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.
My Thoughts:
I couldn't put this book down. The mystery and action to it all was amazing. Like I've said, I'm not one for dystopian, but if I keep reading books like these, I think I might possibly have a change of heart. There was just so much I loved about this book.
So, our main girl in Divergent is Beatrice Prior, or Tris, as she prefers to go by. I loved her personality and character so much. I could relate to her, most of the times, especially when she got all brave and stuff. Coming from Abnegation, she was originally taught to be modest, selfless, kind, volunteer for everything there was, and to not be curious. She couldn't look herself in the mirror, she couldn't decide her haircut or what she wanted to wear, and she couldn't express her true personality. I would have died living like that everyday. Sure, I'm kind, but I've got my own priorities, and I don't mean that in a snobby way. I prefer to know what I look like and to have a voice of my own. Tris learns so many things about herself and the people around her. She never backs down and for the most part, she sticks up for what she believes in. She was a true-born leader in my eyes.
But there were many more characters in Divergent than just Tris--duh. And what really surprised me was that all, including the secondary characters, all had depth and dimensions to them. They all had a mind of their own and all of their personalities and ideas were expressed in a beautiful way. Not one character was left in the dust to suffer the consequences of not being described. You knew them the way Tris saw them, without many dark spots covering the characters from my mind.
The story, overall, was just grand. There was adventure and mystery, lies and those normal moments that make you really get to know who the characters are. I never expected the story to be the way it was, never in my wildest dreams, and I was very happy about that. I was blown away by the creativity of Veronica Roth. And it was rich, too, everything explained in detail and crispness.
The best thing I liked about this book would have to have been the distant narrative of Tris. We got to know her and all, but there was something distant and mysterious--almost cold--about the way she thought. It was unique and completely different from all the other books I've read. I loved it, all of it.
Overall, I gave Divergent FIVE out of five shining, golden stars because I loved it so. I'm so glad I had a whole bunch of bloggers that kept on telling me that I needed to read this book because I was missing out. So, read it I did and loved it, too. I really was missing out, sadly, but I'm glad I read it now, since Insurgent just came out.
So, if you haven't read it yet, I highly suggest you do because, like me, you are missing out. Though, I highly doubt there area a lot of people who haven't read this book yet. It's an educated guess of mine.
Happy reading! :D
I am SO glad you loved Divergent :-) I know what you mean, about wishing you had read it sooner, but then you would have been DYING to read Insurgent, so maybe it's for the best?
ReplyDeleteI agree about Tris' narration. Very intriguing! I am curious to discover where she and Four are at in Insurgent and hope that it doesn't disappoint.
Great review, Millie! <3
I completely loved Divergent too ..I just recently read it too so don't worry ;) I completely agree with you when you talked about how you could relate to Tris and so did I. Another point that really stood out was how you said all the secondary characters has a depth to them and it's true. I feel as if each and every one of them have a story.
ReplyDelete-Monica