Lesley Anne Reviews: Divergent by Veronica Roth

The Vitals

Divergent by Veronica Roth
Release Date: May 3, 2011
Page Count: 487
Genre: Dystopian; Post-Apocalyptic
Target Audience: Young Adult
Series: Divergent #1
Source and Format: Library; Hardcover

Summary (From Goodreads)
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, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Notes on Divergent
There's basically one thing you should know about my reading experience with Divergent:

This is the book that made me fall in love with reading all over again.

Oh yes. I know that may sound kind of strange to some people, but regardless, it's true. Coming off of a terrible reading year in 2012 (I can't even bring myself to tell you the number--or lack thereof--of books I read), coming across Divergent in early 2013 was the best thing that could have happened to my reading life at the time. This book was exactly what I needed to get me out of my reading funk, and I totally commend Veronica Roth for it.

When I first reviewed Divergent, I admitted that it gave me JOMCS (aka Just One More Chapter Syndrome). I could NOT stop reading it. I remember flipping through the pages, feeling exhilarated by Tris' story and wanting to know more about the dystopian Chicago Roth had intricately created. I absolutely ate this book up, and it made me remember why I loved reading so much in the first place. Getting completely lost in a different world, being so caught up in a story that you seriously feel for the characters--now that's a sign of a good book!

After devouring Divergent, I moved right on to Insurgent, and the rest is history. I read more books in 2013 than I had in the previous three years combined. Acting as the catapult to immerse me in the world of reading again, Divergent will always hold a special place in my heart, even though I can't say the same about the trilogy as a whole.

I know I'm not saying much in the way of plot or character development, but there's pretty much nothing to add about Divergent that hasn't already been said in the three years since its publication. I just wanted to get my general thoughts out today when even non-readers might be paying attention to Tris and Four's story (aka there's a movie coming out!!). If you are one of the few people who has not read the book yet, I highly recommend that you drop everything and get yourself to a library/bookstore/computer/WHEREVER and read it STAT. This book has a lot going for it that will appeal to many different tastes. Not only do you have a commentary on human nature, but you get lots of fast-paced action, romance, a dynamic female lead, a complex dystopian future, and a little political intrigue and corruption thrown in for good measure. In short, this book is one wild ride that you definitely don't want to miss!

Memorable Quotes

"I have a theory that selflessness and bravery aren't all that different."

"Human beings as a whole cannot be good for long before the bad creeps back in and poisons us again."

Overall Diagnosis

Get A Second Opinion

• April at Good Books and Good Wine - "I’m pretty sure there is something magical inside Divergent because I read this almost 500 page book in two days. It would have been one day, but work frowns on me coming in on zero sleep."
• Wendy at The Midnight Garden - "It’s always important to read with a critical eye–and it’s true that with more attention to detail, this book might have been even better – but…the positives of this adventure outweigh the negatives and in the end, Divergent is still loads of fun to read."