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adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Genocide, Sexual assault, Suicide, Murder, Abandonment
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is a very strange one for me. I really feel like I shouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did. It completely fails as a dystopian for me. I find it very hard to believe that so many people actually fit into exactly one faction and only a few people are Divergent. I'm hoping that will be discussed in the other books, because I can't accept the premise that almost everyone in this world has one personality trait. I also feel like I don't know anything about why the world is the way it is, and that's so important in dystopians.
Even with those issues though, I actually really loved this book. It truly baffles me. I found the plot really engaging, as nonsensical as it was at times.I feel like the ending with the sleepwalking was a little strange, but I'll let it slide.
The book does struggle a bit in the characters department. Throughout the book, the only characters I found myself loving were Four,Al, and Will. Of course, Will (my actual favorite character) and Al (the traitor) are dead, so less to look forward to now. I will say, that betrayal absolutely wrecked me. I haven't felt this betrayed by a book since a certain popular fantasy that I won't name in order to avoid spoilers for it. I did like some other characters like Uriah and Tris' mom, but they weren't present often enough in this book.
I feel like one of the characters really holding this book back is Tris herself. She's just so... mean?? Not outwardly, but so many of her thoughts are unpleasant. It was realistic, I suppose, but so hard to read. I'm also not a fan of Christina, but I feel like she's going to be a main character throughout the series, so I'll just put up with her. Maybe she'll get more interesting.
Overall, I really liked this book even though everything was working against it. The story was just wild enough to make it interesting and fun to read. I've heard that the common opinion is that the books in this series only get worse after this one. I'll try to keep an open mind, but based on the ending of this book, I have a feeling I'll end up agreeing.
Even with those issues though, I actually really loved this book. It truly baffles me. I found the plot really engaging, as nonsensical as it was at times.
The book does struggle a bit in the characters department. Throughout the book, the only characters I found myself loving were Four,
I feel like one of the characters really holding this book back is Tris herself. She's just so... mean?? Not outwardly, but so many of her thoughts are unpleasant. It was realistic, I suppose, but so hard to read. I'm also not a fan of Christina, but I feel like she's going to be a main character throughout the series, so I'll just put up with her. Maybe she'll get more interesting.
Overall, I really liked this book even though everything was working against it. The story was just wild enough to make it interesting and fun to read. I've heard that the common opinion is that the books in this series only get worse after this one. I'll try to keep an open mind, but based on the ending of this book, I have a feeling I'll end up agreeing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Suicide, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Blood, Grief, Alcohol
Minor: Cursing, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Medical content, War
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ok, so many book that are like this and better
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Gore, Self harm, Blood, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual content
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Characters – 6/10
Tris is trying so hard to be “not like other girls” that she loops back around and becomes the exact YA prototype we’ve seen a hundred times. She’s “small but fierce,” which apparently excuses her being insufferably smug half the time. Her internal monologue swings from overthinking every emotion to cold detachment with the grace of a drunk pendulum. Four, her broody mentor-turned-boyfriend, is intriguing at first… until his entire personality gets boiled down to “traumatized but hot.” The rest of the cast feels like glorified plot devices: Christina is the sassy best friend, Will is the nice guy who—spoiler—gets fridged for drama, and Peter is a cartoon villain who might as well twirl a mustache every time he opens his mouth. Memorable? Sure. But layered and believable? Not consistently.
Tris is trying so hard to be “not like other girls” that she loops back around and becomes the exact YA prototype we’ve seen a hundred times. She’s “small but fierce,” which apparently excuses her being insufferably smug half the time. Her internal monologue swings from overthinking every emotion to cold detachment with the grace of a drunk pendulum. Four, her broody mentor-turned-boyfriend, is intriguing at first… until his entire personality gets boiled down to “traumatized but hot.” The rest of the cast feels like glorified plot devices: Christina is the sassy best friend, Will is the nice guy who—spoiler—gets fridged for drama, and Peter is a cartoon villain who might as well twirl a mustache every time he opens his mouth. Memorable? Sure. But layered and believable? Not consistently.
Atmosphere / Setting – 7/10
The ruins of Chicago were cool—until I realized Roth was using them more like a vague backdrop than an actual living, breathing world. There’s this half-baked idea of factions running the city, but we never see how this bizarre society actually functions beyond teen gladiator games and aesthetic branding. “Oh, Amity’s the peaceful one and Erudite reads books and stuff”—yeah, okay, that’s a BuzzFeed quiz, not worldbuilding. I wanted to feel the dystopia, but it mostly felt like window dressing for a high-stakes high school.
The ruins of Chicago were cool—until I realized Roth was using them more like a vague backdrop than an actual living, breathing world. There’s this half-baked idea of factions running the city, but we never see how this bizarre society actually functions beyond teen gladiator games and aesthetic branding. “Oh, Amity’s the peaceful one and Erudite reads books and stuff”—yeah, okay, that’s a BuzzFeed quiz, not worldbuilding. I wanted to feel the dystopia, but it mostly felt like window dressing for a high-stakes high school.
Writing Style – 6/10
The prose is fine. Painfully fine. It reads like a very competent fanfic author graduated to print—direct, a bit clunky, with occasional poetic flourishes that feel like they wandered in from another book. Roth’s voice is serviceable, but rarely unique. Dialogue can get stiff, especially during emotional reveals or, god forbid, the romance scenes. Tris narrates like she’s giving a TED Talk on internalized trauma, and half the time her reactions feel robotic. There’s intensity, sure—but there’s very little finesse.
The prose is fine. Painfully fine. It reads like a very competent fanfic author graduated to print—direct, a bit clunky, with occasional poetic flourishes that feel like they wandered in from another book. Roth’s voice is serviceable, but rarely unique. Dialogue can get stiff, especially during emotional reveals or, god forbid, the romance scenes. Tris narrates like she’s giving a TED Talk on internalized trauma, and half the time her reactions feel robotic. There’s intensity, sure—but there’s very little finesse.
Plot – 5/10
Look, the whole faction system is laughably fragile. It hinges on the idea that people are defined by one trait, and society is like, “Yup, this is totally sustainable.” The plot tries to pretend this is a smart political system when it’s really just a Hunger Games knockoff with a personality disorder. The pacing is lopsided—training montage, training montage, surprise trauma, rinse, repeat. And then BAM, last third of the book goes full chaos mode with a mind-control serum and mass murder and, uh, Tris’s mom doing backflips out of nowhere? The ending lands like a plane with no landing gear: loud, jarring, and begging for cleanup.
Look, the whole faction system is laughably fragile. It hinges on the idea that people are defined by one trait, and society is like, “Yup, this is totally sustainable.” The plot tries to pretend this is a smart political system when it’s really just a Hunger Games knockoff with a personality disorder. The pacing is lopsided—training montage, training montage, surprise trauma, rinse, repeat. And then BAM, last third of the book goes full chaos mode with a mind-control serum and mass murder and, uh, Tris’s mom doing backflips out of nowhere? The ending lands like a plane with no landing gear: loud, jarring, and begging for cleanup.
Intrigue – 6/10
I was curious—but more like “watching a reality show spiral into disaster” curious, not “gripped by narrative tension” curious. The idea of being Divergent is mysterious at first, but the explanation never actually feels smart or earned. It’s just “your brain is quirky, and that’s bad.” The simulations were the most consistently interesting part, and I wish the story had stuck closer to that psychological horror vibe. Instead, it leans on cheap twists and increasingly absurd stakes to keep things moving. Yes, I turned the pages. No, I wasn’t always happy about it.
I was curious—but more like “watching a reality show spiral into disaster” curious, not “gripped by narrative tension” curious. The idea of being Divergent is mysterious at first, but the explanation never actually feels smart or earned. It’s just “your brain is quirky, and that’s bad.” The simulations were the most consistently interesting part, and I wish the story had stuck closer to that psychological horror vibe. Instead, it leans on cheap twists and increasingly absurd stakes to keep things moving. Yes, I turned the pages. No, I wasn’t always happy about it.
Logic / Relationships – 5/10
None of this world’s logic holds water for more than five seconds. How does this society function? Why is Dauntless in charge of security when they’re basically frat boys with knives? How is “being brave” something you can assign people into for life? Relationships also take a nosedive into fantasyland. Tris and Four go from “we barely talk” to “I trust you with my life” in record time, based on nothing but proximity and matching trauma. Side friendships feel like filler. And don’t get me started on the ridiculous moral gymnastics Tris does after killing a friend—just a shrug and a tear, then back to business.
None of this world’s logic holds water for more than five seconds. How does this society function? Why is Dauntless in charge of security when they’re basically frat boys with knives? How is “being brave” something you can assign people into for life? Relationships also take a nosedive into fantasyland. Tris and Four go from “we barely talk” to “I trust you with my life” in record time, based on nothing but proximity and matching trauma. Side friendships feel like filler. And don’t get me started on the ridiculous moral gymnastics Tris does after killing a friend—just a shrug and a tear, then back to business.
Enjoyment – 6/10
Was it a complete slog? No. But did I enjoy it as much as I wanted to? Definitely not. This book promised big, juicy dystopian drama and delivered a personality quiz wrapped in dystopia cosplay. It’s like someone made a checklist of every trope popular in 2010s YA, threw them in a blender, and forgot to season the mix. There are moments that work, but they’re buried under cliché, eye-roll-worthy logic, and a desperate need to be “deep” without actually saying anything new. Would I reread it? Only if I were forced into a faction that required it.
Was it a complete slog? No. But did I enjoy it as much as I wanted to? Definitely not. This book promised big, juicy dystopian drama and delivered a personality quiz wrapped in dystopia cosplay. It’s like someone made a checklist of every trope popular in 2010s YA, threw them in a blender, and forgot to season the mix. There are moments that work, but they’re buried under cliché, eye-roll-worthy logic, and a desperate need to be “deep” without actually saying anything new. Would I reread it? Only if I were forced into a faction that required it.
Final Thoughts:
Divergent is the literary equivalent of a trendy outfit that looks cool in photos but falls apart in real life. It talks a big game about identity and bravery, but it’s really just a shallow dystopian drama that relies on violence, teen romance, and a broken world system to distract from its lack of depth.
Divergent is the literary equivalent of a trendy outfit that looks cool in photos but falls apart in real life. It talks a big game about identity and bravery, but it’s really just a shallow dystopian drama that relies on violence, teen romance, and a broken world system to distract from its lack of depth.
Total Score: 5.86/10
It had potential—but instead of evolving into something bold, it chose to play safe with YA formulas and ended up as a pretty corpse dressed in black leather.
It had potential—but instead of evolving into something bold, it chose to play safe with YA formulas and ended up as a pretty corpse dressed in black leather.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Classism
The book features intense violence throughout, including teens attacking and even killing each other during training simulations and real-world conflict. Themes of grief, identity crisis, and emotional repression are woven into the protagonist’s arc. There’s also an authoritarian undertone in the worldbuilding that touches on surveillance, forced conformity, and societal manipulation. The faction system promotes some pretty blatant stereotyping, and its collapse triggers mass chaos and death. It’s not subtle—and that’s kind of the point.
adventurous
challenging
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wanted to read this book because it's been on my TBR since it released when I was in my early 20s (2010+). This book definitely could have been 150 pages shorter and I wouldn't be been so frustrated with the pacing and how long it was. The story honestly could have been 150 pages shorter and would have been just about the same (This book is 487 pgs.)
I'm not sure if my younger self would have appreciated this book more than my older self. I'm in my early 30s and I still enjoy reading young adult novels, this novel just didn't have enough action or excitement for me.
I wanted to see what the hype was and why this particular series was made into a movie franchise. This really wasn't as exciting or good as I expected it to be and therefore I feel let down and I don't have the desire to finish the series so I don't think I'll find out what happens in the story and I'm not that let down by not finding out all the secrets to this series.
I'm giving this 3 stars out of 5
I'm not sure if my younger self would have appreciated this book more than my older self. I'm in my early 30s and I still enjoy reading young adult novels, this novel just didn't have enough action or excitement for me.
I wanted to see what the hype was and why this particular series was made into a movie franchise. This really wasn't as exciting or good as I expected it to be and therefore I feel let down and I don't have the desire to finish the series so I don't think I'll find out what happens in the story and I'm not that let down by not finding out all the secrets to this series.
I'm giving this 3 stars out of 5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Slavery, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, Classism
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, War, Classism
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The book reads well because the author has a very good writing style. The story was readable, and exciting and plot twists were not exaggerated. The main heroine was sympathetic to me, and I also liked how the book was finished.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Misogyny, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Gun violence, Torture, Police brutality, Toxic friendship
Minor: Cursing, Sexual assault
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
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
It has been a long time since I read a book I would love so much. Fantasy, dystopian, it's all so welcoming. The world created might be dangerous, but the way the author writes, makes me feel like I would have given up everything to be in that place. Not only the world created is stupendous, but the characters are so lovable that I'd do anything to replace someone from the book (not people like Peter though). The aura, the longing for something romantic, the ecstatic feeling when something goes in Tris's or Four's favor and the emotional hurt when someone good dies out of bravery or because of that Jeanine is just so overwhelming that I could not just keep it down and read for hours not thinking about anything, but the book. This book was just PERFECT!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
romance was ok, a little fast if you ask me.
Content Warnings
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Gore, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief