Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Divergent Review

Divergent

Summary
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.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series - dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance. 


What I Liked
Dystopian Novel
I haven't read many current dystopian novels, but I really did enjoy it.  Once I understood what type of world Tris was living in I was very intrigued by the processes, the hazing, the brainwashing of individuality and independent thinking.
Characters
Tris: I like her a lot. She comes from a very selfless plain home being very reserved and formal. She flows easily into her new fraction the dauntless being brave and working hard. Tris maybe viewed as the weakest initiate but she won't be looked down upon, she has a very bright fire within her and I love when she shows it. 
Four: My favorite type of character. Dark brooding male character, but puts up a great facade of being this type of person and when we get to view him when he lets those walls down he is even more endearing. 
Fractions
A very interesting concept, segregating people into their most dominate trait, because I am this, I think this way. Labels defining people, sad but intriguing. The fraction placing got me wondering what fraction I would be in. I took a quiz on Facebook's Divergent Fan Page.  

My Results

What I Didn't Like
I did find the book slow paced for the 1st half of the story. I just felt it took me a little bit of time to understand what the world was about. I don't really like segregation of any sort, even personality types, so it took me a little bit of time to accept this as part of their way of life for these people in this futuristic setting. But by the end I really didn't want it to be over.

Recommendation
A must read. It does make you think about who you are as a person and what decisions you would choose were you in this setting.

Information
Divergent is the first book in the trilogy
Book 2 will should be released Spring/Summer of 2012
Book 3 will should be released Spring/Summer of 2013
Veronica will be an author in the Dark Days of Summer Tour
She will be at each of the stops and I will get to meet her in Portland YAY
Check the Pitch Dark Facebook page to see if she is coming to a city near you



What fraction do you belong to?


<3Books

5 comments:

Diana said...

Thanks so much for sharing your honest thoughts. i havent read one bad review on this book... cant wait to start reading it.

Diana @ The Lovely Getaway

Melissa (My World...in words and pages) said...

I just got this one last week. I just don't know when I'll be able to get to reading it. But I'm happy to have it on the shelf now. :) Thank you for the review.

Kristina said...

@Lovely It is definitely a good read, well worth the time and money.

@Melissa I hope you will get to reading in soon, it is a good book to have on the shelf

Ash said...

It's odd, I think the segregation is what made the story interesting to me, how they split up by personality to prevent war, and destruction. . .

*spoiler*

And that's exactly what happened. I believe this made the story amazing and daring and Impossible.

Sometimes, I hated this story though, *Al, Will* I think they both deserved so much more.

Kristina said...

It definitely made the story what it was, but I'm personally not a fan of segregation. I wouldn't have wanted the story to change one thing.