Review: Divergent

Divergent - Veronica Roth
Review - Young Adult Dystopian

When sixteen-year-old Tris makes her choice, she cannot forsee how drastically her life will change, or that the perfect society in which she lives is about to unfold into a dystopian world of electrifying decisions, stunning consequences, heartbreaking betrayals and unexpected romance.

My Review *Spoilers*

I love dystopian novels but I've read a lot more Adult ones than I have YA so I was very excited about picking this one up. I really did enjoy the book and it was very easy to dive into as we are introduced to Beatrice's world. We find that she lives in a society where, at the age of sixteen, you are able to choose which Faction you want to spend the rest of your life in. The five factions each value a particular trait; Dauntless (bravery), Erudite (knowledge), Candor (honesty), Abnegation (selflessness) and Amity (kindness).

With Beatrice's choice comes the dangerous knowledge that she is divergent. She is not sure what it means; only that she must keep it a secret from everyone, including those close to her. After Beatrice makes her choice, her life changes drastically in her new faction, and she discovers that if she is not one of the top initiates after a series of trials, she will become factionless - something she fears. Then she meets Four, a mysterious member of the faction, who becomes her mentor and someone she can't help but fall for. But Four knows something about her and she is determined to find out what that is.

What Worked: I really enjoyed reading about the trials that Beatrice endured, and how she becomes stronger because of it. She goes through an incredible transformation in the book and is very different to how she started out. I loved Four! He was so kind, yet strong, and it was impossible not to like him. The mystery behind being divergent was intriguing. I was reading so quickly because I wanted to get to the end and find out what it all meant.

What Didn't Work: The idea for Beatrice's world is interesting but you don't find out a lot about it in the book. You don't learn much about what being divergent means either, so they were two things that needed more developing. I wanted to know more about how and why the world was like this, and how the people became this way. Upon the introduction of Four, I immediately knew who he really was. I spent the remainder of the book hoping I was wrong, just so there would be an element of surprise. The climax was too short and happened too quickly. There needed to be more of a build up to it.

Recommended: If you enjoy YA Dystopian, like Uglies or The Hunger Games.


What are your thoughts on Divergent?