Divergent Book Review

My interest for dystopian novels began when I finished The Hunger Games trilogy and for a while, nothing has ever rivaled it. That was until by sheer chance of luck that I participated in the book of the month readings at a Dystopian Novel group at GoodReads. and discovered Divergent by Veronica Roth. This had me hooked the moment the first chapter began. Trust me, it's that good.

Here's the blurb on the book's back cover:
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

The book had some similarities with The Hunger Games trilogy. They both have heroines as the main character although Tris is smaller, she doesn't have outstanding physical skills unlike Katniss and she doesn't pretty much standout in the crowd. The setting is also somewhat similar because the community is divided into factions that are so cleverly named after the dominant traits of the citizens who are members of it.

That's where the similarities stop. Divergent can stand out on it's own in terms of story and plot.

What got me hooked

The Factions
Not only are they so good to pronounce, it was a very clever use of wordplay. Each of the factions describe a trait that is dominant on its  members and I can't help but wonder at which one would I be suited to fit into. Joining Dauntless would be very tempting because of the thrill of danger but I also find myself drawn to Erudite as well.

Rooting for success and redemption.
Tris faced a lot of challenges and matches when she chose the faction that was a far cry from the faction she grew up in. I found myself rooting for her to come out on top even though it is obvious that she's physically weak. Tris was brave but she failed more times than she succeeded and this is got me hooked.

Honest tone.
I can't believe that the author is only 22 when she wrote this book. There was an honest and almost endearing tone to the writing style of the book. It's not very hard to read but it's not too simple that you'll find it boring either. I especially like the parts when the main character is voicing out her thoughts. It feels like you're viewing everything from her standpoint just by reading those paragraphs.

The twists.
They were perfectly timed and I'm delighted to say, cannot be foreseen. In other words, they were genuine twists of the story.

Divergent is shaping up to be another trilogy and I'm really happy to have discovered this gem. I can't wait for the release of the other two books and find out what happens next.