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Divergent (Divergent, #1)

Veronica Roth

Start date: August 1, 2011

Finish date: August 31, 2011

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What Members Thought

Mar 17, 2014 Julianna rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, science-fiction, read-2014

Reviewed for THC Reviews
Divergent is proving to be a tough book for me to review, because I finished it with very mixed feelings. The premise behind the story is quite good and intriguing, but ultimately, I felt like the execution was somewhat lacking and not quite up to the standard I expected based on the outrageously high ratings it has on GoodReads and other book-related sites. I can see why many are enamored of this book, but IMHO, it wasn't as good as similar books I've read. Because of it ...more

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Mar 05, 2014 Rhonda rated it liked it · review of another edition

Of course I read yet another dystopian novel! I heart them!

And I have some issues with this story. Lots of them actually, but I already started reading book 2 so I guess that says something? Like, maybe my brain is mushy? But yet I'm curious? lol

I haven't really created custom bookshelves for my reads, but if I had I would file this under "beach read", which is really weird for something post apocalyptic..
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Apr 26, 2012 Reggie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, dystopian, series, trigger-warnings

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This was a really hard one to rate. The first few chapters of the book were four stars or higher, since I really enjoyed the initial worldbuilding and concepts. But then, after the initial introduction to the initiation trials, things started to drag quite a bit (the author seemed to skip things to keep to a decent page limits, but the things that were skipped seemed like some of the most interesting parts). But the ending was really strong, and made me want to jump right into the next book (des This was a really hard one to rate. The first few chapters of the book were four stars or higher, since I really enjoyed the initial worldbuilding and concepts. But then, after the initial introduction to the initiation trials, things started to drag quite a bit (the author seemed to skip things to keep to a decent page limits, but the things that were skipped seemed like some of the most interesting parts). But the ending was really strong, and made me want to jump right into the next book (despite dreading the inevitable 'oh goodness, more dull character interaction that nobody cares about, not even the characters themselves' since this time, at least it has the possibility of including the trauma of all the deaths from the end of Divergent finally catching up to the characters).

On top of the book's rollarcoaster attempts at keeping my interest, it had a lot of unexpected triggers (tw: sexual assault, suicide, murder, gore, kidnapping, mind control, dv warning signs, child abuse), which seemed to hit one right after another during some of the least expected moments. This book was recommended to me because I loved The Hunger Games, by someone who should have known to warn for triggers, so the fact that she hadn't and there were so many really didn't help. I struggled to continue with the book, afraid that at any moment one of the really bad triggers would hit and I'd be left having issues for some time.

I also wasn't a huge fan of the romance between Four/Tobias and Tris. I suppose, considering the really cruddy environment and all of the stress she was under, it makes sense that Tris would cling to Tobias/Four. But even at the very end, when we discover for sure that he's Divergent, they still don't seem to have much going for them (and I can't get over some of the initial creeper lines that Four had around Tris). It grew on me after a bit, and I liked her choice to defend him to his father, but it still wasn't a relationship that I could see myself rooting for unless some major character growth happens in the next few books.

In the end, I was glad that I read it, and will most likely be reading the sequel. I won't be running out asap to read it, but I'll probably add it to my to-read pile and see where things go from there.

Final Rating: 3.5 starts ...more

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May 05, 2014 KayLynn Zollinger rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club, dystopian, young-adult

Trigger Warnings: Violence, suicide, bullying, war, references to rape.

I love dystopian society books. That being said, this was not my favorite. I liked the idea, it seems like so often we try to categorize people in such narrow roles that it almost seems like they are being assigned a single faction. Pointing out how little people diverge from what they know is an uncomfortable statement for me. Some things in this book frustrated me, like the idea that those in the Dauntless, or brave, factio ...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Shanyn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-characters

Quite good - took a while to get going, but the characters developed and the world painted in that time was worth the wind up.

Again, nice to find an unbroken female lead character. She's strong and challenging and fun to read about.

I really enjoyed exploring this particular incarnation of the post-apocolyptic idea - very interesting and very well played out. ...more

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Apr 08, 2015 Graham rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Excellent and interesting read specially for Harry Potter or Hunger Games readers. Enjoyable and fast paced. I'll definitely read the next two parts. ...more

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