All reviews of Divergent

• 

  Was this review helpful?

  0

  0

  The Most Adventurous Book Alive

  by Naveen RTMS

  7 days ago

  It’s about a sixteen year old girl named Beatrice ‘Tris’ Prior who turns out to be Divergent which is very dangerous. She meets other Divergents and needs help to keep safe with the help of her fighting instructor Four(Tobias Eaton). She embarks on a journey of love and a journey of loss since she loses her loved ones. She does anything she can to stop the people who are killing anyone in a certain faction to show that she can do anything at a young age. Divergent follows the life of Beatrice ‘Tris’ Prior who leaves her faction Abnegation, the selfless faction, for Duantless, the fearless faction. She learns about the dangers of Duantless and needs to do everything she can to save her old faction. It’s a truly amazing book with a few unneeded parts. It tells an amazing journey of a girl and can make your imagination grow.

• 

  Was this review helpful?

  1

  2

  A fantastic YA dystopian with non-stop action!

  by Darlene

  3 months ago

  Dystopia is one of my favourite genres, and Divergent does not disappoint. It totally knocked my socks off, and I am kicking myself for waiting so long to read it! This dystopian society contains five factions, which developed as a result of people’s blame of different personality flaws for the world’s downfall: Amity (who are kind and loving towards others and blame aggression), Erudite (who seek to educate themselves because they blame ignorance), Candor (who are brutally honest because they blame schemers), Abnegation (who are completely selfless because they blame selfishness), and Dauntless (who are fearless because they blame cowards). The factions all have their own rules of dress, behaviour, food, and shelter. When a person reaches 16 years of age, she will undergo an aptitude test which involves a simulation to determine which faction she will belong to. The subject is presented with different scenarios and options. How the subject chooses to respond to each scenario will eventually eliminate a faction. The test continues until just one is left. The person then needs to make a choice to either remain in the faction that she was raised in or transfer into another faction. The person does not necessarily have to choose the faction that was the outcome of the aptitude test. Rather, it reveals to the subject their propensity towards one faction over another. Faction transfers are often frowned upon by both the faction they have deserted and the one that they have joined. They often have to prove themselves that they are worthy of the new faction, since they have been raised in a completely different manner with different ideals. Each faction transfer must endure an initiation. The protagonist of the story is Beatrice “Tris” Pryor, who is a 16 year-old teenager. She was raised in the Abnegation faction and is facing her upcoming aptitude test. Putting all others before herself has never come easily to her. Her older brother, Caleb, makes it seem so easy. Tris struggles with it, and she has always felt like she never really fit in. Her natural instinct is her curious nature, which has been stifled by Abnegation’s rules. The results of Tris’ aptitude test are inconclusive. The tester reveals to her that she has equal aptitude for Abnegation, Erudite, and Dauntless. These results are rare, and she is warned not to discuss the results with anyone because it would be dangerous for her. Tris is faced with a monumental decision to either stay with her family in Abnegation or join another faction. Roth’s world-building had me utterly engrossed. I loved the segregation of the society into different factions and how different each one was from the others. I loved Tris, and I could relate to her. Her strength and courage makes her such a great role model. I loved how she evolved and came into her own. I also really enjoyed the budding romance with her love interest, Four! This is a fantastic YA dystopian with non-stop action, and it was difficult to put it down! I cannot wait to read the next book in the series, Insurgent, which was released last year. I have really enjoyed the last few books narrated by Emma Galvin (including Kresley Cole's Poison Princess and Jamie McGuire's Beautiful Disaster), and this one is no exception. She was believable as teenage Tris, and she didn’t overdo the characterizations. She has a clear voice, which is easy to listen to, and her pace is bang-on. A great narrator draws you into the story and makes it even more intense, and Galvin certainly achieved this!

• 

  Was this review helpful?

  1

  1

  If you love the Hunger Games, You'll love this

  by - Chay Wolf -

  4 months ago

  Everyone was telling me that I should read this and everyone was always talking about it so I decided to give it a try. At first I wasn't really enjoying it but once the story picked up i could barley keep away from it. I loved the characters and how their personalities were like nothing Ive ever seen and the plot was just amazing. Not too fast and not too slow. i couldn't believe how amazing the plot and events were. I can't wait to read the second one. :D

• 

  Was this review helpful?

  2

  2

  Fantastic

  by Nicole Herdman

  5 months ago

  I personally love this book. It's more about Tris learning to live with the decision she made then trying to pick a fraction to go into. I felt that Tris is relatable and isn't your typical lead female character. Shes short, admits and has other people admit that she isnt pretty (but isn't ugly), doesn't win every fight, and isn't at the top of everything and isn't the best at everything. I hate when people compare books to other books, and i find that a lot of people are comparing this series to The Hunger Games. I think that, yes, there are some similarities, but much more differences between the two series. The characters are not the same (I find that Tris, for all the reasons above, is not like Katniss), and the plot, although has some similarities, is mostly different. I do admit that Divergent might not be the same book as it would be if The Hunger Games were not written, nor would it have the same effect on readers. Again, i believe that books shouldn't be compared to others. I liked Four and the relationship between Him and Tris. I felt it added more to the story and definitely made it more appealing. The writing was really good. About 3/4 of the time I could picture all the feelings of the characters and the scenes, but I had trouble with the Pit and the glass building. I enjoyed all of the events and the whole premise of this series. When buying this book, I was hesitant because I wasn't familiar with the author and it did sound like the typical fantasy book with a lead girl who is emotionally and physically strong who also happens to save the day. This wasn't one of those books. Tris does things that other characters in other books like this one don't do. She is sometimes not emotionally stable and can act like a regular teenage girl, especially when it comes to romance. She regrets some of her decisions, and I feel like I could connect with her from the start. I cant wait until i read the next book, and after reading Divergent, i think most of you will feel the same way.

• 

  Was this review helpful?

  2

  1

  Page Turner

  by Samantha Crooks

  5 months ago

  I absolutely fell in love with this book. I can not believe that I have to wait several months for the next book to come out. Plus I think its fantastic that this series is being made into a move but again have to wait more than a year for that tear tear.

• 

  Was this review helpful?

  3

  1

  Amazing!

  by Glass Butterfly

  6 months ago

  For the simple reason that I had lots of books on my to-read list, I delayed reading this one. I should not have done that! Read it now, right away, go get it and dive right in. I was expecting something similar to the Hunger Games and the Delirium series,and at first it is. But then it changes. It is a lot more violent, and the main character takes charge of her life in a more concrete way. Tris felt realistic and believable because she was flawed, but without being annoying or unlikeable. Read this book!

• 

  Was this review helpful?

  3

  7

  Hardly as good as The Hunger Games

  by R Sangha

  6 months ago

  I read this book on the suggestion of an employee I got to talking with at Indigo who stated that it was better than The Hunger Games. The moment I read the first chapter I knew this wasn't something I was going to like. There were a couple reasons that stood out. First, the plot itself didn't feel relatable in any way, more mediocre than anything else. In my opinion, it was b/c the whole idea of being divergent didn't seem very realistic. If you think about it, and I know this is a fictional story, every one of us is divergent. I don't believe any one of us would be able to classify ourselves as just 'Abnegation' or 'Dauntless.' Second, like another comment I read here, Beatrice Prior is not a character I find relatable or worth reading about. Bella Swan was more interesting and I'm not a fan of the Twilight series either. And third, once I got to the end I felt like I had read another Twilight book without the vampires and werewolves and the actual plot of the book being weak and pointless. I read this b/c of my interest in the dystopian/futuristic genre and it didnt meet my expectations. Neither did Insurgent, the second installment to the trilogy. Just my thoughts on the book. As far as comparing this to The Hunger Games goes, that trilogy far surpasses this one. As far as the Harry Potter series are concerned, this does not come remotely close to the literary skills of J.K. Rowling.

• 

  Was this review helpful?

  4

  8

  Lacking a sufficient back story

  by boundbywords

  7 months ago

  I'm going to make this review short and to the point. I'm not usually a fan of writing lengthy reviews for books that are surrounded by so much hype, and have already accumulated umpteen amounts of reviews. I picked up this book pretty much knowing exactly what I was in for (the joy and curse of reviews!). I knew that I had to separate myself from my intense love for the dystopian mastery that was The Hunger Games, and start the Divergent trilogy with a completely open mind. With that said, and with a mind completely open to all possibilities..I was disappointed not even halfway through. Like many other reviews point out, the back story for this book was lacking and almost non-existent. I felt disconnected from Beatrice ("Tris") very early on in the book, and spent the remainder of the book trying to find something relatable and redeeming. Her character just came across as very bland and whiny-ironic, seeing as how the entire book is spent trying to convince the reader that she has rid herself of these exact qualities. The reader is suppose to believe that she's actually "evolving"..I just didn't buy it. If I were to use an analogy, reading about her character felt like trying to remember a dream that I had, but it's quickly slipping away-she just wasn't memorable to me. As for her relationship with Four-didn't care for it. The numerous descriptions of Tris having a severely under developed body just rubbed me the wrong way-and picturing her with Four's older character just bordered slightly on perverted. The climax of the story seemed a little "toy soldier-ish" to me. Almost as if I were reading a play instead of a "thriller filled with electrifying decisions[...]". The motives were poorly explained-that could be on account of, again, the entire book having almost zero back-story explanation. Ok, so much for this review being short. I didn't completely dislike this book. It was quick-paced and entertaining-just not in a way that made much sense. I am definitely going to-and in the process of-reading the other books in this series. It has to get better from here *fingers crossed*

• 

  Was this review helpful?

  2

  2

  Love Hunger Games? This is better!

  by Stephanie

  8 months ago

  This book is Hunger Games without the triangle love affair. Its sci-fi with a love angle. I loved it from the minute I opened the cover. I am not a huge sci-fi fan but this book was great! It reminded me a lot of The movie In Time.

• 

  Was this review helpful?

  3

  0

  AMAZING. one of the best books I've ever read!

  by Colleen Staples

  8 months ago

  It's in my top fav series along with Harry Potter, the Hunger Games and The Summoning. A must read. Plus there's a movie coming out on March 21st, 2014. Al long wait, but it will be worth it. The second book is called Insurgent

• 

  Was this review helpful?

  2

  2

  Fantastic Dystopian Read

  by Shazia Iftikhar

  8 months ago

  It's a great book! Those who like The Hunger Games will love it too! The plot is nice and simple and the characters are normal people, not ones with a special purpose or power. It's one of my favourite Dystopian novels i've ever read.

• 

  Was this review helpful?

  1

  3

  love it!!!

  by kiana leader

  8 months ago

  I Love the book series soooooooo much but the third one does not come out for a year!

• 

  Was this review helpful?

  2

  1

  SO AMAZING!!!

  by California Dreamin

  9 months ago

  This book was so hard to put down. If I put it down for even a second all I could think of was what was going to happen to Trice. I loved every word of it. The author did a great job captivating the reader from the very first to very last page of the book. Veronica Roth not only had wonderful charaters, orginal plot line, and a sense of humor but you also got lots of cool bonus material. This book is a total must read. Now that I've finished it all I want to do is buy the sequel.

• 

  Was this review helpful?

  4

  0

  Not as huge a fan as others

  by ChrisM

  • Top Book Reviewer

  9 months ago

  The dystopian landscape is popular in young adult fiction. If it’s not vampires and werewolves, angels or fairies – it’s likely some future version of our world where society has run amok and children are often left to fend for themselves. The most famous recent example is likely Suzanne Collins’ beloved book, The Hunger Games. Veronica Roth’s popular novel Divergent has gained its own rabid fans and while I understand the book’s appeal, I didn’t like it as much as The Hunger Games. Beatrice is sixteen. When you turn sixteen you must choose a faction: Abnegation (selflessness), Amity (peaceful harmony), Candor (frankness, honesty), Erudite (seeking knowledge) or Dauntless( fearless). Beatrice has grown up in an Abnegation household with her parents and older brother (by just a few months, so her brother, Caleb, must also choose a faction), but she has never felt like she belonged. Selflessness doesn’t come easily to Beatrice. "When I look at the Abnegation lifestyle as an outsider, I think it’s beautiful. When I watch my family move in harmony; when we go to dinner parties and everyone cleans together afterward without having to be asked; when I see Caleb help strangers carry their groceries, I fall in love with this life all over again. It’s only when I try to live it myself that I have trouble. It never feels genuine." So when it comes time to choose a faction, Beatrice chooses Dauntless. Most of Divergent is concerned with Beatrice’s (renamed Tris) training at the Dauntless compound. It’s a bit like a reality show: candidates are put through a series of tests and the best man (or woman) wins. Those who don’t make it – because they either quit or fail – suffer worse fates. You can’t go home again so you’re factionless, left to scrounge for food or do the most menial jobs available. Tris is smart, no question, but what was missing for me was the back story which Katniss Everdeen had in spades. Katniss is a beautifully written character, someone I rooted for and understood. Tris, despite her upbringing, adapts relatively easily to her new faction – learning how to fight and lie with relative ease. Perhaps Roth was thinking of the nature versus nurture debate: how much of what we are is because of environment and how much is because of biology? My issues with the book are minor quibbles, though. Despite being almost 500 pages long, I breezed through it. Sometimes I felt like the plot was being served rather than unraveled in a meaningful and organic way. Characters turned up conveniently and were dispensed with equally trouble-free. I know many will argue that Divergent offers lots of talking points, but I didn’t leave that shattered Chicago landscape feeling all that inclined to revisit. All that said, I know there will be students in my class who will enjoy the novel and I would have no trouble recommending it – even if only as a way to talk about characterization: it’s difficult to mourn for people you don’t feel you know.

• 

  Was this review helpful?

  1

  1

  Great plot, okay writing.

  by stephb

  9 months ago

  I have a bit of an addiction to teen dystopian books. I bought this hoping for greatness. I almost got it and read the whole book in two days. I won't recap the book as others have already done that. I *love* the plot of the book. It's a fresh idea that I haven't read before elsewhere. The problem for me (and why I gave it only 3 stars) is that the writing is sub-par. It could have been a much better book had someone else taken the idea and written it. The characters aren't well-developed and it just feels "immature". On one hand, it's a teen book, so I shouldn't expect much more; but other the other hand, look at books like the Hunger Games - a teen novel but still very well-written. Anyway, I do recommend this book! Just go into it knowing it won't win any awards.

• 

  Was this review helpful?

  3

  1

  Best Book Ever. EVER!!!

  by Cassandra Belo

  9 months ago

  Oh my freaking mother of Jesus. This book is absolutely amazing!!! i love it. There is nothing in the book that i hate. It made me laugh and cry and now i am tempted to go out to the store to buy the second book....its 2:30am right now. i absolutely love the book and want EVERYONE to read it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• 

  Was this review helpful?

  2

  1

  Worth the hype!

  by Nancy Wang

  9 months ago

  Hands down the best teenage dystopian novel I have ever read. I love the fact that this book isn't based on a main character who has a power that nobody else has. I love the fact that while the main character is special, as all other dystopian protagonists are, she is not the be-all and end-all of the story. The fact that Tris makes her own choices that drive the plot instead of being forced into one situation after the other makes this one of the best books I've read in a while!

• 

  Was this review helpful?

  1

  1

  Page-turner. Great plot. Fascinating.

  by Starshade

  10 months ago

  Just bought the book to find out why so many people love it. Couldn't help it, now I'm a fan too! I just couldn't put down the book. I'm also a Hunger Games lover, but after re-reading the trilogy so many times, I needed to find something new. I ended up picking up Divergent and loved it. The plot was amazing, the characters were well developed, and I just loved the main character, Tris. It was my first time buying books from Chapters online, though, so I was unhappy to see that there were stickers on the books. I was afraid to rip my poor paperback so I didn't take it off, but the sticker ruins the cover for me (though the cover itself is beautiful). I'm thinking of exchanging it for a hardcover, thought it might still have stickers on it... I can only hope not.

• 

  Was this review helpful?

  1

  6

  not as exciting or intense as the hunger games

  by Reader1

  10 months ago

  the plot is very much similar to the hunger games. dystopian society, protagonist female, society made up of seperated "specific" groups, rebels against tyrant government, youths fighting, innocence. growth, love and loss. i do agree with the other reviews if you are looking for another series with the exact same themes as HG than this is it. althought i'm a bit bias, because i absolutely love the HG series. divergent is no comarison it does not have the same grasp as HG for me. i found parts were up and down in capturing myattention. a little slow moving at times and took the last few chapters for action. im not excited to read the second one i've decided to read another book. i may come back to the series later on. my opinion this is a skippable series. the target audience seems aimmed at youths.

• 

  Was this review helpful?

  1

  1

  Great Addition to the YA Shelf!!

  by Stephanie Leroux

  10 months ago

  A must read if you enjoy YA science fiction/fantasy. Veronica Roth has introduced us to a new world and great characters. Can't wait to read more of Tris's story. I found many similarities between this book and The Hunger Games, so if you were a fan of that series, give Divergent a try. Although the story lines are very different, the separation of the population in groups is so similar. And of course the fantasy/futuristic world is another similarity. ***Spoilers*** The idea of faction as a way to control people and their emotions is very intriguing. By concentrating on being good at one thing in particular, you lead a very focus and controlled life. Personally, I wouldn't be able to live like that. I see so many different factions in my own person and I wouldn't be able to choose just one. I think Tris feel so confused with her decision because choosing only one faction is like killing a part of herself. I liked stage 1 of the initiation. I think it was my favorite stage. (I don't want to spoil anything, but I had a hard time following the event in the two other stages. I find it was too much information all at once.) As the characters go through the other stages we learn a lot more about the characters and what's going on outside the initiation. I really like Tris and her personality. She definitively not a coward, especially when she sticks up for other people. She, of course, comes from Abnegation and I think that's in her favor because so many courageous acts need to be done in selflessness. I really enjoy the emotions between Tris and Four but throughout the book, Four seems to have so many different faces. Sometimes he's nice and sometimes he's ignorant. But as you read, you learn more about his history and why he is that way. And of course, you learn why he is called Four.