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.

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 3 topics — 79 comments total

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

showing 10 of 16 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Nov 25, 2011 Terri ♥ (aka Mrs. Christian Grey) rated it it was amazing

I wish I could give this book more than five stars. I won't say much other than this book is beyond great! What I will also say is read it! ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Apr 01, 2012 themikko rated it liked it

Shelves: ebooks

The book started out slowly and it really tested my patience. But since I'm a member of Amity, I decided to give it one more chance. I'll have to update this review some time because I really have nothing to say at the moment.

--UPDATE--
Okay, Now that I've finally finished drinking my ginger ale, it's back to business.

The book was shockingly picked as Goodreads' best book of 2011. I see no problem there. The factions were interesting,Four is another fangirl icon, and let's just say dystopia is ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 11, 2011 Sheilalalalala rated it really liked it

Shelves: e-books, romance, fantasy, young-adult, science-fiction, dystopia, post-apocalyptic

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. this won goodreads' 'favorite book of 2011' and 'best young adult fantasy and science fiction' so I'm kinda intrigued. Hmmmm. I'll read this one after Piper Banks' Geek High Series. :))
---
I'm on the second chapter, and it's making a good impression on me...:))
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
I don't exactly call it a weird....ugh, feeling, but, I feel kinda euphoric after reading a good novel straight, for almost 9 hours becaus this won goodreads' 'favorite book of 2011' and 'best young adult fantasy and science fiction' so I'm kinda intrigued. Hmmmm. I'll read this one after Piper Banks' Geek High Series. :))
---
I'm on the second chapter, and it's making a good impression on me...:))
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
I don't exactly call it a weird....ugh, feeling, but, I feel kinda euphoric after reading a good novel straight, for almost 9 hours because I can't really put it down not caring if it's already 8 o'clock in the morning and people in my house have their good night's sleep while I still haven't have mine and still awake. I actually love that feeling and this novel made me have that, though the euphoria had already worn out and, I don't know, now I feel kinda blank.

It's one of the promising novels for this year, I'm not wondering why it won 'favorite book of 2011' and 'best young adult fantasy and science fiction' here in goodreads because it's good...but I can't really point out what's really missing and why it hasn't met my 5 stars line. I can't help but compare it to THG series because they have the same genre. Don't get me wrong,I really actually liked it but for some reasons that I really can't explain, there's this nagging hollow maybe because I'm just sleep deprived and should not type this so called review, but I'm here now and I still have a little more to say.

While I completely admire authors who are not afraid of killing their characters, but, there are a lot of deaths and I wasn't really expecting that Tris' parents will be killed in the latter part of the novel, though I don't actually like her father, I was surprised that her mother was killed after knowing that she, too, was a divergent like Tris. I mean, she should've been a good character to explain what's really like to be a Divergent, not to be killed yet in the first novel...but I'm not the author, and that's her plot so I shouldn't complain. That's the thing with writers--they're like God, but the only difference is they have their deadlines. HAHAHA. And for a small fraction of the first part of the novel, I shipped Peter and Tris rather than Four and Tris until came that night where Peter, Drew and I didn't really expected this, Al attempts to hang her in Chasm and it should've been Peter who tastes Four's wrath rather than Drew...but I don't know, I still have hopes for Peter. HAHAHAHAHAHA. XD

I'm looking forward for the next one. HAH, this better be good. :)) ...more

Like · see review

Feb 26, 2012 Cassie rated it really liked it

Shelves: own

So little ol’ me arrived late to the Divergent bandwagon. It wasn’t until two months ago that I cracked open the cover of my brand new Divergent paperback copy. I didn’t know much about it, really. Only that it had a VERY high goodreads score and raving reviews.

I was intrigued.

First off, let me say that the world Veronica Roth created is interesting but not believable. It’s highly unlikely that a society divided into five factions could survive the way they did--isolated from each other. What So little ol’ me arrived late to the Divergent bandwagon. It wasn’t until two months ago that I cracked open the cover of my brand new Divergent paperback copy. I didn’t know much about it, really. Only that it had a VERY high goodreads score and raving reviews.

I was intrigued.

First off, let me say that the world Veronica Roth created is interesting but not believable. It’s highly unlikely that a society divided into five factions could survive the way they did--isolated from each other. What are these factions? Each represents a “virtue”, so to speak. A virtue that is held in highest regard to it’s faction members. There are five: Abnegation (the selfless), Erudite, (the Intelligent), Dauntless (the brave), Candor (the honest), and Amity (the peaceful).

When people in this dystopian society “come of age” they take a competency test that reveals that individual’s singular value. The results of the test don’t dictate the person’s choice of faction, but there's no denying it's influence during the choosing ceremony.

But at the heart of the Story is Beatrice (aka Tris). She was born into Abnegation, and when tested, discovers that she is of a rare species: she is Divergent. This means she has an affinity for more than one faction. And honestly, I think every person today is divergent. No one virtue really defines us all, but I suppose what matters in the end is what virtue we valued the most. So yeah, like I said, I had issues. However, I was able to get past the believability. And when I did it was QUITE an enjoyable ride.

So what faction does Tris choose? She aligns herself with Dauntless, the brave.

And then the story kicks off with the Tris' initiation into the Dauntless faction.

Tris is a very interesting character. She goes from rigid and conforming to brave and kick-butt and now she's one of my favorite heroines (up there with Katniss Everdeen). I enjoyed her growth and strength as she's forced to fight other initiates, as she learns out to wield a gun and a knife, and as she learns about love and friendship. The initiation is pretty brutal though (so much so that one initiate gets stabbed in the eye!) Yeah.

And it’s a far cry from the manifesto that states: we believe in every day acts of bravery.

Violence is not bravery, but somehow over time, this has become the norm of the Dauntless.

Tris learns all this during her initiation and it all leads to a pretty epic ending. It was brutal, heart-pounding, and edge-of-your seat action. I don’t know WHY I enjoyed this book so much, but it had me turning pages. Even in the quieter moments of the book, I devoured each and every page. Tris intrigued me, and her relationship with Four (which was NOT love at first sight, thank God) was very sweet. To say much more would spoil the book, but their relationship is sweet and born out of interest and compassion. Not lust.

Whatever gripes I may have about Divergent's world building, I want people who haven’t read the book to understand that Divergent is more of commentary on human morale than a commentary on society as a whole. Many grey areas exist, and even the best of traits can be molded into something bad. Also, I find it interesting that Veronica Roth decided to write this book in response to her own moral struggle. I understand this and this is why I chose to give this book 4 stars instead of 3.

Oh, and that ending also had me salivating for MORE. Veronica Roth is a very talented writer, whose prose is flowing, readable, and engrossing. I have already suggested this book to a few of my friends, and they all loved it. So check it out and see for yourself. See what the hype is all about. ...more

Like · see review

Apr 12, 2012 E rated it it was amazing

You go girl, finally a novel with a kick-ass heroine that makes me want to get in a fight and cheer like I'm watching football the whole novel while also being able to have a secret confusing love interest and yet not be too perfect. All this in one makes Tris a perfect heroine of sorts. This book is equal parts mystery from the beginning as the meaning of Divergent is explored, to action packed training as a Dauntless with enough eye stabbing nose crunching train jumping drama to make even the ...more

Like · see review

Dec 22, 2011 Lily rated it it was amazing

Shelves: my-fav-list, dystopian, to-be-is-movie

I don't know what to say.
This book was a rollercoaster. Every page was filled with thrilling tension. This was soo Exiting to read.
Best book EVER!!!
I would recommend this book to everyone... EVERYONE:)
I read this book in one day - and two days later I still can't stop thinking about it.
I know, that I haven't written much. But there isn't much to say...
Only:

READ THIS BOOK _ OR YOU WILL REGRET IT.

(not a threat - more a prediction)
...more

Like · see review

Dec 05, 2011 Jenna rated it it was amazing

Shelves: my-favorite-books, dystopian-utopia, annoying-endings, favorite-series, sci-fi

I LOVE THIS BOOK!I could not put down for one second not even at school (which got me in trouble a few times XD) I just had to keep reading it. I thought it would take me a awhile to read but i took me no less then a day because I just keep wanting more. The book was just simply amazing! I just cant wait for the next one!

Like · see review