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Divergent

An anonymous reader asks:
"I have DIVERGENT on my Nook. Is it worth the read and should I spring for the other two books in the series?"



Because I know this anonymous reader is actually my dad and because I know my dad's taste in books, I can unequivocally say:
Read the book, Dad!  And you should have Insurgent downloaded before you finish Divergent, lest you get caught somewhere without internet access and a computer and you're forced to WAIT until you get home to be able to download it.  

Now, maybe you have not heard of the Divergent trilogy.  It's ok - I hadn't either until I got back to the US this spring and some of my Facebook people-I-used-to-know-in-a-former-life started talking about the movie (still showing in some theaters here in Tulsa).  And then the library had a display of books that had inspired this summer's blockbuster movies and I decided to find out what it was all about.

The setting:
In the aftermath of devastating war, Chicago has been fenced in and the inhabitants divided into factions. Each faction strives to prevent a recurrence of war by eradicating the thing they see as being its root cause: cowardice, duplicity, selfishness, ignorance, or aggression.  Beatrice, our heroine, is born into the Abnegation faction, raised to believe that selflessness in all things is the best way of preventing further conflict.

The plot:
As Divergent opens, Beatrice is 16 and preparing for the Choosing Ceremony where she will decide whether to live the selfless Abnegation life her parents have led or whether to join another faction and begin an entirely new life.  The story begins on the day of the faction aptitude test; in advance of the Choosing Ceremony, each 16 year old participates in a series of simulations designed to give them clarity about which faction they are most suited to join.  Beatrice struggles with the Abnegation way of life and her aptitude test confirms: she is equally suited for the factions Abnegation, Dauntless, and Erudite - a condition called "Divergent".  But the rules of society are clear - she cannot be all three, and as tensions between the Abnegation and Erudite factions rise, she must choose.

The storytelling and themes:
The action of Divergent is fast paced and often violent as Beatrice finds herself literally fighting for survival.  The storytelling is first person from Beatrice's point of view, and there were a few times I had to remind myself that the narrator was only 16 and therefore a little bit of immaturity was to be expected.  The themes of Divergent include identity and how choices not only demonstrate who we are but effect who we become, as well as what it really means to be strong and fearless.

The sequels:
Divergent's and Insurgent's plot revolves around tensions between factions and share a story telling style and structure.  If you like Divergent, you'll like Insurgent.  In Allegiant, the action slows down as Beatrice and her friends discover the true origins of the Chicago they know.  Veronica Roth also changes her story telling style, splitting the first person narrative between Beatrice's voice and the voice of Tobias, her boyfriend.  This results in muddled internal dialogue and there were several times when I had to go back and check a chapter heading to remind myself who was speaking.

Recommendation:
One of my few complaints with the series is that Ms. Roth identifies (intentionally or not!) moral bravery with physical strength.  There are too few examples of physically weaker characters risking it all for what is right; if you want to make a stand in this world, you'd better be capable of shooting your way out afterwards.

However, if you enjoy dystopian post-apocalyptic stories or just want to see what all the fuss is about, definitely read the series (in order!).  It's perfect reading for the beach, the plane or the commute.  But maybe not bedtime -  I had a few late nights with Divergent!

"One choice can transform you."
So choose wisely.

Comments

  1. LeAn, A good review of Divergent. I do not have it on my current list of 'reads' but I might check it out. You mentioned some violence in the book, what about language?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Kimberly,
    Thanks for visiting!

    What language there is doesn't get worse than "what the hell is going on here?!".
    ~~ LeAn

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you! I have reserved a date in September to begin . . .

    ReplyDelete

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