Divergent - Veronica Roth

A Spoiler Free Bit About the Book

The world is divided into five factions: Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless and Erudite.  The selflessness, the peaceful, the honest, the brave, the intelligent.  At the age of sixteen you are tested to see which faction you have an aptitude for.  And then at the Choosing Ceremony you must pick one and if you chose to leave your family your faction become your new family - faction before blood.

We follow our protagonist, Tris Prior, born of Abnegation.  But she's sure she isn't selfless enough for it.

The Choosing Ceremony is only the beginning.


My Review

'Divergent' had cropped up a lot in the teen fiction community over the past few months and after hearing about it I knew it was one I just had to read.  I knew it was going to be amazing, so amazing I would become obsessed, or it would be overrated.  Well, let's just say a few chapters in I looked up and said to whoever was in the room at the time "this is going to be awesome".

I wasn't wrong.

My first love of 'Divergent' was our protagonist, Tris.  She was so real to me, doing what anyone would do and making good decisions.  She worries about weakness as we all do and yet again on some level she still wants to be helped.  Her battle between being brave and being herself sucked me in and kept me reading.  I connected with her from the off and the simple voice Roth gives her makes you want to follow her to the end of the universe and not just to the end of the book.  Tris worries about the truly important.  She knows what it means to be selfless and she knows what it means to be brave.  She was my perfect heroine.

The other characters too, stole my heart.  They were round and full and so real.  But what shocked me most was that they were so very quickly, meaning they had plenty of time to develop across the novel.  They were all different and relatable for different reasons.  And they all had sound motives which teenage fiction is sometimes lacking in my opinion.  I loved the ones I hated but not as much as the ones I loved and that if nothing else, is the mark of incredible characters.  Roth paints real friendships with their ups and downs and sometimes the characters broke my heart.

The universe in itself with its five factions was so interesting.  I just wanted to know more, wanted to know everything.  (I suspect I would be in Erudite.)  The idea is great and I loved how different the factions were in ideals and personality.  And of course how even with this system, humanity will always mess it up.

Th pace was excellent.  I could hardly put it down from the first sentence and the action was perfect.  It was so easy to follow even thought it was fast paced and I always knew who was throwing the punches.


Evaluation

Plot Idea - 10/10 - five factions, different from anything I've ever read.

Way Plot Was Pursued - 10/10 - I can't imagine the story being told any differently.

Characters - 10/10 - Rounded.  Different.  Relatable.  Loveable.

Style - 10/10 - loved Roth's peppering of short sentences and Tris's narration.

Pace - 10/10 - not slow at all, couldn't put it down.


Would I recommend it? - Yes.  It's without a doubt the next big thing in teen fiction.

Would I look up the author? - Yes.  Or I would if this wasn't her debut.  I certainly would.


'Divergent' was everything I wanted in a story.  I can't fault it.  The only novel so far I've given perfect ten all round.


Molly Looby

Author / Reviewer / Editor / Writing Coach / Blogger / ZA Ready / Wrimo