I finally got my hands on the Divergent Series by Veronica
Roth and to start all I can say is WOW!!! This first novel blew me away! It was
amazing! In this book, you meet the main character, Beatrice Prior, who lives
in a dystopian Chicago that is separated in factions, five factions to be
exact. These factions are Candor, where the people value and live by the virtue
of honesty; Abnegation, where the selfless live; Dauntless, which houses the
brave; Amity, which are the peacemakers; and Erudite, who value intelligence
above all else. Every year, all of the sixteen year olds have to make a
selection and decide which faction they wish to live in and therefore dedicate their
whole lives to. If you choose the faction you have grown up in then you can
continue to live with your family, but if you choose otherwise, then you must
give up your family for what you believe. Beatrice needs to decide if she
should stay with her family or give into who she really is. On the appointed
day her choice surprises not only her family, but also herself.
The book then takes you into the world of initiation into
the faction of her choosing. Since this is the beginning of her life now, she
decides that she needs a new name, Tris. She finds a new group of people she
wants to call her friends, but is struggling with whether they really like her
or if they are just using her. She also finds herself attracted to an older
boy, whom she’s not sure if he shares her desires; which can be fascinating yet
frustrating all at the same time. Tris also is keeping a secret about herself
hidden from everyone, even those closest to her, because the truth could be
tragic for her. During initiation into her chosen faction she also learns a
secret that could jeopardize everyone she has ever loved, and has to decide
whether she should conform or follow her true self to help those she loves, no
matter the cost.
Veronica Roth is an amazing writer. The plot is fast-paced
and unpredictable. I never knew what I was going to find on the next page, and
therefore just had to keep reading to find out. It is definitely a page turner.
Even within the exciting world of Tris, Roth manages to throw in some good life
lessons. Overall this story starts out as a coming of age book, where Beatrice
(Tris) has to make a big decision at the young age of sixteen that will affect
the rest of her life. She needs to know enough about herself and look deep
within to find out what virtues she possesses and whether that is worth leaving
her family and all she has ever known. Tris deals with internal struggles
throughout the book, even after she chooses her faction, as she tries to figure
out who she really is, her true self-identity. Tris comes to realize what her
strengths and weaknesses are, and are surprised to find certain strengths she
never thought she had. I also love the romance story that Roth has weaved into
the book. The whole time you are wondering what is going to happen and what the
subtle, or not so subtle, tips are that the boy is giving her. Is he trying to
tell her something more? Help her? Warn her?
I can’t wait to dive into the second book, Insurgent. If you
are a fan of the Hunger Games, then I suggest you pick up this series and dive
into Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago.
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