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whilhelminaharker's review against another edition
1.5
When you're growing up, you're trying to make sense of the arbitrary and yet seemingly all-important rituals and patterns that you see around you. You're trying to sort through your loyalty to your family, to your country, to your friends, and to your own indivuidal needs. You're growing up and realizing that the things you loved you have grown out of, or the people around you have changed, or the world always had a dark side and was never as simple as it seemed. You're trying to answer questions like "What do you want to be when you grow up?", which can feel stifling, especially when you don't know. You are, above all, trying to figure out who you are, and that feels practically impossible when adults don't see you as a full person yet, when pressure is being put on you to choose a path in life(and you better be successful at it), and when you don't even know what true selfhood means. Is it found in the people surrounding you? Is it found in striking off on your own? Is it found in professional acheivement? What defines your personality? Who are you?
So it makes total sense to me why Divergent resonated with a young audience. Is the metaphor clumsy? Sure. But is there value in it anyway? Yeah! I can respect any message aimed at young people that tells them not to buy into the false dichotomy and myth of "either-or" that society forces on us. Be loyal to every part of yourself. Be small and weak and brave and ruthless. Answer to yourself, not to the powers that be. I think that that's always going to be a good message to send to young people.
Doesn't change the fact that this book is horribly written, the characters have zero depth, and it really really stops being engaging once it moves out of the land of "coming-of-age story" and into "generic sci-fi war". But you know. I don't think that the work as a whole is totally worthless. If young girls are looking for stuff to read, this is far from the worst story they could be absorbing.
Also, why does every character have to be introduced with their name spelled out for us in dialogue? "Yeah, that's a great idea, Molly." "This is kind of what we signed up for, Peter." Did an editor even look at this?
Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent, Suicide, Violence, Bullying, and Blood
Moderate: War, Alcohol, Grief, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Animal cruelty
greenapplescented250's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Body shaming, Confinement, Sexual harassment, and Suicide
macsmith's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Confinement
Minor: Child abuse, Bullying, Alcohol, and Suicidal thoughts
rayne_1906's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Death, Death of parent, Child death, Bullying, Suicide, and Gun violence
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Alcohol, Misogyny, Sexism, and Vomit
bexi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Gun violence and Blood
Moderate: Murder, Suicide, Violence, Death of parent, Body shaming, Death, and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Alcohol, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Vomit, Sexual assault, and Animal death
lyxenistired's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Let me just start off this review by saying what beautiful cover art this book has. (See above) I don't know how Veronica Roth came up with the idea but it's simply gorgeous. Now to talk about the actual content of this book. I love how much detail she puts into her books, you just feel like you're a part of their world. I love how three-dimensional her characters are. They really feel like people.
The way she writes the book just toys with your emotions. I've laughed and cried so many times throughout this book. Especially in the part where Peter and Al "kidnap" Tris and do despicable things that should never happen to a person. I actually cried myself to sleep.(That may seem a little overkill, but I really get into my books, ok?)
Graphic: Sexual assault and Death
Moderate: Alcohol and Suicide
nyssbomb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide, Alcohol, War, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Murder, and Medical content