Review: Divergent

Book Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Publisher: Harper Collins
Price: Rs. 299 (Rs. 276 at Flipkart)/ $ 9.99 at Amazon
Pages: 487
My Rating: 5/5!

Many thanks to awesome book bloggers for awesome reviews for this book and its sequel in the trilogy, Insurgent, that made me purchase this one! It’s no wonder I loved every single word of it and just don’t know how to go about telling everyone how it is such a ‘must-read’. If you like fantasy and dystopian.

Storyline

A dystopian fantasy, Divergent is the story of a world that’s divided itself into five different factions, in order to stop the wars between humans. They believed that if people can be trained to stay true to their faction and help in the running of their society with the traits they inherit and skills they learn, there would be no wars. But is living in a divided society with the motto, ‘faction before blood’ and just focusing on five good traits the solution? Humans are humans, after all and it’s only a matter of time before greed and hunger for power consumes them.

The five factions are Abnegation (the selfless), Amity (the peaceful), Dauntless (the brave), Erudite (the intelligent), Candor (the honest). Sixteen year old Tris belongs to Abnegation and has always been taught innumerable acts of selflessness and living a plain life. Every year, the sixteen year olds are subjected to an aptitude test and then they get to choose the factions they would want to spend the rest of their lives with, during the Choosing ceremony. The aptitude tests are supposed to help the takers understand which faction they’re best suited for, by throwing them in a simulation, but what happens with Tris? Is her test result Abnegation, where she already belongs or another faction where she feels she belongs? Or is the answer neither?

When she chooses her faction and struggles to get through the initiation, so that she’ll finally be accepted as a member of the faction and not just a child, there’s a lot going on. Only no one knows what, since inter-faction communication is not appreciated. Is the society at the brink of war? And what role does Tris have to play?

My thoughts

Brilliantly brilliant! First, the story, with the whole society divided into five different factions with extremely strict rules to adhere to, was quite different for me. Plus the fact that Tris, the lead protagonist doesn’t seem to fit. She’s different and her qualities are such that they scare those in power because of which she and others who’re the same, have to hide this secret, but Tris has no clue why. She doesn’t know why she’s forbidden to use the word what she is and why those few who do know that have forbidden her to use it. I loved the mystery behind it all and I especially felt my breath get caught up when the word ‘Divergent’ was first mentioned. I just knew it then that I’d be loving this book!

I like Tris. I mean, I really like this character! From what I make of it, Tris is the representative of how many of us really feel about our life. I could totally connect with her since page 1 because I think I understood how deep ther portrayal went. It’s not just about any girl who’s a misfit and a danger to those in power. She’s what we all are. She’s been brought up to be selfless all the time, in any action, and she’s learnt to be pretty good. But every human has a set of personal traits that has nothing to do with how you’re brought up. It’s just in you and whatever’s done on the outside, in whichever way you’re groomed and polished, there’ll always be some part of you that’s your true self. Tris likes adventure but it’s considered self-indulgent in Abnegation. She’d like to take the elevator but the Abnegation use the stairs so the elevator can be used by others. The personal preferences aren’t taken into consideration. That’s what happens with us too, right? I loved the way Tris gives a message of how we should be who we are, she’s brave, she can handle leaving her family behind, but she’s also a young girl who’s desperate for some love. She feels lonely without her family, but she loves the independence the other faction provides. I don’t know, I just love you, Tris!

Four (not his real name, it turns out) is Tris’s love interest. He’s the initiates’ trainer and there’s something mysterious about him that attracts Tris. He’s brave, but not really brutal and since that makes him different from the leaders, Tris wonders what the reason could be. Four is an admirable character too, protecting Tris, but mostly he acted as a guy with secrets who likes Tris and wants to keep her away from trouble. I have to say I warmed up to him a lot when he was with Tris and as their relation progressed. Maybe it was the way it was written, but I loved it! This is another love story within a story that I’ve liked!

The writing. Divergent is extremely well written, in first-person account, with perfect amounts of mystery, action, description of characters, their thoughts, the events and every single thing! It isn’t a book I’ve just read, I’ve actually lived the whole story, seen the different factions, the people and gone through the fights and sequences of action. It’s picturesque and not just with the scenery, but with everything. I wouldn’t be surprised if the movie adaptation turns out to be exactly as I saw it in my mind. I just adore such authors! <3

One thing about the whole book, that it’s so not predictable. I didn’t know what to expect, what will Tris choose? Will there be a war? Who are those who’re really dangerous? What is the matter with ‘Divergent’? Though I kind of guessed Four’s secret early on and was so pleased when it turned out to be what I’d thought it’d be, it was otherwise unpredictable and that’s why I think this book is awesome! It was quite clean and light in the beginning and for more than half of the book, in fact. When the action begins, it’s heart-stopping-thrilling and you wouldn’t feel like putting it down before it’s all over! I wouldn’t call the book fast-paced, because it was fast towards the end, but even then, the ending didn’t seem to be rushed.

There are a couple of things I’m not happy about, like the loss that two factions had to face, plus the personal tragedy that Tris goes through. I didn’t want that to happen, at all! Now I’m completely on edge and will be, until I get to read the second book in the trilogy, Insurgent. I’m pretty sure I’d love this whole series! I wouldn’t have said this a few months ago, but now I know that there are too many books I “love a lot”. Really, you cannot just confine yourself to a few books; there are just so many great ones! :D

Some lines from the book I like:

‘I believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another’

‘What good is a prepared body if you have a scattered soul?’

Recommended for: YA dystopian readers, adults, fantasy lovers.