Divergent

The honest owl is flying by with a review for divergent. I liked it a lot it's like a big training montage. Although there were some s***** romance elements in it. HOO HOOT! Note: Has anyone noticed how every review has at least half as many thumbs down as it has thumbs up. Seriously type in any book name and look at the reviews they always have heaps of thumbs down. Does someone go around pressing a thumbs down on all the book reviews or something?show more

After hearing about this book for so long and how great it was and that it was coming out as a movie this month, I decided to go for it and buy it. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. I believe I have never read such a dystopian kind of book. Divergent brings a whole new concept, in my opinion, and it can pull you into its world in a heartbeat. Right from the start we are presented with Beatrice (later on known as Tris) and her struggle to come to terms with the upcoming test that will define the rest of her life. Since the whole book is narrated by this character it was incredibly easy to experience her feelings as your own, and I absolutely loved this about 'Divergent'. Once she gets into 'Dauntless' things start getting way more interesting. She gets beat up, she falls in love, she becomes a fighter and she becomes acquainted with the loss of a loved one. Through out the book, and mostly due to these situations, Tris grows from an oppressed girl to a free, brave young woman who will not stop at nothing to save the ones she loves and defend her beliefs. One thing that I did not particular liked or agreed with was how fast she fell in love with Four, yes I do understand this happens in the majority of books and that maybe because it is a book, it seems to happen faster than if it was real, but it still annoys me a little. I cannot help it. This being said, I ship 'em really hard.show more

This is such a brilliant book. I loved it so much that I read it cover to cover in a day. I think anyone who loved the Hunger Gamed will love this too. I cant wait for the movie to come out. Nice work Veronica Roth xoxoshow more

Well, I have finally finished one of the most successful young adult books of recent history, and I honestly couldn't be happier. Although often compared to "Hunger Games," this is a book that deserves its own special spotlight. It is the first in a series, and I am glad I read it before the movie comes out. First things first. The profanity in the book is extremely minimal and almost not worth mentioning. But that's not the best part. The two main characters are virgins and not jumping into bed with each other! I realize that could be considered a spoiler, but I don't think it is. Young adult books have become increasingly more inappropriate in later years, and this book is a welcome relief from that. When my daughter gets a bit older, this will be the book I will want her to read. The story, characters, and writing style are amazing in this book. I enjoyed it from the beginning, but it wasn't until the book was almost done that the action truly intensified. I cannot believe how quickly I read the book, and I can hardly wait to read the rest of the trilogy!show more

It took me two years to start reading this book. Two years of ignoring the hype and a movie in production until i finally jumped on the train (pun intended) and added Divergent to my stack of favorites. You all know what it's about, and if not, there are plenty of summaries, so i won't bother with that and get right to the point. "I think we've made a mistake," he says softly. "We've all started to put down virtues of the other factions in the process of bolstering our own. I don't want to do that. I want to be brave, and selfless, and smart, and kind, and honest." He clears his throat. "I continually struggle with kindness." - Four (p.405) This book is absorbing, it stayed with me even when i was not reading. I don't have this feeling with a lot of books, many i enjoy but they don't have that much of an impact on me. But the story stuck in my head until now. Something I really loved about this book was the characters. They were rich and extraordinary and i realized that you don't get to read about those kind of characters very often in YA fiction. Tris is exceptionally confident, yet relatable. There were a couple of situations where i actually felt the way she feels, either because i would be the same in the situation, or because i've been there. She's also tough as nails and she's the one driving the action in the plot, not the other way around. And then there is Four. He's got that rare quiet strength about him, yet shows vulnerability later in the story. Even though he was always a mystery, not once did i have the feeling that he's not a full character, in fact, i felt like he has a story when he's not in the story. I can imagine what his life was like before he met Tris. We even get to see a glimps of it through Tris' eyes. There was this scene where he was drinking with his friends by the chasm. I would have loved to see more of that Four. Tris doesn't understand why he does the things he does for quite a while. But everything he says and does is for a reason. I could never be mad at him. And their relationship was no insta-love, thank God for that. Then we have Tris' friends: Christina and Will, and there was also Al. Each of them were realistic. Christina's reaction to Tris' rankings, her affection to Will, and his peaceful aura. And Al, who was weak, but important for the story. Of course there were also people that i hated, like Peter and Eric, but they were all necessary as well. Noone seemed to be a gap-filler. But what i think is most important to mention: You get to know the characters not through what they claim to be, but through the way they act. image The whole initiation process (basically the whole book then) and especially the simulations were MIND-BLOWING! It was interesting to see how Veronica Roth built the story on her knowledge about Fear Exposure Therapy. The form of society she created in Dauntless, reminded me of a twisted form of 'Carpe Diem'. It's an adventurous atmosphere, people get tattoos as part of their everyday life, they jump off buildings, ... The whole book includes so much action i'll probably need to reread it at one point, so much has happened in such a short span of time. 'Divergent' covers three of the five factions: Abnegation, Dauntless and Erudite. I hope to see more of Amity and perhaps Candor in 'Insurgent', it seems likely. There were some things i didn't fully comprehend though: Why exactly is it so dangerous to be divergent? Because they can manipulate the simulations? Yeah, but how do they do that? Maybe 'Insurgent' will shade some light on that.show more

The best thing you can do as a reader is dive into a book you have zero expectations for. If you do this, you'll do yourself and the author a favor by actually enjoying the book and fulfilling the author's goal to entertain the masses. Divergent was dubbed "The Favorite Book" of Goodreads in 2011. I remember voting for it just because it was popular and not because I've actually read it. At that time, I wondered why the book was such a success. I wondered why it was so appealing to the young and old. I was actually pretty shocked that some of my friends didn't find the book impressive at all. And that's probably why I held no expectations for Divergent and it's now one of the best books I've read all year, of course, it'll be beside Feed by Mira Grant. The first chapter began and the alternative universe Roth paints for us reminded me so much of many other Dystopian books out there. It was like Suzanne Collins, Ally Condie, Beth Revis and Veronica Roth were in the same writing group when they first started their debut novels. I complained so much at the beginning about its similarities to other books but then fifty pages in and I began to eat my own words, the book got really good, really fast. The main reason why I loved the book so much was because of how human and me, Trice, the main character, was. She is one of the best protagonists I've read all year and I realized one thing: the best protagonists are the kind who sees themselves not as victims but as humans, who can overcome any obstacle they face. Trice faces any obstacle head on and that kind of determination you see in a character will inspire you to take life by it's hands, so you can lead your own way through it instead of the other way around. The book had a gloomy and colorful world. In this alternative universe, the world is divided into factions wherein people are sorted by their personalities. The Abnegation Faction are the Selfless, Amity are the people of peace and arts, Candor are the honest, Dauntless are the brave, and Erudite are the intelligent. Life in this world is a lot simpler and people stuck with their factions and wars rarely broke out. Now, for Divergent, what does it really mean? I actually went through 250 pages and I still couldn't figure out what it was. I might have been a little slow when I read this book so I couldn't process the obvious. Haha. I realized what Divergent was when I understood that Trice was flawed and truly human, and not selfless like the people of Abnegation. She wasn't wholly truthful like the honest of Candor, she wasn't peaceful and free like the Amity and not completely smart like the Erudite or fearless like the Dauntless. She was Divergent, rare and yet, she seems to meet a lot of people who are or used to know a Divergent. I really loved following Trice and her adjustment to her new faction. I enjoyed laughing when she did, fighting and being angry along with her. I cried when she did and hurt when she did. Trice is incredibly realistic and the true heroine to follow in any Young Adult book. I was surprised to find that the book held more character developments and growth rather than big leaps of plots and twists. It's refreshing and impressive; especially when Roth manages to write the most enthralling character developments I've ever read. She's a poet in her own little way and I absolutely love her writing style. The verdict: Divergent is a brilliant book of friendship, betrayal, family and the true meaning of selflessness. Roth has written a wonderful book that will leave you a month later still thinking about her book. I can't wait to pick up the next book and the movie isn't far off.show more