We believe in ordinary acts of bravery
Divergent was the first book I added to my rereads-list this year. It had been a while since I read the series and the movie Allegiant part 1 would come out at the beginning of the year. Also I had noticed I did not recognised much of the Insurgent movie the year before and it made me feel lost in the story.
I was pretty frustrated with myself when I did not manage to read the books before the theater release of Allegiant part 1, but I at least managed to get started before Allegiant part 2 will come out.
Book Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth
Rating:
Title & Author: Divergent by Veronica Roth
Genre: Dystopia, Adventure
Release Date: April 25 2011
Series: Divergent
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Synopsis
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.
I gave Divergent by Veronica Roth four out of five stars because I thoroughly enjoy the world it is set in. It seems so different from ours, but it is actually not. The first time I read it I gave it five stars, because I was so amazed by it. But the second time reading it changed my mind a bit. I feel Veronica Roth has taken the real world and just exaggerated some traits in people. It did not give me a bad feeling, but just made it a bit less original for me.
Beatrice is an Abnegation girl and she feels she is not good enough for her faction. She tries but she feels she is always lacking. When she takes her aptitude test it turns out she has an aptitude for multiple factions, it explains her sometimes lacking in Abnegation and it also means she is Divergent. Which is dangerous and she has to hide it. She only knows she is not good enough for Abnegation and so she chooses to become Dauntless. She learns to see she is selfless, like the Abnegation, smart like the Eridute and fearless like the Dauntless. And she learns to speak up for herself.
Someone I thought who does not learn anything during this book is Four. He stays in the shadows a lot, first in those of Eric and later in those of Tris. The only time he shines is while Tris and he are in his fearlandscape, but even then it is not about him, but about Tris learning who he is. I would like to see him shine, because he really deserves it and he is an interesting character.
Another interesting character is Albert, it made me sad to see he would not make it to the end of initiation. He could have been someone who point out all the beautiful things in life to Tris after the loss of her family.
Christina is a good friend to Tris, she is funny and very social. She helps Tris come to terms with her parents death, because she know what it is to leave your family behind and start a new.
There was only one point I did not understand, is the fact of the choosing ceremony, the kids take the aptitude test and the next day they have to choose. It seems a bit fast to make up your mind on such a big choose in someones life. Also if someone is not Divergent, they do not have the skills to survive in a different faction.
Overall I would recommend Divergent to anyone who likes reading books with a little more depth than just a beautiful girl meets girl and they fall in love.
The Movie
While watching this movie, I found I had some problems and they mostly seemed to be with characters. A lot of them did not seem like I had imagined them from the book. Like how Al does not seem as much of a coward as in the books. In the book you know he is not going to make it, even though you would like him to. But in the movie that feeling is not there.
Overall it was an okay movie.
The first time I watched the movie I did not remember much from the book, so I was not able to judge it. Just after reading the book this time I watched it and could only find the small things.
Let me know what you thought of this book and/or movie!
If you have any requests for which book I should talk about next, please let me know in the comments down below.
For now, let books enrich your life!