'Divergent' | Veronica Roth

 

I think the fact that I devoured this book in 2 days is proof enough that I really enjoyed it.

The book is set in a dystopian future where everyone lives in one of 5 factions: Abnegation, Dauntless, Erudite, Candor and Amity. When a child turns 16, they can choose to either stay with their faction or move to another. Beatrice Prior is a girl from Abnegation, the faction that values self-lessness above all else who chooses to transfer to Dauntless, the faction that values bravery above all else, and becomes Tris. Tris struggles with Dauntless initiation but feels that this is her home. But Tris has a secret: at the aptitude test to determine which faction best suited her she tested Divergent, a rare trait and dangerous, for if the Dauntless leaders discover this, then she might find her life in danger...

The world of Divergent is intriguing in itself, with the idea that the world is split into these 5 factions each with different roles and jobs and society and with different traits that they believe in. I kinda found it hard to believe that it would work so naturally and efficiently at the beginning of the novel, but that was were Roth really stepped up, addressing these concerns in the latter half of the novel.

Roth also creates some interesting characters. Tris herself feels very real to me and multi-dimensional, if sometimes a little slow on the uptake. But she is fearless. The other initiates she meets are all great characters, with various facets as well, including the girly best friend Christina, tough guy Will, and sadistic bully Peter. And then there are the instructors, quiet but kind Four and cruel Eric. All of Roth's characters are well thought out and well rounded and she's obviously thought about all of them and their histories.

Roth's storytelling is quite compelling too, and I soon became quickly engrossed in it. I got caught up in Tris's story and her initiaton and wondering how Divergence made her so different, and what would happen to her next. I found that the story wasn't overly predictable which was nice too, and some things that I thought I'd predicted Roth managed to make me doubt and hide it well too.

Overall, I thought this was an excellent novel, and certainly a lot more to it than I was initially expecting. It was a great book, and I can't wait to start Insurgent!