Sunday, May 1, 2011

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

5 out of 5 stars

Dauntless- the fearless and the brave. Abnegation- the selfless and the simple. Erudite- the intelligent and those that hunger for knowledge. Amity- the joyful and carefree. Candor- those that seek the truth and those that question. These are the five factions. You are born into one, and at sixteen you take the aptitude test to determine your fate. Once you choose there is no going back. This will be the way you live for the rest of your life. So think about it, and choose wisely…

Beatrice was the old Tris. She was the one who would always do for others, but never herself. The one who would always take the stairs if the elevator was full, so another person might be able to go on. The one who would eat simple foods, as lavish meals would be considered wasteful, and therefore selfish. But Beatrice couldn’t stand to always be selfless. It just didn’t come naturally to her.

This is the dilemma that Beatrice faces. She is an Abnegation, and was taught and raised to be selfless and always put others before herself. She wears plain gray clothes, eats simple meals, and there is only one mirror in the whole house. However, none of this comes easily to Beatrice and she feels as if she doesn’t quite fit in. No matter how hard she tries, Abnegation is just not her. But there is an opportunity for Beatrice to change coming very soon. The Choosing ceremony.

Beatrice is sixteen and the Choosing ceremony is looming closer. She’s nervous and doesn’t know which faction to choose. Will she stay in Abnegation, or will she choose a new faction like Candor or Amity? But first, Beatrice must take the aptitude test. The aptitude test will assess which of the five factions Beatrice belongs in. Beatrice isn’t allowed to prepare for the test in any way, so she has absolutely no idea what to expect. Will Beatrice choose to stay with her family for the rest of her life, or will she take an unknown path? Does she really have a choice? Veronica Roth reveals all in her exhilarating debut of one girl’s struggles to conform to society’s expectations or find her true self in, Divergent!

Divergent swept me off feet and took me to a world where society is everything and where the saying “faction over blood” stands true. This is Veronica Roth’s first novel. She recently graduated from Northwestern University and wrote this novel while still in college! I think that is such an inspiration to young writers out there. Divergent was given to me by HarperTeen as an advanced reader’s copy for review.* Thank you so much HarperTeen! With its remarkable writing and striking characters this is a must-read for teens everywhere!

I thoroughly enjoyed the idea of the five different factions. It was like society was trying to put people into groups where they would fit the best, but in so doing caused a greater rift to form between them. It’s hard to believe that the society in Divergent wants its inhabitants to be themselves, when they are born into a faction that they must learn to live by. Then, based on the aptitude test, they are told which factions they can choose from. In this world, the factions are everything. They are one’s life. I can’t imagine living in the world that Divergent takes place in.

Veronica Roth is such an inspiration. I think that it is amazing how she recently graduated from Northwestern University, and is already a full-time writer. Talk about living the dream! I look forward to reading the next books in the series! Thank you Ms. Roth for being such an inspiration to young readers and writers out there!

The main character, Tris, was a very bold and determined soul. She wouldn’t let anyone get in her way and did everything she could to prove them wrong. I also enjoyed how Tris still had her doubts and her tough days. She was never quite sure if she made the right choice, and kept thinking is there really a “right choice?”

There was one climax in particular, that I felt could have been built up a bit more. There had been clues of what might happen, but not enough for what suddenly seemed to happen next. In the end, it felt more like a surprise to me.

I can’t express how spectacular Divergent is. I highly recommend it, and hopefully you will enjoy it as much as I did. Ultimately, Divergent is the story of one girl who has the power to make a choice that could affect her entire world. Join Tris, as she tries to decide her path in life, all the while blending them all together to determine who she really is in, Divergent!

-This is T.B. with Another Book Back on the Shelf…
Until Next Time, Keep Reading!


*I received this novel from HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins.  I received Divergent as an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.  This book comes out May 3, 2011.  Thank you so much HarperTeen!




Check out Veronica Roth's website at http://www.veronicarothbooks.com/.
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Divergent is available from Amazon here.

15 comments:

  1. great review, i'm really curious now about the book!!

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  2. Wow, this sounds so amazing! I want this now.
    Amazing amazing review! And thanks for bringing this one to my attention! (:

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  3. I want to read this one so bad!

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  4. Loved your review! I agree on all your points, and I'm so happy you liked it; it's one of my favourite books.

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  5. @ndone- Thanks! I'm glad that this one sounds interesting, and hopefully you'll give it a try. Thanks so much for stopping by!

    TheBookAddictedGirl- Haha, I'm so glad that you like this one! I hope you like the book even better!

    Sarah- I hope you get a chance to read this one. It really is spectacular, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

    Athena- Divergent is now one of my all time favorite books too! It was written so well, and it had a great amount of suspense and adventure. Also, I thought that the romance was done really well.

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  6. Tessa, wow! this has got to be by far your best review! i love it! how did you get an arc? share your secrets with me :) you can tell you really enjoyed this book, seriously- your enthusiasm jumps of the page, & that makes me want to read it THAT much more! awesome review, girly! keep up the good work :)

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  7. Thanks for stopping by my blog, T.B.! I'm returning the favor and the follow. I haven't heard of Divergent before but it sounds like a book I would like! Thanks for the review!

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  8. Thanks for the follow! I returned the favor. Yes, I was quite indecisive, at first, on my book choices for the end of the world. In my defense, that was a really hard and torturous question to put to known book addicts. LOL

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  9. This book sounds so good. After being disappointed by so many YA dystopians lately it seems like the tide is starting to turn! :D

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  10. The Lovely Getaway- Awwww, thanks so much! That means a lot to me. I'm so glad that you could tell how much I enjoyed this book, because I really wanted to get that across. I hope you enjoy it as well!

    Siobian- Thanks so much for following and commenting! Hopefully you enjoy this one, if you pick it up!

    Fiction Fool- Thanks for following and commenting! Haha, I love how you kept changing your answers, but I don't think you cheated at all. It definitely is a tough question. How is a book lover to decide? :)

    Small Review- I think you would really enjoy this one. I understand what you mean, some dystopians have been lacking lately. This one doesn't disappoint though! I hope you give it a try!

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  11. I DEVOURED Divergent as soon as I got it in my hot little hands! It was all I hoped for and more! Tris was bold, just like you said. I love characters like her. I can't wait to read the next one!

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  12. Same here! I wonder what directions the next book will go in, and of course I can't wait to read more of Tris and Four! This one did not disappoint. Thanks for stopping by!

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  13. I've been hearing so many great things about this book. Awesome review, TB!

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  14. Thanks! I hope you get a chance to read it!

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  15. Great review. As soon as I received this book, I read it straight through. There were so many exciting twists and turns that I was hooked. It was amazing seeing the character development and self-doubt set into motion in Divergent. A contrast between Tris's beliefs on her image and surrounding peoples' reactions to it were so interesting to see played out. Thank you for the suggestion!

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