Second Chance Sunday – Divergent by Veronica Roth

Posted April 28, 2013 by Andi in Books, Review, Second Chance Sunday / 2 Comments

I could sum up the reason why Divergent is a Second Chance Sunday post in a short sentence of: I ♥ Four!, but then I would look shallow and Divergent would look like nothing more than a book with a painfully adorable boy that is tough and vulnerable all in one. And Divergent is so much more than that. Divergent is an epic story of love, loss and choices. Of finding out who you are and what you can take and what scares you the most. It’s about growing up and living your life for you. It’s about being brave and smart and selfless. Well and I ♥ Four!

Second Chance Sunday – Divergent by Veronica RothDivergent Series: Divergent #1
Published: February 28th 2012
Buy on Amazon
Add to Goodreads

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, 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 alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating 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 unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Review

I don’t even know where to begin with my love of this book. I first read Divergent on September 3, 2011. Yes, I read it in one day I just couldn’t put it down. And since then I have read twice more, once in April of 2012 and then again in March of 2013. Three reads, one day to read the book each time, it is that good. I don’t even remember to eat when I’m reading it that’s how wrapped up I get even knowing how it will end. Really there is no other word to describe Divergent other than masterful. It’s simple masterful!

Divergent is a story that takes place in dystopian Chicago about 16 year old Beatrice Prior. The world has been divided into five factions and when kids are 16 they must take an aptitude test to determine if they should stay in the faction they were born into or choose a new one. Beatrice struggles with her decision and when she makes a choice she is faced with a highly challenging initiation that she must complete in order to not end up factionless. She changes her name to Tris and embarks on a journey that will not only change her but the world around her and everyone she knows, including her hot trainer Four that she can’t seem to get out of her head. When it comes down to it Tris will have some tough decisions to make and the world’s fate may just rest of her tiny shoulders.

FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!  Roth wrote a genius novel about typical teenage thoughts and emotions and threw them into this amazing dystopian Chicago and made it all believable! Every single page had meaning in it and completely enthralls a reader. Because  when you look at the bare basics of the story, take out the factions, take out “Chicago” take out initiations and all you have is a teenage girl that is growing up. Brave at times, selfish at times, uncertain at times. You have Tris that is skittish around boys and around her feelings and her emotions. You have a girl that grows into her own skin. You have a typical teenager. And really I think that is why I part of me ♥ Tris so much. Sure she is strong but she is vulnerable and is unsure of her place anywhere which is what teens go through on a daily basis. Basically Tris’ experience in the initiation as a hardcore puberty/growing-up and it is pure awesomeness! One of the best female leads in a book by far. Very few compare to her in my eyes and that is a testament to Roth’s talent.

Now in every good book where there is a good female lead you need a good male to counter the female. And let me tell you Divergent isn’t lacking with the perfect counter for Tris. Ah Four…he just makes me want to sigh and smile and be hugged by him. Absolutely perfect male lead for this series. I honestly can’t think of anything better than him for a book of this caliber. He is definitely tough and a hard shell to crack, but when that shell is cracked you can tell he cares with his whole heart because he really is a softy but had to make himself to survive. His interactions with Tris are so fired with energy you kind of need to fan yourself even if nothing is going on. It’s hard to write chemistry and yet that is exactly what Roth has done for these remarkable characters.

And did I mention the story and the action? There is something going on at every corner whether it be the physicality of the initiation, the drama of the initiates, or the navigation of relationships. There is never a dull moment but there also isn’t any clutter either. Sure a lot is happening at once but it is paced in a way that makes sense and lays out the story and series in the best way possible. Even in an end that could have seem abrupt  in some books, appears to be even paced and well thought out.

Basically Divergent is one big gush fest of awesome! Veronica Roth is awesome! Tris is awesome! Four is awesome! The secondary characters that aren’t all secondary are awesome! Divergent is awesome! Like I said, one big love fest of awesome. NOW READ IT IF YOU HAVEN’T!

 

Tags: , ,

Divider

2 responses to “Second Chance Sunday – Divergent by Veronica Roth

Leave a Reply

(Enter your URL then click here to include a link to one of your blog posts.)

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