Information about the Book
Genre: Dystopian
Print Length: 487 pages
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date: 4/26/2011
Grade Level (my opinion): 4th-9th
Reading Age (my opinion): 10-16 years
So the Divergent Series… oh my GOD.
I’m still really collecting and recovering myself from reading that phenomenally written book, crafted by Veronica Roth exclusively. That book was actually the first dystopian book that I had read, and honestly, I have been hooked on dystopian novels since then. The book had my brain desperately trying to configure the dystopian Chicago setting that Veronica had so thoughtfully created, what with teenagers and new adults jumping out of trains, and there being a traditional choosing ceremony for 16 year olds.
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My mom had gone to a yard sale and got battered copies of the Divergent quartet for me to read. I noticed that a lot of people had read both Hunger Games and Divergent, and were comparing the books to each other a lot, and because of that, I started to read it. Usually before I start books by flipping pages and just look at sentences or paragraphs that have me interested, and if I find more than 10 good sentences or paragraphs, I’ll tend to actually read it cover to cover. I’ll admit, I wasn’t that interested in it at first. Slowly though, I started to pick it up and *inhales* I am SO glad I started it! Here’s why:
I was absolutely captivated when I started- the plot and the pace absolutely perfect for this kind of book. It was a fast-paced book, along with it transitioning smoothly from chapter to chapter like it was me buttering some bread, but smoother. I think that the amount of plot twists were awesome too, because every time there was one, it felt like something as heavy as a car collided with my senses and left me unable to breathe normally.
I love the 2 main characters, Tris and Four! They seem so different from each other at first glance, yet they actually have so much in common! Tris is so brave, so amazingly loyal, but also kinda susceptible to bad at the same time, and I really felt her pain as she kept getting damaged and double crossed multiple times, again and again, and again. I especially liked her transitioning of character throughout the book. In the beginning, she was a shy, quiet girl from the Abnegation faction, but she changed from that to a Dauntless girl who had multiple tattoos, knew how to fire a gun, and was also strong while on a journey to fix the corrupted world of the Divergence factor.
Four…I really love him. He was like the TDS (tall, dark, stranger) of the novel, using his quiet, slightly unnerving strength to make sure that people wouldn’t pry much into his life, but when Tris came, he became completely open with her, telling her secrets that he never did tell anyone else, and loved her like he didn’t love anyone else before. He really treated her like she wanted to be treated, without sympathy, but had a soft spot in his heart for Tris. He’s like one of those people- Looks like he can kill you, can actually kill you, but secretly is a cinnamon roll.
My review is that this was a riveting, suspenseful book, and I am so positive that there isn’t a book like Divergent anywhere. I thought that Divergent gave an eerie glimpse of a possible future. I am so thankful however, that we don’t currently live in a world like this.
Thank you for reading my review of this wonderful book!