Review: Divergent

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Book Rating: 5/5 Stars

Cover Rating: 3/5 Stars

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 496 pages
• Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (May 3, 2011)

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, 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 to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating 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 a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

THOUGHTS: Divergent is easily one of the best books I have ever read. At first, I didn't even want to buy this book. I have nothing against Dystopian, it's just not my favorite genre, the only exception being The Hunger Games and, of course, Divergent. After I read the first 100 pages online, I fell quickly in love with the story. I think the Factions are one of the things that drew me into the book. In my opinion, everyone has a little bit of everything in them- good, bad, wise, brave, selflessness, peacefulness- and this book conveyed that message in the most beautiful way.  I literally read this book in five hours. It grabs your attention with a steel grip- you won't want to do anything until you get this book done. Overall, it was a beautifully written, thought provoking book that leaves a huge impact. 

SETTING: Most of this book takes place in Dauntless headquarters, a place which is both scary and amazing. The Pit, a huge place containing an overlook to deadly drop into a roaring river, definitely sends chills down your spine. Dauntless headquarters is a place where everything is free, or the closest you can get to freedom you can get in Tris's world, and freedom is always scary, but beautiful.

CHARACTERS: Tris has to be one of my all-time favorite heroines. She's not too self-assured, but she's not insecure, either. She's badass and she doesn't even realize it. And, honestly, when I opened the book up, I wasn't expecting much of a romance. Wow, I was SO wrong. Four is..... just yum. First, he would do anything to save Tris. Anything. He's also mysterious which, you know, is always super attractive and adds a note of danger to the romance. Plus the thing about having only four fears- I mean, four? My list would probably be about a foot long, including many big frownie faces . Another person who I loved was Tris's Mom. When Tris switched Factions, while her Dad got angry, her mother was proud of Tris through it all. There are countless other important, well developed characters in this book, all of them leaving an impact on Tris's life. One definitely worthy of mention is Al. When he betrayed Tris, I honestly never expected it. It was like a punch in the gut. And when he did, well, what he did, I cried. No, bawled is the word for it. But it was real. This book was so believable it's scary- I felt like I was reading a real-life diary. 

PLOT: This book, along with it's awesome, make-you-think-words, has some pretty dang epic fight scenes, along with a suspenseful plot. While Tris is just trying to make it through Initiation alive, her being Divergent makes that twice as hard. Not only does she have to deal with the threat of jealous initiates who are more than willing to take her out of the game for good, but she also has to hide the fact that she's Divergent from the law- or die. The ending really lives up to the book. It all happens so fast, and it's like everywhere Tris turns another tragedy is waiting around the corner. I cried, I laughed, heck, I even ran in circles around my house. This book is everything you could search for in a book, plus everything you couldn't hope to find but wish you could. If you haven't read this book, and, like me, are a little iffy about Dystopian, DON'T BE! This book was amazing. Just go read it.

FIRST SENTENCE: "There is one mirror in my house."

LAST SENTENCE: "I am no longer Tris, the selfless of Tris, the brave. I suppose that now, I must become more than either."