divergent review

 

 

 

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.

***

 

In a distant, dystopian future sat in Chicago the world has been ravaged by greed, ignorance, lies, and aggression. A society forms to rid themselves of these problems. Five factions are created: Candor (those who believed lies destroyed society, and tell only the truth), Amity (who thrive on peacefulness), Abnegation (the selfless who serve others before themselves), Erudite (the intelligent), and Dauntless (the brave who are trained to battle and protect). Each faction was created to alleviate the problems which ultimately had destroyed society. However, each faction tends to keep to themselves, and there are feuds between them.

 

Beatrice was born into the Abnegation faction, and leads a very simple life. She watches as her father, mother, and brother are completely selfless and attend to others needs before their own. She doesn't feel as if she quite belongs with them, because she doesn't always feel selfless.When she turns sixteen and the appointed day arrives she must choose which faction she will devote the rest of her life to serving. For Beatrice it isn't an easy choice, and she will have to deal with the consequences that occur.

 

Beatrice or Tris is an excellent character who I quickly fell in love with. It was great to be able to follow along with her as she grew and changed. There's so much conflict within her, but she manages to continue on her journey. She's brave, witty, and sometimes she's ruthless but I think those things are what make her so likable.

I loved the idea of the factions that arose from the destruction of society, but also it's obvious that such factions can't work if they're separate. You cannot have someone who is wholly peaceful or wholly selfless without the other attributes.

 

Divergent is Veronica Roth's first novel and she has written such a spectacular book. It's a generally quick read, but very thought provoking. It forces you to take a closer look at society and yourself. It's a really fun read.

 

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads