Divergent Book Review
For those who have not been on planet Earth for the last 6 months: Divergent is a book written by Veronica Roth while she was still a student in college (that alone made me want to read it because it’s inspiring to me as an up-and-coming writer). The book is about a young girl named Tris who lives in a society in which people are divided into factions (you are either brave, honest, selfless, intelligent or kind) based on a test they take when they are of age. Tris receives an odd result; she is divergent, meaning she is not just one of these five things. So Tris is left with a tough decision; she must choose where she belongs. On the way, she finds out about herself, her society and how things should be. And of course, there’s some romance thrown in, but it’s not overbearing.
Divergent was a good read to me, and great, I think, for the young adult audience. The storyline really draws the reader in and the main characters are well developed; these are both ingredients for a can’t-put-it-down book. While the storyline is interesting, it is not completely unique, especially for older audiences. Reading Divergent reminded me of both ‘A Brave New World’ and ‘The Giver’. Yet, it is not exactly like these books. The book has some wonderful and thought-provoking ideas, which I shall share below.
I slightly regret watching the movie before reading the book (this is not typically something I do) but the book still managed to grab my attention even though I knew what was coming.
In short, Divergent is a book about individuality, about breaking free from society’s expectations of you and rising above to reach your full potential, but with a twist.
Is it worth reading? Yes
Final verdict: 7.5/10
My favourite quotes from Divergent were: (WARNING: spoiler alert)
“Becoming fearless isn’t the point. That’s impossible. It’s learning how to control your fear, and how to be free from it…”
“They don’t want you to act a certain way. They want you to think a certain way. So you’re easy to understand. So you won’t pose a threat to them.”
“I want to be brave, and selfless, and smart, and kind, and honest.”
“Half of bravery is perspective.”
Thought-provoking ideas:
“Human beings as a whole cannot be good for too long before the bad creeps back in and poisons us again.”
“Human reason can excuse any evil; that is why it’s so important that we don’t rely on it.”
“Those who seek peace above all else…will always deceive to keep the water calm.”
“I would rather be dead than empty.”
“Valuing knowledge above all else results in a lust for power and that leads men into dark and empty places.”