Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent by Veronica Roth
Ebook pgs 496
05/20/2011
rating: 5stars


Overview: Beatrice is living in dystopian Chicago. The city is broken up into 5 factions. When a person reaches the age of 16 he or she has to take an aptitude test. The test tells the recipient which faction he or she is best suited for. After the aptitude test, there is the Choosing Ceremony where the person announces which faction he or she has chosen from that point on the person has limited contact with his or her family (if they choose to live the faction they were born into) “motto faction or blood.”
Where to begin with this book? Let’s start with the factions. There are 5 of them. Dauntless faction values bravery. Abnegation faction values selflessness. Erudite values intelligence. Amity values peace and friendship. Candor faction values honesty. The factions came about to rid society of those negative traits that make a society least than harmonious. The problem with factions is that people have to live by one trait I do think that people have one dominant trait but they are other traits that cannot be suppressed. Humans are too complex creatures to live in a “box”.
The faction’s values are not all they are cracked up to be. Amity is not really explored in this book so I cannot speak on them. Candor honesty is more like tactlessness. There is a way to be honest and not so abrupt. Erudite’s intelligence is more like arrogance. Abnegation’s selflessness is servitude. Dauntless’s bravery is needless danger for danger stake. Or at least this is what the faction’s values have turned into.
Next is Beatrice as a character. She is not the most likable character at the beginning. I think it was because in her head she thought she was this nice girl weakling but she also was cold and heartless at times. The character I liked best was Four. I pretty much figured out his background and the side plot with him. The rest of characters were good as well. The story felt sluggish in the beginning but for me it picked up quickly. I cannot wait for the second one.
Comparisons to Harry Potter….so you saying you didn’t see me doing this LOL I’m hosting a Harry Potter Reading Challenge for heaven’s sake you know I have to go there. Here we go:
The factions somewhat remind me of the houses in the HP series. Dauntless would be Slytherin and Gryffindor. The two houses are not that different they are just good twin evil twin. Erudite would be Ravenclaw.. Amity and Abnegation would be Hufflepuff. Candor really doesn’t fit into any one house. Erudite in this first book can also be Slytherin but an explanation would contain a spoiler so I won’t get into that.
I heard people make comparisons to Hunger Games so I must read them now. TBR list #1…LOVED IT! I cannot wait to see what is going to happen in the second book. The first book we left with the city is chaos.

Discussion with Lah of Lazy Girl Reads and Lisa at Baffled Books will be added later tonight.

Challenges
2011 Where Are You Reading?
Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge 2011