fraenzi's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
katreadsalot's review against another edition
4.0
I love it! I can't wait to read the rest of the series and see the movie.
skgowan20181's review against another edition
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
theatomicpirategirl's review against another edition
4.0
Pick a Faction…any Faction…
I find that these Young Adult Dystopias fall in one of two categories for me: Hunger Games and not the Hunger Games. Yeah, I know. It’s kind of a crappy thing to do to books. However, this book just might break that mold and change my mind into Good Dystopias and Bad Dystopias. Don’t worry folks. This is falls into the Good Dystopias.
From the beginning, this book shows the main character, Beatrice Prior, as someone who didn’t quite fit in with. Not that she was an out and out rebel, but someone who was just slightly different. In the Chicago that Beatrice Prior lives in, society has broken down and five Factions have been developed: Candor (the honest), Erudite (the intelligent), Amity (the peaceful), Dauntless (the brave), and Abnegation (the selfless). Our heroine is form the Abnegation Faction. The first couple chapters explore Beatrice’s life as Abnegation and how she feels towards them. I like how Roth made Beatrice view her family as an outsider, someone that doesn’t really belong.
I liked the progression of the story as Beatrice chooses to be Dauntless, leaving her Abnegation family behind. Looking ahead of her in what it means to be Dauntless, you see the perversion of the Faction’s standards and what it means to be one of them. Slowly, Beatrice and Four, uncover the blot to over throw the Factions establishment. Without going into too much detail and causing spoilers, the action was well balanced with the drama and suspense of the Dauntless initiation. There were a couple spots in the story that I felt were a little slow, but for the most part the story was well paced and didn’t feel too slow or too fast. It was like Baby Bear: just right.
The only issued I had with the book was the romance. Not that it was bad, and it was well written, I just felt that it kind of came out of no where and was a little too up and down. I understand that Four has to pretend to have nothing to do with Beatrice as to protect her, but I felt that if I was Beatrice (or Trice, as she’s called once she becomes Dauntless), I’d just say “forget it” and focus on kicking ass and taking names. But then again, that could just be my preference. Sometime I feel some romances in books are hooky and silly, feeling forced. I prefer some good ol' fashion ass kicking with a tiny side of romance.
I loved that Beatrice and several others in the book are Divergent, it’s a good contrast to the world of Factions. To be Divergent is to belong to more than one Faction. And in this world, you are either in a Faction, or you are Factionless. There is no in between.
The end of this book left me thinking “What the heck?!” So of course, I have to read the second book, Insurgent. How will the world of Factions survive a revolt? Here’s hoping that Insurgent will be just as action packed as Divergent.
I find that these Young Adult Dystopias fall in one of two categories for me: Hunger Games and not the Hunger Games. Yeah, I know. It’s kind of a crappy thing to do to books. However, this book just might break that mold and change my mind into Good Dystopias and Bad Dystopias. Don’t worry folks. This is falls into the Good Dystopias.
From the beginning, this book shows the main character, Beatrice Prior, as someone who didn’t quite fit in with. Not that she was an out and out rebel, but someone who was just slightly different. In the Chicago that Beatrice Prior lives in, society has broken down and five Factions have been developed: Candor (the honest), Erudite (the intelligent), Amity (the peaceful), Dauntless (the brave), and Abnegation (the selfless). Our heroine is form the Abnegation Faction. The first couple chapters explore Beatrice’s life as Abnegation and how she feels towards them. I like how Roth made Beatrice view her family as an outsider, someone that doesn’t really belong.
I liked the progression of the story as Beatrice chooses to be Dauntless, leaving her Abnegation family behind. Looking ahead of her in what it means to be Dauntless, you see the perversion of the Faction’s standards and what it means to be one of them. Slowly, Beatrice and Four, uncover the blot to over throw the Factions establishment. Without going into too much detail and causing spoilers, the action was well balanced with the drama and suspense of the Dauntless initiation. There were a couple spots in the story that I felt were a little slow, but for the most part the story was well paced and didn’t feel too slow or too fast. It was like Baby Bear: just right.
The only issued I had with the book was the romance. Not that it was bad, and it was well written, I just felt that it kind of came out of no where and was a little too up and down. I understand that Four has to pretend to have nothing to do with Beatrice as to protect her, but I felt that if I was Beatrice (or Trice, as she’s called once she becomes Dauntless), I’d just say “forget it” and focus on kicking ass and taking names. But then again, that could just be my preference. Sometime I feel some romances in books are hooky and silly, feeling forced. I prefer some good ol' fashion ass kicking with a tiny side of romance.
I loved that Beatrice and several others in the book are Divergent, it’s a good contrast to the world of Factions. To be Divergent is to belong to more than one Faction. And in this world, you are either in a Faction, or you are Factionless. There is no in between.
The end of this book left me thinking “What the heck?!” So of course, I have to read the second book, Insurgent. How will the world of Factions survive a revolt? Here’s hoping that Insurgent will be just as action packed as Divergent.
canadianbookaddict's review against another edition
5.0
This was the third time I read this book and I tell you the third time was just as good as the first and second times.
I love this book because it s very well written and I was hooked from the very beginning. I just bought book #2 in this series and I can't wait to start reading it.
I highly recommend the book.
I love this book because it s very well written and I was hooked from the very beginning. I just bought book #2 in this series and I can't wait to start reading it.
I highly recommend the book.
lindaunconventionalbookworms's review against another edition
5.0
Right now, I'm wondering why I didn't read this book before... at the same time, I'm quite happy though, because the second book will be out in May, and I only have to wait two months before I get to know what will happen next
Tris started out as a little boring goodie-two-shoes to me, but she very quickly showed that there was a lot more to her than that! This world is very cold, where separation is used as a solution to prior problems in human-kind. It is difficult to read about 16-year-olds who have to make choices that will completely change their lives, and that they won't have the right to see their families anymore. At the same time, it is enticing to see them as taking responsibility for themselves and their choices, and what they do with their new lives.
The fight-scenes were really great, and I loved that Tris stayed both brave and selfless, although I really don't like the idea of complete selflessness.
The budding relationships, the new friendships and the fair of some of the leaders made the pace of this story so fast it was impossible not to want to keep reading faster and faster. I dreamt of simulations last night, being in impossible situations of fear, and, like Tris, trying to figure out how to save both someone else and myself at the same time.
I loved how Tris could be both ruthless and kind, brave and scared, happy and sad, strong and afraid. I loved how she dealt with her fears, thought about what to do to make sure her fears weren't going to paralyze her, but make her truly stronger.
I truly look forward to Insurgent, May will be here fast enough!
Spoiler
with Tris, Tobias, Caleb and their enemies.Tris started out as a little boring goodie-two-shoes to me, but she very quickly showed that there was a lot more to her than that! This world is very cold, where separation is used as a solution to prior problems in human-kind. It is difficult to read about 16-year-olds who have to make choices that will completely change their lives, and that they won't have the right to see their families anymore. At the same time, it is enticing to see them as taking responsibility for themselves and their choices, and what they do with their new lives.
The fight-scenes were really great, and I loved that Tris stayed both brave and selfless, although I really don't like the idea of complete selflessness.
The budding relationships, the new friendships and the fair of some of the leaders made the pace of this story so fast it was impossible not to want to keep reading faster and faster. I dreamt of simulations last night, being in impossible situations of fear, and, like Tris, trying to figure out how to save both someone else and myself at the same time.
I loved how Tris could be both ruthless and kind, brave and scared, happy and sad, strong and afraid. I loved how she dealt with her fears, thought about what to do to make sure her fears weren't going to paralyze her, but make her truly stronger.
I truly look forward to Insurgent, May will be here fast enough!
maricat82's review against another edition
2.0
I wasn't planning to read Divergent - based on the movie previews, I expected a Hunger Games knockoff, and that's pretty much what I got.
Divergent is a page turner, and I definitely rooted for the good guys and disliked the bad guys, but ultimately, it felt like a weird mashup of The Hunger Games, Harry Potter and...Twilight. If the main character had spent a little less time going through puberty and a little more time unraveling what seems like a pretty interesting/dangerous political climate, she might have been able to avoid the tragic ending -- I also found it really hard to believe that she was a sixteen year old who'd never felt attracted to anyone ever and had never thought about sex. I found myself rolling my eyes at her more than once.
Overall, good plane read, but I don't feel compelled to continue the series.
Divergent is a page turner, and I definitely rooted for the good guys and disliked the bad guys, but ultimately, it felt like a weird mashup of The Hunger Games, Harry Potter and...Twilight. If the main character had spent a little less time going through puberty and a little more time unraveling what seems like a pretty interesting/dangerous political climate, she might have been able to avoid the tragic ending -- I also found it really hard to believe that she was a sixteen year old who'd never felt attracted to anyone ever and had never thought about sex. I found myself rolling my eyes at her more than once.
Overall, good plane read, but I don't feel compelled to continue the series.
leoniepriem's review against another edition
5.0
four always has been a fictional boyfriend but he just moved up to husband material. I can not say anything bad about this book. It had me hooked from the start and i have never read a book of this size in such a short amount of time. I can not find a single flaw in the way these characters have been written. Loved the movie, loved the book even more. also, THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THEM?? HELLO?
thatsoneforthebooks's review against another edition
4.0
an easy, relaxing, speedy read which makes it easy to forgive it for reading a lot like another popular dystopian trilogy...
sheilasamuelson's review
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0