Divergent by Veronica Roth: Review

Divergent
By: Veronica Roth

Format: Hardcover, 487 pages
Source: ARC received from Flipping Pages for All Ages
Challenges: 2011 Dystopian Challenge, 2011 Debut Author Challenge


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Summary (From Goodreads): In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

My Review:  Divergent deserves a round of applause for breathing some life into a genre that was beginning to wilt.

There were so many things I loved about this book. Right from the start we are introduced to a society that has created a system based on values, which seems like a great idea, right? As you read, you try to figure out which faction would best represent your values. Do you value courage, honesty, selflessness, or knowledge? Soon you discover, along with Tris, that it's not as clear as it first appears. Breaking rank from your family is dishonorable, and not all factions are considered equal. Even within factions there are tensions and disagreements about what they truly value. All of this together creates an internal and external conflict that is so complex and interesting, I couldn't put this book down.

Tris was a fantastic female lead. She has the grit and determination to be a warrior, but also a kind-hearted nature, whether or not she realizes it. The romance was not so unexpected for me, as I saw it coming from a mile away. No matter though, it was sweet and well-developed.

While the writing was not as well-crafted as the Hunger Games, meaning that there aren't any specific passages that I can look back on and think that they were beautifully written, the whole story flowed very nicely. I've found lately that some writers, in an attempt to convey urgency in their writing, end up making their plot disjointed and the pacing irregular. That definitely was not a problem in Divergent.

I am eagerly anticipating the release of the sequel, Insurgent, next year. And thanks to the lack of a cliffhanger ending, I'm not being bullied into reading it either. If you haven't read this one, definitely pick up a copy and prepare to be enthralled.

My Rating: