Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Genre: Dystopian, Young Adult
Publisher:  HarperCollins Children’s Books (2nd February 2012)
Blurb:

THREE FLYING BIRDS . . . ONE FOR EACH MEMBER OF THE FAMILY I LEFT BEHIND.

Sixteen-year-old Tris is forced to make a terrible choice. In a divided society where everyone must conform, Tris does not fit.

So she ventures out alone, determined to discover where she truly belongs. Shocked by her brutal new life, Tris can trust no one. And yet she is drawn to a boy who seems to both threaten and protect her.

The hardest choice lies ahead.

Rating: ***** (5 stars)

Review:

Divergent is the first book in Veronica Roth’s series. In this book we meet Tris, a sixteen-year-old with some difficult choices to make.

I am a little late to the party with this book, but I am really glad I decided to pick it up and give it a go. With all the hype surrounding it and the imminent release of its sequel Insurgent I was a little uncertain about whether I wanted to give it a go or not. There seemed to be a lot of excitement and anticipation, and honestly that made me a little nervous – it couldn’t live up to the hype, right?!

I REALLY enjoyed reading this book. I was hooked from the beginning and I tore through this book in less than a day – and that’s including time to eat and sleep. I found the world and the characters really interesting. There were a few things along the way that were a little predictable, but for me they didn’t spoil the story.

The story is told in the first person, so there is only a limited point of view but that really works. As a reader we only know as much as Tris does, and that really helps build the suspense and mystery. Tris was a great protagonist. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t think this story would have worked as well as it did. Tris has a really interesting way of looking at the world, particularly given the dystopian world she grew up in. The cast of secondary characters was interesting and enigmatic too.

The story develops quite quickly, but the plot doesn’t feel rushed at all. Once the book begins you hit the ground running, and I liked this aspect of the narrative. I also enjoyed the way the book ended, although to be honest it’s not a way I’m normally a fan of. I look forward to getting my hands on Insurgent and finding out what happens next to Tris and her world.