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Divergent by Veronica Roth
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: 3rd May 2011
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian
Rating: 5/5 stars
Source: Received from the publisher for review
Goodreads Summary:
"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."
Review
It took me such a long time to get round to reading Divergent. I have no idea why considering dystopians are my favourite type of book to read. Maybe because I was worried it wouldn’t live up to the hype or because I was waiting for a time when I wasn’t busy and could give it my full attention, or maybe I was just saving it for when I wanted to read a really good book, I don’t know. I think they all had a little something to do with it. But as I am surely the last person on earth to read it this review is to simply concur with all of the wonderful things said about this book, because this is a book that deserves it’s hype.
Divergent is the type of dystopian that I love best. It’s fast paced, I mean REALLY fast paced, not giving you a moment to even catch your breath and gather your thoughts. Considering it’s such a big book there is never a moment where the story drags on or the pacing drops. It was consistently exciting and action packed in a way that’s similar to dystopians like The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner. But at the same time it’s not a copycat and has a completely new story to anything else out there. Despite this book being just shy of 500 pages I devoured it in less than two days which is pretty speedy for me and a book of this size.
Our protagonist Tris is probably the most badass heroine I’ve ever encountered. Seriously, this girl is tough as nails, and I loved following her journey. Then there is Four, Tris’s instructor and love interest. I loved Four right from the start, he’s this really strong, tough guy with a heart of gold. I loved Four and Tris’s relationship as unlike in so many young adult books they were partners and equals who supported each other but didn’t need the other to babysit them. I loved how naturally their relationship developed and how despite the romance it didn’t take away from or slow down the action element of the story.
The plot is so well imagined and executed. If I’m nit picking the only thing that let this book down for me was that I figured out many of the twists before they happened. I would have liked to have been kept on my toes a little more regarding that but overall it didn’t take away from my love for this book.
Divergent is the best dystopian I’ve read in a long time and is perfect for readers who love their stories dangerous and their heroine’s bad ass. This was a mind blowing debut and a fantastic start to what promises to be a hugely popular series. I can barely wait for book two!
