Review Detail

I have this thing about book hype. So often, I hear about a book over and over again, how wonderful it is -- and then I read it. Even if it's not a bad book, I still feel let down, because I went in expecting something spectacular and I got...good. Which is certainly not a problem. I love good books! But I hate feeling let down.

Only a few books have lived up to the hype for me. DIVERGENT is one of them.

I've linked the flap copy before, but in case you don't remember it, it's here. (Conveniently, you can also order the book there.)

There were so many things I loved about this book, and I'm afraid if I say too much, I'll spoil it for you. So I'll resort to vagueness.

One of the things that really worked for me in this book was the worldbuilding. I loved how Veronica changed Chicago into this huge dystopian city, but disguised the dystopian nature by having everyone in factions named after virtues: Erudite, Abnegation, Dauntless, Candor, and Amity. And in this world, everyone has to choose which faction they will belong to -- which virtue they will value most of all.

I loved Beatrice's choice, her reason, and the consequences. The tagline on the cover is "One choice can transform you." During Tris's training for her faction, she goes through real physical and emotional changes. This book is tough, and Veronica doesn't hold back on making her characters pay for their choices.

Reading this book, I kept asking myself what choice I would have made. It's tough. I can't imagine making it when I was sixteen. What a harsh world! (HarperCollins made an aptitude test app on Facebook. I got Dauntless. Yikes.)

The characters' choices in this story go a long way to show human nature, how easily we can do the right thing -- or not. I also loved how Veronica showed what fear can do to a person, and how it can drive them.

This is a thick book. At nearly five hundred pages, one might worry about overwritten, useless scenes, but DIVERGENT has none of that. The writing is sparse and clean, and the pace is quick. It sweeps you up and carries you until the end, delving deeper into human nature than many stories are willing to go. At the same time, it can be surprisingly funny and clever.

But what most impressed me about this book is Beatrice: She has choices; she makes them.

Sometimes they're good decisions, and sometimes they're bad. They always have consequences. Regardless, Beatrice is a strong, proactive character, and I would not want to meet her in a dark alley.

If you enjoyed THE HUNGER GAMES, this book is for you.