Divergent Review | Books and Baking

I absolutely loved Divergent! It was fast paced and a real page turner. I’ve watched the film countless times but I’ve never read the book (I know, not a typical bookstagram move). Although I usually read the book before watching the film, this was not the case with Divergent, and it did not disappoint.

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, 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 alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating 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 unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her._{^{-synopsis from Goodreads}}

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I’ve been getting into YA recently, and after reading The Hunger Games in December for university I knew I had to finally read my copy of Divergent which I’ve probably had since I was in high school! I definitely underestimated how long it was (nearly 500 pages), but Veronica Roth gives you so much information and descriptions of the dystopian Chicago that it feels like you are there with Tris.

I loved how Tris’ character came out more in the book. I feel like her character development was so strong in the book and she definitely grows a lot more in the book than in the film. The film does brush over a few important scenes, but it is definitely one of my favourite (and one of the most accurate) book to film adaptations I have watched!

“We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another”

Reading this during a pandemic, where the future is just as crazy a thought as the present day was really interesting. I was interested in the faction system and how the novel is based upon societal divisions that are the foundations of their livelihood. It is such an interesting concept and I love how ‘divergence’ transgresses these boundaries.

The book really hits high levels in the last quarter of the book and it was an interesting read. I recognise similarities with The Hunger Games and if you haven’t read it, but are interested in YA dystopia then you should check that out!

“I have a theory that selflessness and bravery aren’t all that different”

Tris is a natural born heroine and I cannot wait to read Insurgent and see where the train takes her! If you’ve read Divergent, what did you think?

Rating – ★★★★★