Divergent
By: Veronica Roth
At first I was a bit skeptical about reading this book. I thought that it was going to be like The Hunger Games. I was kind of wrong. It’s set in the future and the city is divided into five different factions.
The beginning of the book was pretty good, while Tris was going to through initiation. And then it kind of took a bit of a twist and turned into a war. I thought that was a little..sudden. But at the same time I guess it kind of led up to it. Tris always suspected that something bigger was a foot.
As for the actual writing, I felt that the author could have been a bit more descriptive. I kind of got a little lost in some parts because a scene wasn’t described enough. I also felt that some parts jumped around.
Let’s talk characters: I always like a strong female lead. At first I didn’t think I was getting that from Tris. Though, as the book progressed, she progressed. At first I thought of her as weak,I didn’t like that she wouldn’t defend herself. but of course she had to be because she came from a faction that didn’t think of themselves. I also didn’t like that she was always putting herself down and doubting herself. Don’t we all do that though? I guess that’s what made her character more relatable. As the story evolved and I started to see that she was like any other teenage girl I liked her even more. Towards the end she was stronger and stood up for herself. She had to be, especially during the war. She had to make choices she didn’t want to and do things she didn’t like, but did them anyways because it had to be done. She faced fear and embraced death like an old friend. Though she watched both of her parents die, she kept moving forward. She even showed a little mercy towards the guy that tried to kill her. She could have shot him in the head but didn’t. She did need him to get to the control room, but she could have shot him afterwards and didn’t. In the end, I really liked her as a lead.
Four, I did not like. He was too manipulative and condescending. I don’t like the way he talked to Tris, Calling her pathetic and idiot. He said it was for her own good, but there is a line. It was partly her fault because she enabled him. She did stand up for herself, but still allowed him to keep doing it. I don’t really have much more to say about him. He wasn’t charming, or exciting. He was bland and forgettable.
All in all, the book was good enough for me to finish it and move on to the second book. I give it 3.5 stars.
Madison's Musings 