Divergent – Veronica Roth

“There is one mirror in my house. It is behind a sliding panel in  the hallway upstairs. Our faction allows me to stand in the front of it on the second day of every third month, the day my mother cuts my hair.”

Beatrice was born into Abnegation, one of the five factions that make up the world she knows. In a world where wars were raging her ancestors decided that wars were the fault of the people, and their virtues, so split up into factions. Those factions eradicated certain virtues which could be a cuase of war, they were: Abnegation, Amity, Dauntless, Erudite and Candor. And each 16 year old has one day to choose which faction they belong to. On Beatrice's choosing day she makes a decision which not only changes her name, to Tris, but also her whole life.

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There is so so much hype about this book across the blogosphere and for a while I wasn’t sure to believe it. I love dystopians and I liked the sound of this one but something about it put me off… something made me think that Divergent wasn’t for me. Until I started reading it and couldn’t actually put it back down… that’s my own fault though… I was warned!!

I was totally wrong by thinking Divergent wasn’t for me. I honestly thought that it sounded like nothing  special and that Tris was a bit boring… but man I finished this and shouted at myself for thinking that it was gunna be the same sh*t, different book because it blew my mind. I loved the idea that each faction believed in different virtues and I found myself thinking about what faction I would belong to (I reckon I would probably be in Abnegation, Dauntless or Amity… still not sure!!) and thinking about Tris’ choices and her story, why she chose the faction she chose and how her actions there determined certain things. There was a lot to get your head round in Divergent but I love a book that makes me think so I was very suitably satisfied with it!

I don’t want to go into much detail as I hate spoiling any parts of a story for people who haven’t read it (but seriously, if you haven’t read it… go buy it now! Don’t bother finishing reading this review… just get to it, you’re wasting time!) so I wont do that. But I have to say that the story of Tris’ initiation is amazing, she has to go through some pretty hefty stuff without even taking her past into account, and the development of both the story and the character is fantastic. You see the pieces of the puzzle building up on the page in front of you and that’s the reason I had so much trouble putting it back down once I started reading. I loved that I could see the story developing but I wasn’t ever sure where exactly t was going, I barely worked anything out before it happened, which was frustrating but so awesome at the same time!!

The main characters development, as I said, was brilliant. I could tell from page one that she struggled being a part of her original faction but her struggle with that didn’t automatically stop once she chose her faction for good, she was always battling with her inner-most thoughts and feelings and she always had to prove herself, not only to other but to herself also. I love how kick-ass she is and I well want to do some of the stuff she did – hello, I’d so do that thing, yeah.. cant say but if you’ve read it… ask me!!

The other characters were incredible too… even though I hated one or two, they jumped out from the page and walked alongside me as I was walking through the corridors. Peter was quite possibly my least favourite character of all time… in ANY book (ok maybe not Professor Umbridge in the Harry Potter books, but similar level.) and I actually felt sick, physically sick, numerous times when he wandered onto the page… if that’s not good development I don’t know what is! I’ve said it before I’m sure but seriously, making me hate a character that much is more impressive to me that making me love a character!  

I think I wouldn’t be alone in also admitting that if Peter made me freak out in anger… Four made me swoon like a helpless teenager… wow, he was stunning, and amazingly kind and thoughtless, but also battling with his own feelings which made him come across as a bit mood-swingy… but also very much in need! I couldn’t get enough of Four and man, I wish they made men like him for everyone!

Divergent is very much a victim of the cover *sigh*groups of books for me… I think the reason I was put off so much is because I wasn’t impressed by the cover, and I know that’s bad of me but I have since found out that it’s not selling too well in the UK and its believed that the cover may be the issue. I have to admit that a few years ago I would have walked passed this book, not even registering it… and I still wouldn’t have picked it up had I not been told countless times by fellow bloggers that its amazing! I love dystopians but the cover feels more sci-fi and too… brainy? Perhaps… I am often put off if I don’t think I will understand the concepts in a story and this cover seems to give off a science feel to me… having read the book I now understand the cover but I still feel that it would put too many people off. Though it is nice and shiney! Haha.

All in all I have to say… do not be put off by this cover. As soon as you read page one you will just ignore any preconceptions that you had about the cover and its contents because you will want to know more straight aaway, more about everything and anything and I cannot wait for the next book, even if this one was rounded nicely, I cant wait to read more by Roth!

Divergent was published in May 2011 by Harper Collins. It is the first in a series, with the second due next year. My copy was purchased myself. 


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