Book Review: Divergent

Divergent by Veronica Roth

After realizing I only finished one book series last year (The Mortal Instruments), I took immediate action and decided to start reading right away. I always try to complete a book before I see the movie, and since Divergent comes out in March I knew it was a good one to start with. Overall, if you’re a fan of The Hunger Games then I am sure you will like this book. The Hunger Games was a little bit more engaging and drew me in faster, but I still couldn’t put Divergent down. I tried my best to keep this whole review SPOILER FREE! Nothing written here can’t been seen in the movie trailer.

Divergent Faction Button Set by The Geek Studio on Etsy

Divergent is the first book in a series of three by Veronica Roth. In a nutshell, it’s the story of a 16 year old girl that lives in a unique government setting. There are five different factions that each person lives in. When you turn 16 you have to decide if you want to stay with your family in the faction you were born into or change to a different one and leave your family. For Tris (the main character) her simulation test that is supposed to tell her which faction she’d fit in well with doesn’t give her normal results.

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The book starts off a little slow. You don’t get too personal with Tris right away. She basically just describes her normal routine in her faction Abnegation. This faction values selflessness and results in a boring life for Tris. You do get a taste of her questioning her lifestyle. So you wonder what choice she is going to make about her faction.

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Eventually, more action starts to happen. Most of the book is about the faction choice she made. It made me wonder if that was going to be the highest part. Well I was wrong! A major wrench gets thrown into the plans, and just when you think things are going well for Tris she learns new secrets about the government. After I got to this part I really HAD to know what was going to happen.

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Alongside the action, a love story also blooms. I enjoyed how it was portrayed because it left you wanting more. Tris has grown up around little affection, and I liked seeing her character develop into a woman that is curious about her feelings. The guy she likes (his name is Four) is depicted as strong, brave, and sometimes menacing. However, we get to see his weaknesses. His vulnerablitiy
 makes him seem real, and you end up liking him even more because of that.

Photo from Entertainment Weekly

The ending picks up pace very quickly, and you’re left on the edge of your seat. I’ve watched the movie trailer a couple times now, and I’m excited to see what scenes they keep. It’s got enough grit to it that I am sure guys will enjoy it and enough spirit that I know girls will, too. I actually know a few guys that read the book and said they liked it. So this story should have something for everyone.

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I already bought Insurgent and Allegiant, which are the next books in the series. I will probably not write a review on them since I don’t want to spoil the first movie for anyone. I wouldn’t be surprised if I read the last book by the end of the week!

Watch the trailer for Divergent here and order the book here.

Have you read Divergent?

Will you go see the movie?