Divergent (Divergent, #1) in The Not-So Austen Bookclub

Feb 06, 2012 Lindsay rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5stars, ya, lmaiangowi-s-150-for-2012, read-in-2012, reread, read-in-2016

First read Feb14/12 to Feb18/12. Library edition.

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Sep 27, 2013 Miss Clark rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: futuristic-and-or-dystopian, the-bog

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 1.5 stars

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

We believe in shouting for those who can only whisper, in defending those who cannot defend themselves.

And if that was what Divergent and Dauntless was all about, that could have been a compelling story. A group of people who defend the weak and the abused. The voiceless. The outnumbered. Those that society has failed. They stand for courageous compassion that does not fear to show that 1.5 stars

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

We believe in shouting for those who can only whisper, in defending those who cannot defend themselves.

And if that was what Divergent and Dauntless was all about, that could have been a compelling story. A group of people who defend the weak and the abused. The voiceless. The outnumbered. Those that society has failed. They stand for courageous compassion that does not fear to show that caring for others is a strength. That only in facing our fears do we become capable of bravery.

But that is so utterly not what this story is about.

This story is about a girl named Beatrice Prior, who hereafter shall be called Tris, who lived in a world where everyone is forced to choose one defining trait and live in a faction of like-minded individuals, never to change or falter from that one defining characteristic, or else accept being an outcast from that society, one of the ~~scum that eats the pond scum~~ Factionless.

Those five traits (and these are your only options) are Abnegation (Selflessness/ you must only ever think of others), Dauntless (Courage/ reckless cruel sadist idiots), Erudite (Knowledge and Learning/ stuck-up controlling elitists), Candor (Honesty/ we must know everything you thought, think or ever will think and nothing may ever ever be private) and Amity (peaceful accord/going along to get along if that means throwing someone else under the metaphorical bus).

Supposedly these factions were formed based on what people thought caused wars and what traits they thought would best serve to prevent future wars. So, the Dauntless thought that fear and cowardice led to wars. And yet their faction is easily the cruelest, most violent group of reckless morons. If they had control of a country, they would plunge into a war immediately just to prove that there were "brave" enough. These people pull stupid, dangerous stunts daily just to prove that they can. They jump on and off moving trains as their means of transportation because apparently it appears super-cool and you know, you have a good chance of dying if you mess up your timing, slip or get jostled. But if you are one of the worthy and brave, you are golden. Seriously? You might be a frail, ill or disabled person and thus incapable of some of these specious acts of "bravery" yet you could have more true courage than any of those people recklessly endangering their lives and wellbeing (and that of others). Someone who has had to deal with physical weakness and disability has had to find the will to face difficulty and pain day after day, minute after minute. They know far more about dauntlessness. The Dauntless Faction maintains such a narrow definition of what bravery is and what it looks like. And their bravery is really cruelty and brutality hiding behind the facade of enforcing a world without fear.

The story wants to be much more thoughtful than it is. I feel as if Roth was genuinely trying for something much better. Tris should be a terribly interesting and conflicted character.

In the edition that I read, there were interviews with Roth in the back. They were very insightful. She talked about her inspiration for the series, characters, quotes, playlist. It included the Faction manifestos. It was tragic to see how far from their initial ideals they had all fallen. Their problem is in extolling any one virtue to the exclusion of all others.
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Apr 02, 2013 Autumn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: i-would-read-again, y-a, favorites, series, dystopian, banner-challenge-yaholics, dystopian-bébé-challenge, dystopian-bebe-challenge

OHMYGOODNESS.

I didn't really avoid this book, but I wasn't going to go out of my way to read it. And when I did finally get it from the library (This was stupid of me. I should have spent the money to own it), I let it sit on my shelf while I happily gobbled up other books. Until finally it came down to Divergent or book with font I wanted to kick across the room. So, I wasn't exactly waiting to read the book or anything. I wasn't expecting it to be amazing or have characters I loved or give me ...more

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Jun 20, 2012 Rachel rated it it was amazing

According to the Faction's Quiz I am equally Candor, Amity and Dauntlness! Yay for Divergency!!!!!! And I agree, those are definitely factions I fit well in; I'm blunt, LIke to be happy and I am pretty brave, though I'll never get a tactoo. I love Four! I love Four! Not as much as Adrian but I love Four!!!!!! I will always be surprised at how much I adore this book! Re-read it again yesterday, June 19th 2012 with the first copy i bought. Last time I read it, it was with a dusty, hardcover librar ...more

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Mar 09, 2012 Melissa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, divergent-series, dystopian

Lovvveeeeddd!! Just as good the second time as the first. In this dystopian society type story, their city is divided up into five factions. Amity, the peaceful; Candor, the honest; Erudite, the intelligent; Dauntless, the brave; and Abnegation, the selfless. People that choose no faction or are kicked out are known as the factionless. This book is about Beatrice "Tris" Prior who decides to chose Dauntless and changes her faction from Abnegation. She will soon find out that being selfless might ...more

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Jun 08, 2013 Bodea rated it liked it · review of another edition

When this book came out, there were so many oohs and ahhhs. Don't get me wrong, it's good. I just don't think it quite lives up to the hype. Still, I liked the concept and the characters. Full review to come. ...more

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