Divergent by Veronica Roth

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The upcoming release of the third installment of the "Divergent" trilogy prompted my re-read of the series. Since I did not take the time to review the book last time, I thought I would do it now.

I stand by my 4-star rating from my first read-through; it is a solid "really liked it" for me. Yes, there are flaws, and those who say that the premise does not make sense have some reason to feel that way. But these things don't really matter to me because the story still catches me. Most stories written in present first-person are terribly annoying, but Roth manages to make this style readable in a way I've never seen before. I also love the irony in being given the illusion of choice during the Choosing Ceremony. Tris realizing that the factions are all just predetermined limits to her freedom is probably my most favorite part of the whole book.

Honestly, though, the thing that makes this book a solid 4 for me is Tris and her parents. Actually, several of the characters and their families. Notice how few of the initiates did not have family members come see them. Despite the "faction before blood" ideal, I liked that Roth showed her nicer characters coming from families that did not blindly follow it to the letter. That's a tangent, but one that matters to me.

Back to Tris... Tris is the exact opposite of Katniss to me in pretty much every way, and probably the biggest reason why I prefer this book to "Hunger Games." Katniss feels scattered, uncertain, and unskilled, even though the author expects us to accept that she is good with a bow and has survival skills. Tris starts from the beginning and learns her skills in front of our eyes, with her vulnerabilities on display the whole time. She also has a sharpness to her intellect that I don't see in Katniss. Tris's family relationships are also more realistic to me. In the end of HG, Katniss falls apart after she loses her sister, just like her mother did when she lost her husband, so the blame she places on her mother becomes very hypocritical. By contrast, Tris has a strong and loving relationship with her mother that she draws on to keep her going even after she loses her mother. Yes, she isn't perfect, but her will to live and fight feels real.

Yes, the factionless running things like the trains and also looking like hobos is very inconsistent (if they wanted to, they could really interrupt life for the factions), and the book is a little too violent for my liking at times, but overall this is one I have enjoyed reading.


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