You want to read this book!
A few weeks ago, I tore through Veronica Roth’s Divergent and I was so sad to turn the last page on my Nook. Tris was such a great character. Her transformation from a submissive member of the Abnegation faction that doesn’t know if she truly fits, to a fearless member of the Dauntless faction working hard to shed the nickname of “stiff,” to a self-aware Divergent ready to kick butt and take names was beautiful to watch. Tris’ growth was organic and never seemed over the top or overdone. Cliche and stereotype were rare finds in this book, and Tris was no exception. I have to say that I did roll my eyes a bit at her cluelessness in the romance that begins to develop, but then again, my 16-year-old self was just as clueless, if not more.
I was met with surprises throughout a plot that diverted (hehe) from the typical, run-of-the-mill dystopia, while still keeping true to popular themes in young adult science fiction, such as the confused protagonist has a skill and stubbornness that will help save the world that is seen in books like Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games and Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game. Readers root for Tris in, what I’ve noticed in retrospect, was a very Hunger Games-esque trial of skill in order to be initiated into the Dauntless faction. Her role as ‘savior,’ however, didn’t just come out of nowhere. With her father in leadership, and in the public eye, it made sense for her to take action to clear his name, revealing faction secrets in the process that could start the war they attempted to avoid by creating the factions. I guess I’ll have to wait until book two to find out if it gets that far.
By the end, I was ready to pre-order book two, and get a tattoo to match the three Tris gets during her Dauntless initiation. I highly recommend this book, just be prepared to procrastinate on all other life activities in order to reach its exciting conclusion.
