Review: Divergent

by Veronica Roth
publisher: Harper
date published: May 3, 2011
format: eBook
pages: 299
source: purchased
Amazon / Goodreads / B&N
challenges: Goodreads 2011 Reading Challenge; 2011 E-Book Reading Challenge; 2011 YA Reading Challenge

From Goodreads:

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, 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 to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating 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 a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

What I Thought

Divergent is another fine example of all the YA dystopian novels that have been coming out in recent years. I especially enjoyed this offering by Veronica Roth for its combination of detail, tension, and moments of clarity. From the very start, Beatrice is an interesting character as she prepares to choose what path she will pursue for the rest of her life. She is faced with a very tough decision: become a member of the faction she was raised in (Abnegation) or listen to her own inner-workings and set out for a life in another faction. As she is tested and eventually makes her decision, Beatrice reveals herself to be a very contemplative and daring character. I appreciated several of her qualities, such as her willingness to go for her own goals rather than give her life over to the whims of the majority. Though she may come across as somewhat meek, what lies beneath is a spine made of iron. She is a most formidable character and I really enjoyed getting to know her.

The setting for the story was as interesting as the book's heroine. Set in a Chicago many many years in the future, we are shown a society that has undergone vast restructuring. Due to the combative nature of humanity that nearly destroyed everything, society has been split into five factions: Abnegation, Amity, Dauntless, Erudite, and Candor. Abnegation, whose purpose is to live life in as selfless a manner as possible, is the faction in charge of the city's government with the understanding that they are less likely to become corrupt. However, as becomes apparent, things are not so simple as all that and conflict is evidenced at several points throughout the book. Things are not always as they seem as evidenced by the relationships between the five factions. As far as the landscape of the story goes, there is a decidedly urban flavor, although there is not a great sense of the city being technologically advanced. There are some hints at the existence of highly technological devices (such as the virtual reality simulations used in Dauntless training), for the most part the citizens seem to get along mostly by their own skills. This made for an interesting world to observe. The minimal focus on technology provided more opportunities for getting a sense of the people in the world Ms. Roth has created.

I was very pleased with the story provided in Divergent and am looking forward to the next book in the series. My favorite aspects included the heroine (Beatrice/Tris); the idea of factions based upon personality characteristics; and the inner-workings of said factions. Ms. Roth has created an intriguing world that I look forward to diving into again soon. I give Divergent a very well-earned 5 hoots.