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bluecalicocat's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I liked the world building.
katelibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
I really liked this book - I've always been a fan of apocalyptic/dystopian stories, and this one is one I might consider "the thinking man's Hunger Games. I loved that series - because it was fast paced and left lots to the imagination (you never really know why the United States because Panem, for example). Divergent is not as fast paced, and some have criticized the first part of it for being boring, slow, or lacking in action. I disagree.
What I really like about this book is its language, and the way introspective teens might relate to it. Tris (short for "Beatrice") lives in a world of the not-too-distant future in a ruined Chicago (like the Hunger Games, you never know exactly what catastrophic even has taken place), where people are assigned to 'factions"'. There are five factions - Abnegation (Selflessness), Amity, Dauntless, Candor and Erudite. At 16, individuals are tested and required to choose a faction and are initiated by the chosen faction. If they don't make it through the initiation the become 'factionless', which is essentially the equivalent of the Untouchable caste in Indian society.
Tris is tested and is found to be Divergent - that is, she doesn't strongly favor any one faction, which makes her dangerous. She chooses a faction, and tries to keep the nature of her divergent character a secret. Her choice of factions, however, sets into motion a chain of events that will jeopardize her own existence, but more importantly, the stability of the only society she has ever known.
This is a well-written YA book that, like the Hunger Games, offers an alternate world for escape and allows for imagination to run wild. The subtext, however, of the effects of stratifying society into organized 'factions', in my opinion, makes "Divergent" less of just another appealing, fast-paced YA dystopian novel and more of a genuinely thought-provoking piece of literature that adults and teens might enjoy reading and discussing together.
What I really like about this book is its language, and the way introspective teens might relate to it. Tris (short for "Beatrice") lives in a world of the not-too-distant future in a ruined Chicago (like the Hunger Games, you never know exactly what catastrophic even has taken place), where people are assigned to 'factions"'. There are five factions - Abnegation (Selflessness), Amity, Dauntless, Candor and Erudite. At 16, individuals are tested and required to choose a faction and are initiated by the chosen faction. If they don't make it through the initiation the become 'factionless', which is essentially the equivalent of the Untouchable caste in Indian society.
Tris is tested and is found to be Divergent - that is, she doesn't strongly favor any one faction, which makes her dangerous. She chooses a faction, and tries to keep the nature of her divergent character a secret. Her choice of factions, however, sets into motion a chain of events that will jeopardize her own existence, but more importantly, the stability of the only society she has ever known.
This is a well-written YA book that, like the Hunger Games, offers an alternate world for escape and allows for imagination to run wild. The subtext, however, of the effects of stratifying society into organized 'factions', in my opinion, makes "Divergent" less of just another appealing, fast-paced YA dystopian novel and more of a genuinely thought-provoking piece of literature that adults and teens might enjoy reading and discussing together.
zrstevens33's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was so good and I highly recommend reading the trilogy!!
men1e's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
5.0
gen_1213's review against another edition
read it before and couldn't be bothered to finish it again
keahireads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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
5.0
its_rik's review against another edition
2.0
Such a great series concept, HATED THE ENDING
Made the whole triology such a waste of time it infuriates me.
Made the whole triology such a waste of time it infuriates me.
alexajhp's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
matthias55's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
dystopian romance thriller. Bloody & full of vengeance.