From the Bookshelf of Erudite Readers…

Divergent (Divergent, #1)

Veronica Roth

Start date: December 7, 2011

Finish date: December 31, 2011

Discussion: Monthly Reads!

Discussion leader: Jon

Why we're reading this: Chosen by you in our Monthly Poll :)
Overall winner of The Goodreads Choice Awards.
[close] Chosen by you in our Monthly Poll :)
Overall winner of The Goodreads Choice Awards.

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Monthly Reads!

March 2013 Nomination Thread
By Jon , The Paperback Prince · 14 posts · 50 views

last updated Feb 18, 2014 11:32AM

World War Z by Max Brooks
By Jon , The Paperback Prince · 14 posts · 31 views

last updated May 08, 2013 03:55PM

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What Members Thought

Jan 10, 2012 Jilleen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: dystopian

Wow, this was a completely original book. I love the dystopian world that the author created. On the surface you have 5 groups of seemingly happy people because they live in their element. At the age of sixteen, they choose where they go, seemingly to be happy evermore.

What is great about the world created is how the author introduces the worm into the apple. Is everything perfect? The disillusionment is subtle. First its hinted at. What is it meant to be divergent? Why is it dangerous to let a ...more

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Mar 13, 2013 Dion rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I should start by saying that until now I had resisted the pull of this book. For some reason, I avoid books that everyone seems to read, because there's politics involved and everything, but once pretty much every one of my friends who reads had told me to read it, I could no longer resist. And thank GOD they did. Now I have to go and read TMI, Twilight and PJ, but I'm sure I'll get to those!!

Ok, so for those of you who don't know about this book, it's a dystopian book. It's set in a world wher I should start by saying that until now I had resisted the pull of this book. For some reason, I avoid books that everyone seems to read, because there's politics involved and everything, but once pretty much every one of my friends who reads had told me to read it, I could no longer resist. And thank GOD they did. Now I have to go and read TMI, Twilight and PJ, but I'm sure I'll get to those!!

Ok, so for those of you who don't know about this book, it's a dystopian book. It's set in a world where, to avoid war, people decided to break up into 5 factions. These factions are: Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, Erudite and Candor and each faction stands for a different thing. Abnegation values selflessness above all (a group of selfless people, so people who put others before them selves), Dauntless values bravery, Amity values peace and compassion (i think...), Erudite knowledge and Candor honesty. In this world, when you turn 16 you have to choose which faction to become a part of. Leaving your faction is pretty traitorous, tbh, so it's kinda decided for people. But Beatrice chooses a different path - she chooses to leave.

This book is fast paced and really really good. I love the idea of it, and the whole book I was questioning which faction I'd be in. Every twist and turn and when you see what each faction involves, it kinda made me want to be a different person. I could really identify with Tris (as Beatrice changes her name) and I found that really useful. It was very good, kept me on my toes with all of the turns.

The end is also nice - it leaves the story at a nice point in time, and I could easily go away and read another book if I wanted to. To be quite frank, one of the only reasons I'm writing this is because I promised a friend that we'd read the second and third ones together so I'm waiting for her to be ready (you know who you are!). But in all seriousness, if you're like me and stay away from the books everyone tells you to read, give it up for this one!

This book is actually quite simple. By simple I don't mean that theres no twists or its a simple story line, it just means that I feel like I know as much as all of the characters I've been introduced to. It's not like I've been given a glimpse at the web that lies beneath the characters, which are only on the top layer. I feel like I'm in the perspective of someone under the web, who can see it all but still has to unravel it, you know?

Anyway, this book is good. Lot's in it that you could take. I've learned from Tris and the other characters a lot, and I hope that I can apply those things to my life. I've learned much from them and hope that you have too! ...more

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