Divergent by Veronica Roth - Review

Wow. Honestly, I think that’s the only thing I can say after finishing this book. And even now, after being done, I don’t think I can write a review simply because I am currently on overload. I feel like I've just been running through the streets of future Chicago fighting my way to safety… but here goes!

Divergent is a story based in what will become Chicago in the future. In these dystopian times, everyone belongs to a faction, each one representing a virtue. There is one for selflessness, bravery, truth, knowledge and happiness.  In this society, sixteen year old citizens take a test that is something of a personality test to tell you which faction that you should choose to belong to. Now, just because you are told that you belong in a certain faction, doesn’t mean that you must follow the results. Beatrice, our heroine, grew up in the faction for selflessness with her older brother and family. On her testing day, she is nervous just like everyone else and goes into the test unsure of herself and uncertain about her future. While there is obviously a lot more that happens in the book, that is all I want to reveal because this book is so original and so unique, I would hate to ruin it for anyone! For those who are little cheaters and read ahead to figure out what happens because you can’t wait a few more chapters, don’t… just don’t do it.

**Semi spoilers below! So, if you haven’t read Divergent and want to keep everything under wraps, I suggest you stop reading now and skip to the bottom where I give the book a 9.5 out of 10! As you were…**

I began reading Divergent, and I really liked it. It was interesting and different and I wanted to see what was coming next. Then I found out what was coming next and I got a little... unfocused I guess you could say. Maybe unfocused is the wrong word but there was just a tiny period towards the beginning where I wasn’t sure of my attitude towards the book. I felt somewhat detached from the story for the first 100 pages or so and I couldn't figure out why. That isn’t to say that I disliked the story during those moments, I did, I just wasn’t sure this book was going to be all that it was cracked up to be.  Then, Roth’s plot hit me like a hurricane and I couldn’t devour the story fast enough. In fact, there was a part (I won’t tell you which) where I literally felt my heart beating out of my chest as if I had been sprinting through the streets!

 After finishing the book, I now see that the spots where I felt disconnected from the book were very necessary to the storyline. I still think that some parts could stand to be a bit shorter, but a lot of this was just me itching to get more information. I loved how Roth didn't give you a ton of information upfront. She left you, as a reader, to figure out who was to trust and who was plotting against Beatrice. I never felt like I was being treated like a toddler as I do reading other books. Actions spoke louder than words in Roth's story and there wasn't a need for Beatrice to have inner dialog to explain plot points. All in all, this was a well-written, very distinctive piece of fiction that I would recommend to everyone, especially those who are fans of dystopian fiction. I will now lapse into a mini depression, waiting for May to get here so I can begin Insurgent…ugh.

9.5 out of 10

Happy Reading :)