January 31, 2014

Book Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent (Divergent #1)
Author: Veronica Roth
Series #: 1
Genre: YA/Dystopian/Science Fiction
Rating: ★★★★★
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, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

First of all I must say that this is one unique story. I first knew about this at Tumblr, and when I got to a bookstore, I bought it without even thinking otherwise. The first few sentences kind of already captured me, so I didn't really put it down for the next 5 hours or so. 

Brief Explanation about 'Divergence' and its Synopsis above... (NO MAJOR SPOILERS!)
So in Divergent, we have sixteen year-old Beatrice Prior. So when people turn sixteen, they have to undergo some kind of aptitude test that will show what one faction they belong to and then evaluate their choices. Chicago has this kind of annual ceremony that's participated by the people evaluated by the test. This ceremony is to chose a new faction. Whether they feel they don't belong in their current faction, they could switch. The decision is entirely theirs, but of course, the test is created to help narrow the choices of the teenagers. But when Tris had her aptitude test, the result showed three equal results, that she was compatible with Erudite, Abnegation, and Dauntless. This means she is divergent, a kind of 'race' wherein people have different mentalities and abilities rather than those who aren't. From the root word 'diverse', divergent means that these people switch their thinkings rapidly, as opposed to those who aren't divergent. Since their government is designed to train people to build a better nation or community, they believe that divergence will only ruin the proposal of a better country. That's why when Tris got her results, her proctor warned her that the government wishes to eradicate the Divergent. Tris kept this secret as well because she's afraid that this could be the very reason of her death. 

I love/d the characters in this book as well as their stories. It feels like every character is crafted finely to create this well-written book. When you read this book, you'd probably get a sense of having an inner Tris deep inside you. We could also get a sense that maybe in a few years or generations, we could have this kind of controlled world. It really is possible. 

It's not entirely similar to THG (The Hunger Games), as most people say. It's something new in the realm of YA fiction and is really interesting. It's a compelling story about strength, love, hope, faith, and secrecy. If you want to spice up your YA selection, then add this to your reading list! I highly recommend this :) Hope you would enjoy/have enjoyed reading this as much as I did.

2 comments:

  1. Hi Lianne! I came across your blog through goodreads, so I figured to stop by and say hello! I am also now following your blog :)

    I actually recently finished reading Divergent too! It had been sitting on my bookshelf for over a year and I really have no idea why I didn't try reading it months ago. Now that the movie is coming out soon, I figured it was time to start reading so I could compare it to the movie. I am so glad that I did because, as you said in your review, it was a very good book! I do see some similarities to Hunger Games, but it is also very different. The author has one hell of an imagination and I can't wait to see if the movie can live up to the book!

    Anyway, great review! Feel free to stop by my blog sometime. I am always looking for new blogger buddies to chat with and follow :)

    Best Wishes,
    Mia @ The Muses Circle

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    1. Hello Mia! This has been so sweet of you. I'm so sorry I haven't replied to you any sooner than this, I've been busy with school (now that it's graduation season in our country, we're swamped with school requirements...) for the past few days. Thank you so so so much! Hope we get to talk to each other very soon. Best of luck to you. Followed you back! <3

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