Book Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 496 pages
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (May 3, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0062024027
ISBN-13: 978-006202402
Source: Received an ARC from the publisher for review
Cover: Overall, I like this cover. I feel like it has a lot to do with the novel and looks great in person. It is very reminiscent to The Hunger Games (in a good way). I love the coloring.
First Sentence: "There is one mirror in my house."

Mini-Review: Engrossing, unforgettable and addictive, Divergent sizzles with unique characters and an incredibly intense plot line that rivals The Hunger Games.

Book Summary:

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.

The Review:

There are some books that grip you from page one and hold firmly to you long after the pages have all been turned it is sleeping snuggly next to the other books on your shelf. Divergent is absolutely one of these novels. Honest, unforgettable, tension-packed and beautifully written, Divergent is a perfect debut.


Tris is one of those characters who shows so much incredible growth throughout the story that it's impossible to put down. From the moment she begins to narrator her tale, her voice is strong and sure and never falters. Reminiscent of Katniss from The Hunger Games, Tris knows what has to be done and makes it happen. She is single-minded, to the point of cruelty sometimes, intelligent and fearless in her pursuit to obtain her goals. But wrapped up in that package is a girl who still feels and bleeds and hurts. She is real. A real girl going through brutal training and trying to survive the best way she knows how. She isn't invincible but she is beyond capable and strives to conquer what she cannot do. I love Tris for these qualities, for being intelligent enough to surmise that sometimes opposites are really just the same thing under different hats and for doing what she must so that she can survive.


Her counterpart, Four, is just as resourceful and is an absolute perfect fit to the girl who no one knows hurts. Four is equal parts ruthless and caring, knowledgeable and skillful and the perfect blend of the good guy and bad guy mixed up in one. Their relationship is slow burning and complex. Every touch, every look means something and leads them closer to their goals. He shows Tris no mercy and Tris respects him for this. He knows her limits and she knows his. They find their way to each other together and in their own sweet time. The tension and ultimate release of it is satisfying and electric. Their chemistry sizzles off the page.


The world of Divergent is well thought out and cleverly constructed. Each faction has their own unique qualities and quirks and by the end of this first installment, I feel relatively safe in assuming that should I actually have to walk through the world of Divergent, I know each type of person. I loved seeing the Dauntless fort, exploring The Pit with Tris and easing into the Dauntless way of life: tattoos, dark clothing, piercings and traveling by hopping onto a train just to name a few. I was most fascinated by the fear scape which plays a large part in the plot.


Speaking of the plot! It was perfectly paced. I didn't find out things years before Tris did and wasn't forced to wait for her to draw the same conclusions. Ms. Roth was an expert at weaving in slow clues, having Tris automatically understand the obvious and making Divergent a dangerous place to live. The tenuous threads of the government are already pulled taut when the reader enters into the story and are begging to be snapped by the end.


Explosive, gripping and beautifully written, Divergent is an incredible debut. Like Tris and Four's relationship, every word was meant to be where it is and Tris's voice is so natural, she feels real. Every bit as good as you've heard and better, Divergent is a must read. Generally speaking, it takes a lot to make me blindly follow. Ms. Roth, I am your newest fan for life.

Rating:








What faction do you think you'd be in?


Can't get enough of Divergent?:

• Check Divergent out on Goodreads
• Check it out on Shelfari
• Check it out on Amazon.com
• Check out Veronica Roth's website