Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Divergent (Divergent, #1)” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

more photos (1)

Divergent (Divergent #1)

by Veronica Roth (Goodreads Author)

4.34 of 5 stars 4.34 · rating details · 1,134,009 ratings · 82,291 reviews

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote th...more

Paperback, 487 pages

Published February 28th 2012 by Katherine Tegen Books (first published January 1st 2011)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Divergent, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Best Young Adult Books

6th out of 9,041 books — 57,536 voters

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

Best Books Ever

44th out of 32,935 books — 128,560 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Feb 25, 2011 Tatiana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, dystopias-post-apocalyptic, 2011, ala-ya-2012

As seen on The Readventurer

We all know why Divergent was written. There is no doubt 99% of dystopias published during the last year or so have been trying to at least partially replicate the success of the trilogy. Public wants to read more dystopian stories, publishers want to sell them, authors want to write them. Everyone is happy.

I have read a few new dystopias recently and liked or disliked them to various degrees. There are dystopias for any taste, dystopias that emphasize separate aspect...more

flag 985 likes · like · see review

Dec 04, 2013 karen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dysto-teque, why-yes-i-ya

i need to make something perfectly clear. i am well aware that i gave 4 stars to Daughter of Smoke and Bone. and i am giving 5 stars to this one.

the world is a tough and inconsistent sphere.

because Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a much much better written book. it's no contest. she is lush and lyrical and there is a gravity to her writing that makes you stop every so often to murmer "well said, laini taylor, well said..."

this book is just fun.
fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun

this is unexpected pil...more

flag 734 likes · like · see review

Oct 17, 2014 mark monday rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: after-the-fall, teenworld, rain-man-reviews

Dear Hunger Games,

I miss you. I really do. Our relationship is over and done with but the memory of you still lingers on. I know that's a terrible cliché - and you hate clichés - but it's a true one, at least in this case. I don't think I'll ever be over you. You are fucking special.

It took me some time, but I finally met a new girl. Her name is Divergent. She's quiet and strong and short-tempered and insular and brave... a lot like you, I suppose. But is she really? This is hard for me to admit...more Dear Hunger Games,

I miss you. I really do. Our relationship is over and done with but the memory of you still lingers on. I know that's a terrible cliché - and you hate clichés - but it's a true one, at least in this case. I don't think I'll ever be over you. You are fucking special.

It took me some time, but I finally met a new girl. Her name is Divergent. She's quiet and strong and short-tempered and insular and brave... a lot like you, I suppose. But is she really? This is hard for me to admit but I think I was initially attracted to her because she reminded me so much of you. I know it's not fair for me to think this way, I should be looking at her on her own merits. At the very least I could have looked at the relationship as a fun rebound and not as a search for a replacement you. Easier said than done. I loved you, I love you, I'll always love you... and I'm not sure I even like her.

First of all, she copies all of your moves and all of your traits. It's so obvious. It's clear she's modeled her whole life on you and what you've achieved. At first that similarity is what caught my eye about her. And she is an exciting person, she's always hurtling forward, she barely stops to take a breath. I like that. But in the end, there's also a fakeness and even a kind of desperation. She's not you, not even close. Why can't she be her own person?

Unlike you, she's really into guns. I know you see the necessity of guns, sometimes, but I also know you don't see them as an answer. I didn't mind her love of guns at first - I kinda like guns, I'll admit that. But eventually I realized she was equating the use of guns with bravery. What the hell? On the one hand she says "true bravery is selflessness" but on the other hand she insists that she doesn't feel fully herself unless she has a gun in her hand. Ugh.

She also has a thing against intellectuals. She finds them innately suspicious and they are the first kind of person she'll automatically reject. Honestly I don't know where that comes from. But it makes my skin crawl.

With all the gun love and the anti-brains bias, she reminds me at times of my redneck relatives. Which is not attractive.

The worst thing - and I know I'm about to sound like a real dick here - is that I've realized she is actually pretty stupid. She breaks people down into different groups, just like you do. But while you have a realistic, complicated perspective on class and power and economics and the media and self-awareness and how all of those things contribute to the boxes we put ourselves into, the decisions we make, who we are... she just divides people up into a handful of finite personality traits. Abnegation, Candor, Erudite, Dauntless, and Amity. it's such a ridiculous, shallow idea. My God, she even lumps adjectives and nouns together as her labels - as if they were the same thing! It's teeth-grindingly naive and yet this idea of hers is her whole foundation. Even worse, she seems to think that only the very rare person, the very special few, are able to combine these traits in relatively equal proportions. To be "Divergent". Sometimes I wonder if she's actually ever really known a person. Her theory is like something a child thought up.

Okay now I'm feeling bad for bashing her so much so I'll say some good things. She can be pretty enthusiastic and, at her best, she can keep me up all night just having fun. Her insights about this guy Al (you don't know him and you probably wouldn't like him) are really surprising and deep. So she's not that shallow, not really. She has her moments. And just like you, she sure knows how to make some money.

Still, I don't think I will be continuing the relationship. There's a new girl I've met named Daughter of Smoke & Bone. She seems really cool and smart and mysterious. I'm looking forward to getting to know her.

But in the end, you know you'll always be number one.

Much love,

UPDATE 10/17/14: just saw the movie. it was awesome!(less)

flag 662 likes · like · see review

Feb 16, 2014 Nataliya rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-reads

Heh. I'm torn now. I eyerolled so much while reading this book that I may have permanently damaged at least some of my cranial nerves. And yet I read it in one sitting, annoyingly and inexplicably entertained. Go figure.

There just may have been some facepalming as well.

It's yet another young adult dystopia based on a stupid premise. Seriously, it's plainly ridiculous. If I had to compare it to something equally ridiculous it'd have to be the notion of sparkly vampires. I'm not kidding. Just list...more

flag 812 likes · like · see review

Oct 06, 2012 Wigs rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What kind of ridiculous mess...

Oh man.

So I know I say this in dissenting opinion, as many on my friends list are partial to this book, but I could not stand it. So before I go off on my tirade, I must explain. You may be thinking to yourself why I gave it two stars and not one, if I’m complaining so much. Let me explain that two is pretty low on my scale. Two is “why did I buy this.” Or read this. Or whatever. One star is dramatic. One is “this should not have been written,” which I have given o...more

flag 1143 likes · like · see review

Dec 04, 2013 Hannah rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-reads, too-awful-for-words, ya

THE SEVEN STAGES OF READING HELL: When You Realize You're Going to be the Odd Man Out (Once Again) With a Wildly Hyped and Popular Book that Everyone Else Loved

as Presented by:
The Coterie of Emotive Kittehs (courtesy of Google Images)

December 13, 2011

Page 30:

Page 77:

Page 145:

Page 270:

Page 354:

Page 404:

Page 475:

Final Analysis of my Reading Experience:

(What? You didn't think I was going to show a kitteh with a knife in its eye, did you?)

Rating: A (Very) Generous 1 Star

The Moral of this Review:
I sh...more

flag 1619 likes · like · see review

May 13, 2014 Marg K. rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1-star-rating

Original Review Date: June 22, 2011

Prior to reading Enclave, I had already set the bar of expectations pretty low for dystopian YA fiction. Afterwards, I reset it to about a foot off the ground. Therefore, all Divergent had to do in order to get into my good graces was a little hop right over to the other side. Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy, right? Obviously not 'cos Divergent aimlessly stumbled about, tripped over its own feet, and then proceeded to face plant into the ground like a drunken frat bo...more

flag 2145 likes · like · see review

view all 849 comments

Marg K. Anna wrote: "Did you ever think that the reason for the fucking oppression and all that other shit was BECAUSE IT WAS DYSTOPIAN?!?! By definition, a d...more
updated Oct 08, 2014 01:55PM

Amy You are sooo true, what I didn't get was, that in the future, they were suppose to be way more advanced, but from the book, the tech sounds pretty out...more
Oct 08, 2014 10:39PM

Dec 04, 2013 Elle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-read, baddass-leading-ladies, dystopia-and-sci-fi, first-of-series, good-covers, made-me-think, made-of-awesome, elles-reviews, 2012-read

There comes a time in every average, misunderstood, flat chested, never-been-kissed, pre-war heroin, sixteen year old girl's life when she must decide between right and wrong.

Yes. RIGHT and WRONG.

Not Harry and Sam. Or Harry and Mike. Or, frak help us, Harry, Sam AND Mike. No no. In Divergent, Good, Evil and Tris are our love triangle. How utterly refreshing.

Now, don’t get me wrong. You will find your standard amount of PG-rated teen romance in this book. Check it:

Oh, eh... Wrong book. My bad.

But...more

flag 583 likes · like · see review

Dec 04, 2013 Rick Riordan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I definitely enjoyed it. At first, I had trouble convincing my older son to read it, because he was convinced that every dystopian novel is a "Hunger Games" wannabe, but he read it on a recent plane trip and we had a great in-depth discussion about the characters and their motivations.

The premise: Chicago of the future is a closed city-state. The citizenry really doesn't have any idea what is beyond their borders. They just know it's dangerous. Inside the city, humanity is divided into five fact...more

flag 573 likes · like · see review

Dec 23, 2011 Kat Kennedy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, kat-s-book-reviews, leaves-awesomeness-behind

Today I almost attacked a man in public. A man who was yelling at and abusing his partner. Kicking the trolley, shoving her and screaming obscenities at her. I ditched the trolley I'd been pushing and stormed toward them, my mind blank of anything but ruthless fury.

The next part was like out of some stupid romance novel. Mr Kennedy pulled back on my arm and said, "No. There is no way you're going over there!" He took off the baby sling, handed it to me and sent me to go put the groceries and bab...more

flag 514 likes · like · see review

Dec 04, 2013 Kira rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Robots

Recommended to Kira by: A robot

Shelves: ya, dystopian, could-have-been-worse, not-amazing-but-not-shit, lolwut, lost-the-will-to-live, made-me-want-to-choke-myself, made-no-sense, so-action-packed-i-peed, will-read-the-next-one

So the other night I wake up at like four a.m. with a splitting headache, itchy, weepy eyes and a stuffy nose. I open the window to try to clear it, y'know, as you do, but this is January in Canada and unless you want to give yourself hypothermia just to take your mind off the annoyance of having a cold, it's best not to leave the windows open for any length of time.

I lie back and swear to myself. What the hell? I've a presentation to give that day and screw it, I can't flake out and explain it...more

flag 276 likes · like · see review

Oct 02, 2011 Wendy Darling rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian-post-apocalyptic-utopian, young-adult, read-2011, training-schools-supernaturals, 2011-publication, action-packed, 2011-favorites, wishlist-find-arc-or-pb

3.5 stars Any book that arrives heavily hyped usually has a ton of marketing power behind it. Sure, there are critical reviews to consider, but these days consumers are more aware than ever of the dollars at stake behind book and film negotiations. Which means that there's a lot of pressure riding on any book to live up to its promise, particularly one that comes from a 23-year-old author who has already landed a 3-book deal and signed away the movie rights.

After so many big dollar and wearisome...more 3.5 stars Any book that arrives heavily hyped usually has a ton of marketing power behind it. Sure, there are critical reviews to consider, but these days consumers are more aware than ever of the dollars at stake behind book and film negotiations. Which means that there's a lot of pressure riding on any book to live up to its promise, particularly one that comes from a 23-year-old author who has already landed a 3-book deal and signed away the movie rights.

After so many big dollar and wearisome projects such as Halo or Matched, it's a pleasure to find that every once in awhile, there's a good reason behind the fanfare. Divergent is the fast-paced, action-packed story of 16-year-old Tris, who comes from one of the five factions in a dystopian Chicago. She must choose one of the factions--Candor (honesty), Abnegation (selflessness), Dauntless (bravery), Amity (peacefulness), or Erudite (intelligence)--to live in and serve for the remainder of her life. Tris makes the decision to leave her old faction, Abenegation, in favor of Dauntless, and the majority of the book focuses on the dangerous trials that the new initiates must endure in order to find out whether they qualify to stay. Failure means living a factionless life--or death.

The very concept of the novel, however, asks that readers accept a fairly rigid framework for the story. This idea that human beings would sublimate their natural instincts to live in a society where a single virtue is promoted is pretty farfetched; it reminds me of various Star Trek alien races known for a single prevailing characteristic, but at least they are also usually presented along with certain instincts and behaviors that made sense. The division between the factions here doesn't really serve much of a purpose, and is simply explained away as people who chose a lifestyle based on differences in philosophy. Even within the factions, the doctrines don't really hold up under scrutiny--members of Dauntless, for example, are forever indulging in reckless, pointless exercises that are more about posturing than about testing their mettle.

But the thing is, the book is really fun to read. Most of the trials are pretty well thought-out, with scene after scene of nerve-wracking physical and mental tests. I liked the interplay between Tris' fellow initiates, who cautiously bond with each other but also have to look on each other as rivals, and I liked the mysterious and attractive Four, as well as the way her family members' characters eventually revealed themselves.

Tris herself I had a harder time connecting to, as she's physically very capable but mentally and emotionally it's more difficult to say whether she belongs on my "butt-kicking heroines" shelf. Some of her actions also ended up being more self-centered than I expected, mostly because I think the author was trying to show the change in Tris' morphing from Abegnation to Dauntless. But she and Four also make a huge tactical error at a crucial scene late in the book, which negates both Dauntless' philosophy and their training. I'm also not sure that several of the deaths later in the book had the appropriate emotional impact, though there were several other scenes that made me yelp. Let's just say that I gave my knife some pretty fishy looks at the dinner table last night. (view spoiler)

Still, I had a really good time reading this book, and there's a lot to be said for books that are just plain entertaining. Many of my fellow readers have major issues with the world-building and the plot holes, and I can't say that I disagree with most of the criticisms I've seen. It's certainly not in the same category as The Hunger Games; it's closer to light entertainers such as Blood Red Road or Legend, but I think we often do ourselves a disservice when we endlessly make those kinds of comparisons. It's always important to read with a critical eye--and it's true that with more attention to detail, this book might have been even better--but I don't feel that getting hung up on criticism or comparisons should get in the way of enjoying a book when so many of the other elements do work well. For me, the positives of this adventure outweigh the negatives and in the end, Divergent is still loads of fun to read. I'm looking forward to seeing where the story goes next!

This review also appears in The Midnight Garden.(less)

flag 238 likes · like · see review

Mar 23, 2014 Choco rated it 1 of 5 stars

Recommends it for: Anyone who is capable of ignoring all the nonsense.

Recommended to Choco by: Goodreads. Ugh, why?

Shelves: chocolate-gimme-my-chocolate, could-ve-been-better, dissappointed, hate-a-female-character, hate-a-male-character, hate-most-characters, i-should-get-a-trophy-for-finishing, needs-cutting, shit-on-paper-i-tell-ya, utopia-and-dystopia, why-am-i-reading-this-shit, okay

Update, March 23: *KICKS YOUR DOOR DOWN*

SO I HEARD THERE'S A MOVIE? Ahahaha! How was it? No honestly, I don't care enough about whether it's good or bad, so you don't have to lie to me.

--Warning: negative review and spoilers--

**There's no drawings for this one. I'm really sorry.**
You can also read this review here.

Bleh.

I procrastinated A LOT on writing a review for this. And that procrastination took me to Reading With A Vengeance’s Chapter by Chapter review of this book.

Let me tell you someth...more

flag 210 likes · like · see review

Jul 21, 2011 Lyndsey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: tour, my-top-dystopian-or-utopian, reviewed-2011

Everything that rises must Diverge.

Or that seems to be the philosophy of this book. Divergent poses that as a society progresses, it becomes more segregated, as opposed to more integrated. Likely? NO. Fun? HELL YES.

Does it smell like Hunger Games in here to you?

Check out the video for this Hunger Games parody at the end of the article Part Two of The Best YouTube Book Trailers.

Imagine a culture where everyone is separated into groups based on their one key defining character trait.

One of these f...more

flag 207 likes · like · see review

Apr 10, 2011 Arlene rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Arlene by: Booker ARC Tour - Alexa Thank you!

Shelves: arc, read-2011, dystopic, ya-dystopic, young-adult

This book is totally WICKED!! I am, without a doubt, hooked. I want more… NOW!

Divergent by Veronica Roth is one of the more highly anticipated YA dystopic novels set to come out next month, so I’m very fortunate for my Street Corner Booker friend for sharing this great read with me on our ARC tour. Thank you Alexa!

I have to say, I had an absolute blast reading this wild ride of an adventure, and I enjoyed every minute of it. EVERY.SINGLE.MINUTE! I haven’t had this sort of rush since Katniss ent...more This book is totally WICKED!! I am, without a doubt, hooked. I want more… NOW!

Divergent by Veronica Roth is one of the more highly anticipated YA dystopic novels set to come out next month, so I’m very fortunate for my Street Corner Booker friend for sharing this great read with me on our ARC tour. Thank you Alexa!

I have to say, I had an absolute blast reading this wild ride of an adventure, and I enjoyed every minute of it. EVERY.SINGLE.MINUTE! I haven’t had this sort of rush since Katniss entered the Hunger Games and turned my world right side out! The characters, setting, plot, pace and narrative where perfectly blended to produce a highly action packed novel that I’m sure will captivate dystopia fans. I’ve found a series that will keep me eager for the coming releases, and I can’t wait to read more of Tris and her crew of Divergents!

The story takes place in an undermined future where the world is divided into factions, including Candor (honest), Abnegation (selflessness), Dauntless (daring), Erudite (knowledgeable), and Amity (peaceful). Tris, our main character, has reached the age of sixteen where she is tested and placed in a faction that complements her intuition and character. As the story progresses and she chooses her path, it’s suddenly clear that she doesn’t quite fit in just one faction and that proves threatening for those controlling this perfect society because as a Divergent, she can’t easily be manipulated. What comes next is a continuous reveal of hidden agendas and power plays.

I loved to see how Tris evolved in the story. In the beginning, we get hints of her courage and intuition, and as she goes through her initiations her badassness explodes! There’s nothing I love more than female characters that can kick some serious ass! She was awesome.

Now I have to say, number Four took a while to grow on me, but eventually it happened. I like his tactile nature… one moment while I wipe the steam off of my glasses… :P I will have to say the reveal surrounding his name was a little underwhelming (view spoiler) but there was so much to this character that just took off after the second half and I found myself anticipating his scenes. Loved Four!

The final quarter of the book goes into high gear and the adrenaline rush is loaded with high octane power. This book did it right and I just can’t wait for the next release. This is one series that will find itself on my top shelf. LOVED.IT!

Thank you Alexa! <3 Nic, you're next! =]

>.<(less)

flag 202 likes · like · see review

May 02, 2012 Stephen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, audiobook, ebooks, science-fiction, ya, world-in-the-shitter, romantical

This book’s sobriquet should be "the comeback kid" because its final rating of 3 solid stars required it to overcome a seriously frustrating first half that had me ready to do great violence to it.

Before I expound on the redemptive, grace/face/rating saving virtues of second half of the book, I need to ~~rant~~ vent a bit regarding what turned my hackles all red and puffy.

THE SIN:

I am a SF dystopian connoisseur and I love a well-conceptualized “world in the shitter” set up. I am happy if the autho...more

flag 202 likes · like · see review

Dec 23, 2011 Steph Sinclair rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Dystopian fans

Shelves: dystopian, 2011-reads, action-packed, i-loved-it, i-need-to-buy-this-book, i-really-enjoyed-it, original-and-creative, surprised-me, 2-am-or-later, young-adult, omg-that-ending, oh-yeah-baby, 2011-favs

Whoa.

Breathe, Stephanie. Breathe.

This.Was.Good. It seems like every dystopian book that comes out now is being compared to The Hunger Games. Well, if there was ever a book that might come close to that comparison it would be Enclave and now Divergent.

Veronica Roth's debut novel Divergent is getting some major hype and you know what? I think it deserves it. It's no secret that I have a dystopian society book addiction right now, but Divergent is just what I love in a book. It had loads of actio...more

flag 195 likes · like · see review

Dec 06, 2011 Michelle, the Bookshelf Stalker Queen of the Undead rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

12/6/11-
I can't believe this book was Favorite Book of 2011. I must not be part of the in-crowd! Oh well.

Review below...

I have questions. Once my questions are answered, maybe I'll move my overall ratings up from 2.5 stars to 3.5 stars. Here is the thing, If the world doesn't make sense to me, I'm not going to enjoy the book as much as I could enjoy it.

So, here are my questions-

Why, at the beginning, can Beatrice look in the mirror ONLY when her mom cuts her hair? What does her mom cutting her h...more

flag 174 likes · like · see review

Sep 13, 2014 Reader-ramble rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommends it for: I would burn it.

Recommended to Reader-ramble by: Sadly, I went looking for it.

Shelves: ya-to-avoid

Okay, so the movie came out on disk, and I was surfing one of my favorite channels on YouTube, when I found this video by CinemaSins. It's a fun and irreverent bit of criticism. Enjoy!

Since I managed to get 100 likes before the movie came out, I will be reviewing Insurgent and Allegiant in the future. It may be a while though. Life is a bit in the way.

Okay, time to get serious. I wish I could be funny like my Mortal Instrument reviews, but my intellectual has kicked in because this book manages...more

flag 164 likes · like · see review

Mar 30, 2012 Emily May rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia-utopia, young-adult, 2011

Okay, okay, I completely understand why people could really like this and also why people could find it a huge disappointment. As for the latter... well, this was one of the most highly anticipated works of dystopian fiction to be released this year and the fact of the matter is that it just really doesn't work as a dystopia. Or, at least, what seems to be the general definition of a dystopia.

I can highlight the problem really well by referring to a conversation I had with my mum when she saw t...more

flag 153 likes · like · see review

Aug 12, 2011 Peep (Pop! Pop!) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: huh, insane, just-okay, read-in-2011, seriously-didn-t-like, so-not-impressed, what-the-heck, addicted-to-ya

When I was finished this book I could only think of three things: Uwe Boll, Asylum Films, and the Sy-fy Channel. Yes, to me, it was that bad. It has everything that they like: Cold leader who excels at everything, even when she doesn't try. Violence and gore at every turn. Oppressive society. Tattoos. Injuries that come and go as they please. Etc, etc, etc.

Hmmm, where to start?? To start? To start? Haha, ring a bell? It does. It does. It does. I am brave! I am Dauntless!

Ok, I'll get serious now...more

flag 140 likes · like · see review

Jun 02, 2014 Heather K (dentist in my spare time) rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: group-reading-challenge, romance, m-f, little-to-no-sex-content, hype-hype-hype, hated-it, everyone-else-loves-it, dystopia, young-adult, ranty-review

I'm going to do something that I have never done before. I'm going to rate this book lower than every single on of my Goodreads friends. Do you know why?

Because I hated the CRAP out of this book.

Now what follows might offend some lovers of this book. To "Divergent" fans: I'm sorry I'm going to rip on one of your favorite books. But honestly I almost wish I had this in paperback form so I could get the satisfaction of throwing it in the garbage. With gusto. Or maybe the fireplace...

Let me start...more

flag 138 likes · like · see review

Oct 30, 2011 K.D. Absolutely rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to K.D. by: Rollie

Shelves: borrowed, dystopian, ya, romance, first, trashy

This book is just not for me. I should not have borrowed this. I should have ignored this book even if this is this month's read for our book club. I have no intention of attracting attention by disliking this popular book. I am just being honest to myself.

Please allow me to explain.

(1) Late last year, I read and liked Suzanne Collin's The Hunger Games. I don't read lots of dystopian and I thought I read it even before I read William Golding's Lord of the Flies. So, the idea of kids or young adu...more This book is just not for me. I should not have borrowed this. I should have ignored this book even if this is this month's read for our book club. I have no intention of attracting attention by disliking this popular book. I am just being honest to myself.

Please allow me to explain.

(1) Late last year, I read and liked Suzanne Collin's The Hunger Games. I don't read lots of dystopian and I thought I read it even before I read William Golding's Lord of the Flies. So, the idea of kids or young adults killing each other like how they do it in a TV reality show shocked me literally and it made me finish all the three books in that series. This despite my older brother making fun of me reading a YA book while our two families are enjoying our annual Christmas break in a resort. I did not care. The book was engaging and I had to continue reading.

Sadly, Divergent, by yet another female American writer Veronica Roth, uses the very same formula. There is nothing wrong with this tactic. Strike while the iron is hot. It is just not for me. The similarities are glaringly obvious: survival of the fittest, a virginal vulnerable girl in the brink of adulthood, first love, first kiss, defying convention, same love for the family, against all odds, despite all obstacles, triumph in the end, etc. DON'T KID YOURSELF into saying that this is different. These writers will continue to write this kind of novels as long as there are readers patronizing them. Let's all do ourselves a favor by moving on. Let's read books with new and not recycled plots. I know Veronica Roth, a graduate of creative writing, has many many other nicer plots in mind and let's encourage her to write a different novel so she has a better use for her creative juices.

(2) This book is for young girls. Maybe even for the girls who still dream of their young selves. It is a romance novel hiding under the cloak of dystopian genre. Traditionally, dystopian used to be a genre identified with male readers and crossing the line gives female readers the opportunity to show their tough side because they also read and appreciate dystopian books. However, read their reviews here at GR. They are all in love with Four or Al just like how they debated about Peeta or the other boy in THG. I would imagine that when Four was kissing Tris for the first time, those female readers who have never been kissed were imagining themselves as Tris. I should know. I am a father of a 16-y/o girl and we are closed the she tells me what she wants in a boy and who her crushes are. So, if you are a girl, DON'T KID YOURSELF that you enjoyed the killing here just like how the young male readers would have enjoyed it.

(3) The plot lacks believability. The overall scheme of the society is not explained. For example, who put the Abnegations in the government? Isn't it that brains (of the Erudites) are also needed not only in running the government but also in all other things? Where do the factions get their income to run their affairs? Don't tell me that Amities just make friends all day long and they earn money to put food on the table just by being friendly. Again, going back to THG, at least Suzanne Collins, in the first book, made her milleu believable. But not Veronica Roth. She just thought that these questions are not important so she just labelled and grouped all people into five factions. Oh, how convenient. Then the readers just take everything in stride and say this is awesome!, this is the best book i've ever read. ever. And to think that the ones who commented these are male! Maybe they need to expose themselves into more believable novels say by George Orwell, Margaret Atwood, Aldous Huxley, Kurt Vonnegut, etc. All those dystopian or sci-fi masters. They'll see semblance of this book's basic plot in those earlier and definitely more brilliant works. They'll realize that they should not be saying that this is the best ever book as this is just a painful rehash of what those gurus have already written. DON'T KID YOURSELF that this is all-original.

Sorry, Maria. I perfectly understand why you love this book. It is just not for me. You cannot hate me anyway since we work in the same company and I know that my disliking this book is not enough for you to consider me your enemy. Oh, I agree that you and Four can make a wonderful couple ha ha! Thanks for lending me this book. :)
(less)

flag 135 likes · like · see review

Jan 24, 2013 Abbi Glines added it · review of another edition

I'm not a big fan of dystopian but I LOVE THIS! Four is now my new book boyfriend. Well…. he is at least my back up in case I break up with Travis one day.

flag 128 likes · like · see review

Mar 04, 2014 Dd rated it 3 of 5 stars

WHOA!!Everyone....

STOP!

And make way for this young kickass heroine...

Beatrice Prior.

'Those who want power and get it live in terror of losing it.That's why we have to give power to those who do not want it.'

Okay,so by now nearly everyone has read this book.This is a book which needs no introduction.So,I'll try to keep storyline short.
(As short as I can for a book of nearly 500 pages!)

This books depicts a dystopian Chicago world where the society is divided into five groups or factions as they c...more

flag 127 likes · like · see review

Jan 12, 2014 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommends it for: the entire planet

Shelves: 2010

I did not like this book.

I started reading it at about 3pm in the afternoon and finished at about 9:30. When I finished I sat there, stunned. In awe.

It is one of the best Young Adult novels I've ever read. One of the best novels I've ever read, if we're going to go there, too. It was, in a word, flawless.

How can you "like" flawless? How can you "love" it? DIVERGENT is powerful. It is moving. It is extraordinary. My only regret? That the whole world hasn't read it yet, because my need to talk...more

flag 112 likes · like · see review

Jun 02, 2011 Kristi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own-arc, books-i-own, favorites

WOW. WOW.... no really, just wow. Could not put it down... and I CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT IT!

One of my favorites books this year, no question about it!

I've been trying to write this review for the last two hours... and nothing is coming to mind but "AWESOME" and "WOW" and "WOW".... did I say wow? I apologize that this review is going to be incoherent, and mostly fangirly, but that's the state of mind this book has left me in! I'm in shock of its spectacular-ness. Is that even a word?

I'll admit...more

flag 107 likes · like · see review

May 07, 2012 Jillian -always aspiring- rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Readers who like action, morals, and ambiguity in their dystopias

Shelves: dystopian-worlds-hells-and-cesspits, 2011-reads, could-have-been-better, should-have-loved-it-but-didn-t, left-me-feeling-drained, left-me-with-mixed-feelings, left-me-feeling-conflicted, failed-the-re-read-test, reviewed

(Cross-posted from The Book Lantern)

In the YA book world, 2011 is definitely shaping up to be the year of the dystopia. With the popularity and acclaim of Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games trilogy, the young adult publishing world seemed to explode with all kinds of ideas for dystopias about oppression and chaos -- and publishers were all the more willing to oblige them due to the proven success of The Hunger Games.

One of the more hyped offerings, Divergent by Veronica Roth, has been gaining mo...more

flag 93 likes · like · see review

Jul 05, 2012 Ceilidh rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Veronica Roth started writing “Divergent” in college, and was quickly signed up by agent Joanna Stampfel-Volpe . The book rose to success at an unusually enthusiastic pace, with a 200,000 copy first run by HarperCollins , and a huge online promotional campaign. The campaign is what interested me the most upon the book’s release. Part of the promotional campaign included a Facebook campaign where you could “discover your faction”, and to me this is a huge reason as to why the book was so successf...more Veronica Roth started writing “Divergent” in college, and was quickly signed up by agent Joanna Stampfel-Volpe . The book rose to success at an unusually enthusiastic pace, with a 200,000 copy first run by HarperCollins , and a huge online promotional campaign. The campaign is what interested me the most upon the book’s release. Part of the promotional campaign included a Facebook campaign where you could “discover your faction”, and to me this is a huge reason as to why the book was so successful, certainly selling more copies than similarly themed and promoted novels. A huge attraction of the novel’s concept is the idea of choice, of looking inside yourself and deciding which human traits you value the most, and having your entire life dictated by that choice. As I mentioned before, much of the appeal in teen dystopian novels these days lies in the inherent choices one must make, and the subsequent consequences of that decision. Unfortunately, “Divergent” fails on this front by falling into several major pitfalls of the genre.

The Chicago of the future depicted in “Divergent” is one divided into five factions, with the citizens of each faction devoting their lives to one specific virtue that they consider the most important: Amity (peace), Abnegation (selflessness), Candor (honesty), Erudite (intelligence) and Dauntless (bravery). Upon turning 16, each citizen must take a series of tests to discover which faction they are most suited to, but are then given the freedom to choose whichever faction they wish to join later on. This confusion is one of the first big missteps of the novel. Why introduce mandatory tests to find a suitable faction if the citizens then have free will to decide differently?

Beatrice/Tris, our heroine, belongs to Abnegation, but decides to join Dauntless, after receiving inconclusive test results which identify her as Divergent, the name given to those who are shown to possess more than one of the allotted virtues. Once again, the red flags come up, revealing my biggest issue with the novel. The world building makes absolutely no sense. The concept of dystopian societies relies on the notion of a world that seems perfect but is shown to be extremely flawed and often dangerously problematic (an idea many writers and publishers can’t seem to wrap their heads around), but while the concept of a world run by a series of such virtues sounds interesting at first glance, I cannot think of an instance where this would work without someone calling it out. How can you divide humanity into one of five virtues? How on earth can you be brave and not honest, or intelligent and not peaceful? Why would possessing more than one of these virtues be dangerous, as Tris is told? I can understand brainwashing one’s citizens into wholeheartedly believing in this system but by offering choice surely that gives them agency to question it? Those who do not pass initiation are sent out into the outskirts to be faction-less, taking on the grunt jobs and living on hand-outs, and yet the possibility of a completely justifiable uprising is never mentioned. Even if the society of this world had been watertight in its depiction of an entirely subservient society, I can’t imagine those without factions not rebelling in some way. The way in which every character just accepts this, along with every other world-building hole, felt lazy.

How on earth is this system governed? It is mentioned that Abnegation are in charge of politics of the city because of their selflessness, which sounds divine in terms of contemporary politicians, but who decided this? How can one be selfless when it is one’s job to dictate to others how to rule their lives? We’re given no indication of how the rest of America outside of Chicago works, which constantly raised questions as to the function of local government versus the role of Washington and the Congress and Senate (granted, I’m a politics geek so I doubt most teenagers are stressing over this like I am). Tris also attends high school with other factions, which logically makes no sense since surely allowing such a system would only encourage rebellion. Each faction is assigned a different job to do but the idea that each position would only require one virtue is ridiculous and illogical. This complete lack of sense is present throughout the entire book and is impossible to overlook. I cannot invest in a novel that leaves me asking so many questions. The concept and its lack of thought reminded me of Lauren Oliver’s “Delirium”, set in a world where love is a disease. It sounds like an interesting concept until it’s thought about for longer than five seconds.

Upon leaving Abnegation, Tris is sent to the Dauntless camp to begin her training for initiation. The biggest chunk of the book is spent in what I find easiest to describe as an extended training montage. Since the Dauntless value bravery above all else, naturally their training process is like a big adventure camp, complete with punch-ups, tattoos and paintballing. These frivolous activities are supposed to be what proves, for the biggest part of the story anyway, who the truly brave are. The Dauntless spend a lot of time getting tattoos, dying their hair wild colours and generally dressing like Sex Pistols fans. The definition of bravery presented is questionable at best. The stakes, which make Dauntless seem more like a summer camp than a truly life-changing initiation, are set ridiculously low, except for the frequent punch-ups the trainees must go through. While this element of the world is questioned by Tris, she buys into it ultimately but I don’t – why is violence brave? Surely the braver thing would be to say no? This element is set up for a later pay-off into the evils of another faction but once again the mishandling of the world-building raises some questions. Who is monitoring the factions? Leaving them self-governed is just asking for trouble. There’s no authority present, which also means there’s no real villain or sense of threat. The closest the novel comes to having a villain is the opposing faction Erudite, because apparently valuing intelligence makes one instantly maniacal and ready to take over the world. There’s a less than subtle anti-intellectual tone throughout the book which seriously annoyed me. The inherent premise of the book is where the issue of this lies, but given that the supposedly heroic Dauntless are happily beating up each other, I fail to see them in a better light than those who value intellect. One of the tensions of the novel lies in Erudite’s slandering of Abnegation, yet one would expect Candor to be doing their job of being honest about the inherent flaws of the city’s governmental rule. Once again, too many questions.

The stakes are raised in the second stage of initiation when Tris and company must go through extremely life-like hallucinations of their worst fears to learn to overcome them (because the true definition of bravery is overcoming one’s fear being attacked by rabid birds). Given that not much of any true consequence happens throughout this large portion of the book, I was disappointed by the lack of real character development, both for Tris and the supporting cast. I genuinely forgot the names of several of the Dauntless trainees, who remain distinguishable only by their token roles – best friend, love interest, bully – while Tris veered between cold, dull and a bit of a hypocrite. She has a distinct lack of compassion that I found to be a complete turn-off due to the inconsistencies of her depiction. While Tris admits she is too selfish to stay in Abnegation, but this doesn’t explain her often cruel nature as well as her habit of passing judgement on everyone. Characters exist to serve purposes and not much else. Peter is a bully and not much else. Al is the nice boy having trouble fitting in until he suddenly turns bad then kills himself for a cheap emotional pay-off. Not one supporting character makes a lasting impression and all feel entirely disposable.

Of course, her emotions change quickly for the romantic interest, Four, who I am sorry but not at all surprised to say is a typical YA jerk. Then again, I can’t think of many YA romantic leads who managed to draw blood from their supposed true love. I tend to get very angry when the “I was only trying to protect you” card is played in any novel, but here it angered me more than usual since “trying to protect” Tris includes physically hurting her, demeaning and humiliating her in front of others and treating her like a child (although she is often immature and dim-witted). Of course, he also has a tortured past and is brooding but gentle and loving, ticking off so many clichés in one swoop. The fact that the supposedly strong Tris falls for this hook, line and sinker entirely contradicted her depiction as a “strong female character”. It does not help that Tris seems to pick up each part of her training with ease. I’m not sure knife throwing and using a gun (something Tris finds a lot of security in, and don’t even get me started on the pro-gun stuff) are something that just come naturally.

The moral element of the novel feels shoehorned in. Tris makes references to God and praying but we are given no sense of the role of religion in this society. While the factions suggest an inherently Christian foundation to the city’s new rule, there’s no depth to this, nor any real rules put in place. It’s difficult to imagine a society without religion, or something resembling a religious element, be it the “worship” of a leader or the following of a divine theistic being, and I think the world of the novel would be much more complex and interesting if this was explored in more depth, but the author can’t just add a few references to God and hope for the best, especially when most of what the societies do to rule their city contradicts the inherent teachings of God and Jesus.

In terms of general prose, pacing, etc, the novel is serviceable at best and plodding at worst. Clocking in at almost 500 pages, the story feels sluggish, poorly developed and more concerned with an extended action montage than any semblance of developing its poorly structured society and undeveloped characters. I have no issue with the novel’s less than original concept since strong execution can more than make up for that, but there are too many holes in this novel for me to ignore. One cannot shove the major plot developments into the final 50 pages after expecting the reader to trudge through such boredom for so long. And here’s my biggest issue beyond the basic structuring of the novel – this is a world where the essential message is those who value intelligence are all greedy, selfish, power-hungry schemers who are working to take over and destroy all that is good and selfless, and if those who are truly “brave” need to shoot them in the head to stop them, so be it. Dystopian fiction is inherently political, I have no problem with authors taking a specific slant, even if it’s one that directly contradicts my own politics, but the basic premise of “Divergent” is one that is flawed to the extreme, and one that any reader can pick apart within 10 minutes of the first page. Tris may express disagreement with the violence of Dauntless but she is only happy to use it herself, frequently, and it always works. The generalisation and complete misunderstanding of basic human thinking is mind-boggling. “Divergent” is weak in almost every way. Its world-building has more holes than Princes Street’s tram building project, weak characterisation, plodding pacing, predictable and tired romance and inherently fails in its objective. Needless to say I will not be reading the sequel.
(less)

flag 88 likes · like · see review

Oct 11, 2014 Kristin (KC) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian-post-apocalyptic, favorite-heroes, favorites, new-adult-ya, suspenseful, intense, best-of-the-best

*5 Stars for an incredibly fun and entertaining read!*

As someone who is fairly new to the dystopian genre, I must say that I'm loving the genuine escapism that these creatively constructed alternate worlds present. Divergent was a fun, addicting, action-packed read that hooked me from page one. Its unique and imaginative concept is thickly layered without ever becoming difficult to follow. It wasn't at all plausible, but it also never became over-the-top or silly. It was a perfectly formulated s...more

flag 82 likes · like · see review

view all 93 comments

Kristin (KC) Lady Vigilante (Feifei) wrote: "Fantastic review Kris!! Still haven't read this series yet lol! I think after Hunger Games I stopped caring about dyst...more
Jul 17, 2014 09:33AM

Anna Iwanski When I read Divergent by Veronica Roth, I had the same response you did: I absolutely loved it. I would read this book for five hours at a time and st...more
Sep 12, 2014 08:59AM

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
This name or that name?	2108	1083	3 minutes ago
Cafe Libri: November: Divergent by Veronica Roth	2	1	53 minutes ago
WORD GAME! starting with FOUR!	34939	7459	3 hours, 16 min ago
Kiss, Marry, Avoid	131	378	8 hours, 36 min ago
Story Time!	1	7	9 hours, 30 min ago
Word Game	1	3	12 hours, 16 min ago
Who hates Tris as much as I do???	47	114	17 hours, 48 min ago

Readers Also Enjoyed

Videos About This Book

Veronica Roth wins the Goodreads Choice Award for Favorite Book of 2011

36 comments

13 comments

Genres

Young Adult

12,793 users

Science Fiction > Dystopia

9,008 users

Fiction

3,771 users

Fantasy

3,583 users

Science Fiction

3,157 users

Romance

2,616 users

Young Adult > Teen

1,009 users

Book Club

976 users

Adventure

943 users

Apocalyptic > Post Apocalyptic

584 users

See top shelves...

About Veronica Roth

Veronica Roth is from a Chicago suburb. She studied creative writing at Northwestern University, and wrote DIVERGENT (Katherine Tegen Books, May 2011) and INSURGENT (May 2012). The third and final book in The Divergent Trilogy, ALLEGIANT, will come out on October 22, 2013. In the meantime she will spend endless hours browsing Wikipedia in her pajamas as she eats corn flakes. (Or some other kind of...more

More about Veronica Roth...

Books by Veronica Roth

Free Four: Tobias Tells the Divergent Knife-Throwing Scene (Divergent, #1.5)

Four: A Divergent Story Collection (Divergent, #0.1 - 0.4)

More…

Share This Book

+ Share on your website

Trivia About Divergent

224 trivia questions
152 quizzes

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from Divergent

“We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another.” — 11979 likes

“Becoming fearless isn't the point. That's impossible. It's learning how to control your fear, and how to be free from it.” — 8412 likes

More quotes…

title link	preview: Divergent
avg rating	preview: Divergent Goodreads rating: 4.34 (1134009 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13335037-divergent?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328559506l/13335037.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13335037-divergent?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Divergent by Veronica Roth[/url]

Divergent (Divergent #1)

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Popular Answered Questions

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share on your website