Divergent

Review by: Curry

Divergent

by: Veronica Roth

Genre: Young adult, dystopian

Personal rating: Y-13 (at the parents discretion)

Content: Violence, Sexual situations and discussion but no sex, the main characters get tattoos.

I first heard about divergent about 2 years ago and it sounded interesting. With all of the buzz about the movie going around I finally decided to read it here is my review:

Summary: (From the back of the book)

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 threatens to unravel her seemingly-perfect society, she also learns that her secret might be what helps her save those she loves . . . or it might be what destroys her.

Personal Review:

I have mixed feelings about this book. It was interesting enough but I felt like it did not hook me like it should’ve. This book is packed with information and action and yet I never really found myself needing to know what happens next.  Although I enjoyed this book, there were also some things that I definitely disliked about it. The main character kind of bothered me. At times I just felt like she was kind of selfish. The other things that I disliked were some of the things that I felt like this book was trying to make “cool” like getting tattoos and thrill seeking or reckless behaviour.  Even though there is not any actual sex in this book the fact that it was mentioned a couple times leads me to think that there will be in the sequels. Overall I liked the book, but it definitely did not leave a lasting impression.

- Curry

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