And Divergent by Veronica Roth is going to have me in a good mood for weeks.
First, you should know there are three things that I value more highly than other qualities in books.
- Pacing
- Characters
- Plot
Divergent by debut author Veronica Roth blew me away in all these categories. Pacing, characters, and plot were all fantastic.
So without giving away any spoilers, let me tell you why you should read this book:
- It's a combination of the Sorting Hat in Harry Potter, the violence and corrupt dystopian world of Hunger Games, with the vulnerability and growth of Ender in Ender's Game. Plus there's romance and a male lead I swooned for way more than any Edward or Jacob.
- The premise: A future dystopian world where people are divided into factions based on what they believe in. The main character, Beatrice, must decide whether to stay in the faction she grew up in or betray her family and choose a faction that better suits her.
- Pacing: I could not put this book down. I lost sleep. I took it to school with me to sneak in reading time. At a hefty 487 pages... this shouldn't have been a quick read, but I started it on Wednesday evening and finished it on Friday evening.
- Characters: Hunger Games fans might hate me for this, but I liked the main character, Beatrice, way better than I liked Katniss. Both girls are tough and must learn to fight for their own survival. But Beatrice came off as a much more likable character. This may even cause me to like Divergent better than Hunger Games. And did I mention I LOVE FOUR. Four is the male lead. Weird name I know. But I love Four. You will love him too if you read this book.
- Plot: I love when I get to the end of a book and see how everthing fit together so perfectly--how events at the beginning led to the ending. Everything in this book was plausible and not forced. I never felt like the author was throwing in some deus ex machina to save the day.
One Warning: This book is very violent. Lots of blood. Lots of gore. Suicide and murder. I'd be hesitant to recommend it to anyone under 13.
Ok, you sold me!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved Divergent. I'd love to talk writing with you! If you are open to listening to some of my questions or wonders, feel free to email me at janexjane@hotmail.ca.
ReplyDeleteThis is the second blog entry I've seen today that talks about what a great book this is and both entries have been by clever Hollins folks. I'll pick up a copy this week!
ReplyDeleteto bad i didnt injoy it i thought tris was in ways more recognisable as a normal teenager that is still in atough situation but i preferd katnissis care for her loved ones and quiet strength maybe she isnt as volnurable or understanding for some people but for me she is the most inspiaring ya heroine second only by Viola Eade.But i guess i problem with Tris is i dont understant her actions . Also the world in the hunger games is better explained . And as a huge biased Hunger games fan im not angree with people critisising in fact i woud like to hear what you liked in Tris and didnt like in Katniss
ReplyDeletelian92-
ReplyDeleteI think I liked Tris more because she wasn't afraid to be who she was despite what her family and others might think. She chose Dauntless because that was the faction she was most drawn to, despite the fact that her family might not approve. I sometimes didn't like how Katniss put on an act, even to the people she cared about (like Peeta). I felt like Katniss was very confused throughout the series and never really grew as a character. I would need to reread the books to really analyze what my issues were with her character, but the vibe wasn't the same. I really loved Tris.
I'm still skeptical about what Veronica Roth will do next, and if I'll still like the characters in the next book. But we'll see!