Divergent by Veronica Roth

July 18, 2012 / 11 Comments / Uncategorized

Divergent by Veronica RothAuthor: Veronica Roth
Also by this author: Insurgent (Divergent, #2)
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication date: October 21st 2014

The #1 New York Times bestseller that started a worldwide phenomenon and inspired a major motion picture is now available in a beautifully designed Collector's Edition. This deluxe package features:
72 pages of bonus content, including:

Two essays by Veronica Roth, including excerpts from early drafts of Divergent
An essay about the psychology behind fear and the "exposure therapy" of Dauntless initiation
Artistic renderings of the Choosing Ceremony Bowls
An excerpt from the movie script
Favorite quotes from Divergent, illustrated by fellow Initiates
A map of the Dauntless compound
Divergent discussion questions

This edition makes a great gift for established fans who want to expand their Divergent library or who already own the Insurgent Collector's Edition; readers new to the series who want a fuller reading experience; and fans of the feature film.
Taking place in a futuristic Chicago in which society is divided into five factions, Divergent is the gripping story of a dystopian world transformed by courage, self-sacrifice, and love.

What is there to say about Divergent that hasn’t already been said? Like a lot of other readers, I felt the plot was very similar to The Hunger Games, but that the writing and world-building didn’t feel quite as strong. That said, I can’t deny that I was completely drawn into this story. The character of Tris was extremely well drawn, and though there were moments that some of the writing tripped me up (particularly the times when Tris repeats things over and over), I loved her spirit and fighting nature. She was strong-willed and physical without losing her humanity.

Spoiler-y rest of review after the jump…

I also really enjoyed learning about the factions and seeing Chicago through Roth’s post-apocalyptic light. The scene at the top of Hancock tower was amazing, as was Tris’ first jump into Dauntless headquarters. I ADORED the Four character and their relationship. And though a few of the plot “twists” were a bit predictable (the serum that they inject into the initiates at the end of their final test was obviously going to play a role in the revolution; as soon as Tris’ mother told her to visit Caleb and ask him to research the simulation serum, I knew that was going to be the proverbial “gun in the third act”, etc), Roth did a great job keeping me interested in the characters and what was going to become of them.

Overall, a really great read if not a GREAT book. The fact that I ran out to buy the next book immediately is a testament to how much I enjoyed the story, if not necessarily the writing. Looking forward to finding out what’s next.


Tags: , , ,

Want more YA reviews and bookish fun? Get Mostly YA Lit in your inbox and be the first to get notified on new updates.

11 responses to “Divergent by Veronica Roth

  1. Yay! I'm glad you really liked Divergent! I think it's one of my favorite books of all time. I read it last year in June and simply loved it. I read Insurgent recently, and it is a great sequel! I love Divergent more becuase I love the Dauntless training and whatnot, whereas Insurgent is more of a free-reign, running-and-hiding kind of book. But I love both, and can't wait for Book Three! Thanks for the review! 🙂

  2. I liked Divergent as well, and am slowly making my way through Insurgent now. I'm not finding it as engaging and have put it aside to read another book for review. Here's hoping that I'll be able to pick it back up again. So many readers love this series. I hope it's not a disappointment for me like the Delirium Trilogy was. Fingers crossed!

    • I think you'll like it, Teresa – I personally thought it really worked – let me know what you think when you're finished Insurgent and Allegiant!

  3. BerkeleyHapa

    I waited until all the books were out before reading these. I agree that the Hunger Games books were better. I did enjoy this first book more than the rest of the series, and I also enjoyed the movie. Of course, one of the biggest criticisms (partial SPOILER ALERT) is about how contrived the system is, which is actually explained later, however, I felt the writing was not as strong as the Hunger Games, and I wasn’t sure about the ending (the 3rd book). I enjoyed your review!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.