Reviews with content warning for Violence - Die Bestimmung

“Fear doesn’t shut you down; it wakes you up”

Wow. This world and these characters are so real and easy to connect with. I loved the relationship dynamics between characters - especially Tris and Four. Each character was believable and it was clear that each was an individual with a backstory and reasons for actions - all the secondary character arcs were in depth and well executed without being the focus of the story.

The plot was well paced and set up well for the next book. I'm really excited to start Insurgent because the world building and plot just from this first book is crazy! I've wanted to get into this series for a while and I'm so glad I've finally started because it really lives up to the hype. So far there's been a great balance of romance/tension, action, and world building.

And GIRL . The characters are so fuckable.

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bri_morgan's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad tense 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

3.75

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sav_and_books's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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briony_2010's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging hopeful mysterious tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

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reka111's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.25

We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another.

OK, it's been a very, very long time since I read this book, in another lifetime, and honestly, it's been a defining point in my life all along, as all the dystopian books (maze dinner, hunger games & 5th wave) have been, in a word, a bit like greeting an old friend again.

Tris (aka Beatrice) is an extremely lovable and complex character, with a strange blend of courage and self-sacrifice. This is not really strange because one cannot exist without the other, not quite. She has come a long way in the first book and has lost an awful lot; her old life, her family, her friends, and her future. And now she is still ready to fight, to keep fighting, what is this if not courage? Four, my Tobias, deserves happiness and peace so much that it's incredible. In him everything is at once; Light and darkness, evil and good, as if two worlds meet in him, and I think this is very well illustrates how complex he is. He cannot be judged by his action alone; You have to dig deep under his armour to understand him. Christina is one of my favourite characters, maybe that's why I see so much of myself in her. She is persistent, courageous, and honest, the kind of person who says what she thinks, even if it sounds like a jerk. Will and Al, well, I don't know what to say, the former was brave, the latter was weak and cowardly, they didn't add much to the book, but they didn't take me away either.

Well, I wouldn't really call it a love story, but it's an important element of the plot, so I can't truly go away from it. Basically, a long time ago when I was a very slow reader (thank you dyslexia) it didn't even feel that fast, but now somehow I had such an insta-love tropes feeling, maybe too much. They're cute, they really are, but I don't see that potential in them every time. They are equal, but I don't feel like we complement each other.

The plot was understandable in my opinion, despite the new world, extremely creative and unique — which, unfortunately, there are fewer nowadays. The pace may be a bit fast compared to a shorter book, but I've seen worse. By the way, the structure of the world appears in this book, but obviously, you can feel the holes that will be filled in later. The time jumps were confusing to me anyway — one moment it was days, the next it was weeks. The ending was well closed, leaving just enough to hurt his absence, but I still gasped for it. I will definitely continue and maybe even watch the film again in the future.

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