Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Review: Divergent

Title - Divergent 
Author - Veronica Roth
Series - Divergent #1
Genre - YA Dystopia
Format - Paperback
Published -February 28th 2012

Synopsis

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, 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 alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating 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 unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Review
Beatrice lives in a world divided by five factions on her sixteenth birthday she will choose her faction that will change her life forever. A test is used to help her in the choice but with her the test doesn’t work. It’s extremely rare and dangerous so the evaluator pretends it doesn’t happen and tells Beatrice to keep it a secret. When the time comes for Beatrice to choose instead of staying with her parents she chooses Dauntless (the brave) which instantly launches her into a fight for her place. In order to become a Dauntless after the initiation process she will have to fight, jump onto moving trains and learn to beat the simulations that will give away she’s Divergent.

As Beatrice reinvents herself in her new life she changes her name to Tris even getting tattoos to honor who she is. Tris makes friends only to have them taken away as they leave the program left to be faction less. Beatrice struggles with the fact that her brother has also chosen not to stay with her parents. Her parents have always been Abnegation even if her mother was born Dauntless.  When she has the chance to have visitors it’s her mother who shows up asking her to pass a message to her brother. Tris can’t forget what her mother asked. Even though she’s kept it a secret someone knows what really happened, and is looking for the Divergent. She’s worried that her secret will get out risk the ones she loves.

I think Beatrice is an interesting character tossed into a world with that appears perfect but really isn’t. She’s Divergent that alone would demand her death but when the tester tells her to keep it a secret to save her life she does. She’s easy to connect with, you can’t help liking her as a character and getting lost in her story. I like Four he’s a great complement to Tris even if he is a little older you can't help liking him. They have a sweet relationship. 

The movie is just around the corner. I’ve been on the fence for a long time since Divergent has so much hype I didn’t want to buy into it. Divergent is captivating from start to finish it’s a fast paced story that kept me on the edge of my seat. I like Tris she’s easy to connect with, you can’t help falling into her story. Divergent was one of those books you can’t get enough of I know I had a hard time putting it down, even stayed up into the late hours just to finish because I wanted to see what would happen next. I found the concept for the book intriguing the idea of separating people based on who they really are is new but I can see why it won’t work. The author has done a fantastic job creating a story that teens as well as adults will fall in love with.  I think the author’s writings style is easy to read and flows along smoothly making it easy to get lost for hours. I can’t believe I waited so long to join the masses and fall in love with the series. I’ve just ordered book 2 and 3 just so I can see how this series will end. I’m dying to see how the movie plays out. I really loved the first one and look forward to the next one. 
5 out of 5 stars

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