Divergent - Veronica Roth

Author: Veronica Roth

Length: 487 pages

Release Date: May 3 2011

Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books

Blurb

One choice decides your friends, defines your beliefs and determines your loyalties…forever.

When sixteen year old Tris makes her choice, she cannot foresee how drastically her life will change. Or that the perfect society in which she lives is about to unfold into a dystopian world of electrifying decisions, stunning consequences, heartbreaking betrayals and unexpected romance…

Review

I really wanted to love Divergent; I’ve heard so many fantastic reviews of Veronica Roth’s debut novel, love the cover art, listened to people gush about how fantastic the story, the characters and the romance is. When I picked up Divergent, I was expecting it to knock competition out of the way and reach the top five of my 2011 reads; after all, I love dystopian novels and I enjoy the odd romance book. After star recommendations and it being set in my favourite genres, how could I expect less? Sadly, what I expected was not what I found in Divergent, leaving me sorely disappointed.

Veronica Roth seems like a fantastic writer; her prose conveys obvious talent but sadly she wasted that talent on a tried and predictable book that left much to be desired. The plot was easily guessed, every twist was transparent and I found myself guessing events chapters before they occurred. Revelations and secrets I found dull and common to other books; secrets surrounding the protagonists’ family, the love interest, and the corrupt governments in which the main characters lead their lives; all seem to have been done before. The whole ordinary girl, goes for routine activity in her world and producing odd results rang true of Matched, an element that caught my attention from the off. Roth aimed for this book to be nail-biting, it is obvious from a good execution of revelations and shocking events, but I felt like I was reading a lot of other books, not just Divergent.

Another problem which I had with this book was the main character; Tris. Again, she seemed a clone, an amalgamation of so many other timid but strong within heroines I found it easy to guess which steps she would take, that she would strike against the oppressors of her world. Four, the main love interest in this book, was also a rather predictable character, the withdrawn and aloof love interest hiding inner pain and a dark secret, a stereotype that has been occurring since the release of Twilight more and more. But there are signs, subtle signs in secondary characters, that suggest great potential and gift; the likes of Al and Christina; varied, powerful characters that make you think and feel, show Roth has the obvious ability to pen characters with great depth; it is just such a shame Tris was presented as such as wallflower, or this book would have improved tenfold.

The last major factor that made Divergent a disappointment was how long the induction process seemed to take through this book. A process that seemed like it should have taken around half the book at least ran for the nearly the duration of Divergent, taking odd meanders into strange and almost inexplicable directions such as the game of capture the flag, it hinted at purposes to serve but I was simply left baffled at the reason behind it.

Fast forward around three hundred pages and this where Divergent really began for me. The plot became a thrill ride bolstered by amazing descriptive action sequences, beautiful character development and a plot that had me on the edge of my seat. Once of the initiation story stand was completed I was riveted to the point of almost tearing the pages with frenzied anticipation. The pacing was fantastic; no scene was wasted and the writing was fantastic, as it was throughout. Why the transformation? I have no idea; I only wish Divergent had been like this from the start.

Overall, a disappointment right up to the final stretch, when what appeared to be a washout came back full force and toppled the decisions I had made about Divergent. All I can hope for is that the sequel, Insurgent, will continue on the fantastic steps made in the final chapters of its predecessor. Has this review been harsh? Perhaps, probably, but only because I expected so much from this book, but the obvious skill Roth shows sets a spark of hope blazing that Insurgent will far surpass Divergent.

Dusty :]