Book Review #260 - Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth

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.

 

 

 

My Rating: 5/5

 

 

I have put off reading this book for so long because I was worried it wouldn't meet my huge expectations.

 

 

For the most part this book did exceed my expectations. The only aspect that didn't was the world building as I thought that could have had more depth.

 

 

The amount of action it contained surprised me. It was really enthralling and kept me on the edge of my seat.

 

 

I really liked all the characters and even the evil characters still had great personalities. No characters blurred with one another.

 

 

At first when I started reading this book it was a little slow but when I got to a certain point (which I can't pinpoint) I wasn't able to put it down. I ended up reading this book in less than a day.

 

 

I didn't like any of the characters instantly. Tris I liked by the end of the first few chapters and Four I didn't like until his real name was revealed. The relationship between the two of them I didn't feel until near the very end. For this reason I am keen to re-read it again soon.

 

 

Out of the secondary characters my favourite was Caleb and I'm not even sure why. I just felt interested in him for some reason.

 

 

It will probably be a while before I read the sequel Insurgent as I don't even have my own copy yet.