daydreaming about this dystopian society, and thirsting for the next installment (Insurgent, published May 2012).

I know. I know. Please stop looking at the screen like I am crazy. I know you are probably like, “Wow, Gina is just reading this novel now.” I realize that there was a huge hype about it last spring when it released. That was when I bought the novel (I cried a little bit when I took the Borders sticker off of it). Then there seemed to be a whole lot of hype for Insurgent and everyone was reading it. My only regret about this book was not reading it sooner because this book is the highlight of my summer so far. It has easily become one of my favorites and for those of you still on edge because it is getting so much hype, pick Divergent up because you will devour it!

I didn’t like the cover, at first. It is kind of simple and not really my style, but the more I got into the book, the more I found myself liking it. I thought the cover gave me a glimpse of this world and its factions.

Divergent is the second series that I have read in the dystopian genre (the other being The Hunger Games). I tend not to read it because it seems closely tied with that of the science fiction genre, which I don’t read at all. But I found myself enjoying Divergent much more than I anticipated. The plot would just roll off the page. Oh, and the twists! Veronica Roth knows how to set the scene. Some of the twists were predictable, but others had me standing in a crowded room of silent people and screaming, “What? She did not just do that!”

I have always loved books with strong female characters. Some of my favorites go out to The Hunger Games, Maximum Ride, and Vampire Academy: Divergent has earned a spot among these as well. Beatrice was one of the bravest characters I have ever read about. Sure, Rose from Vampire Academy could kill every vampire in the room, but could she survive the Fear Landscape? Beatrice was very strong, but also very relatable. She had feelings and, as much as she would deny, she was vulnerable and it was moments like that that I saw her as a character that I could relate to. Four stole my heart from the first glance that he shared with Tris (Beatrice). His character was the most predictable but I was still surprised with what happened to him at the end.

Divergent is a 2011 debut novel, so when I bought this, I did not have many expectations for it. Veronica Roth blew me away; this woman knows how to tell a great story. However, as much as I loved the continuous action and awesome characters, there was something that bothered me. The book sounds strange when I read it aloud. When I told some friends about the novel, they forced me to read them a chapter. Still, with Roth’s present tense writing style and Tris’ short sentence length, it does not flow well when it is read aloud.

The ending grabbed me in a way that I want to go and get the second book, Insurgent, right now. I want to know—no, I need to know what happens next. The twists were just piling up. There was even a point in time, while reading the ending that I was yelling at my book about not reading it fast enough.

Divergent is a creative, heart-stopping, mind-blowing masterpiece. If you like strong female characters, dystopian novels, and non-stop action then Divergent is the book for you. If you haven’t read it yet, go get a copy because you are missing out on a wild ride that will leave you wanting more.