"During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.
"Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the YA scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance."
*Thank you Amazon.com for the book info - I didn't have any because I happened to listen to this one on an audiobook app.
This book marked my first foray into the world of audiobooks. (I'm not sure that statement is entirely true...part of me seems to recall listening to Winnie the Pooh audiobooks -- on cassette tape, mind you -- as I went to sleep as a child...but I digress.) We were teaching this book in the Children's Lit course I'm co-teaching this semester and I had to read this book...and fast... I wasn't quite sure when I would find the time to read it with all of my other work, but then I had an epiphany: I spent at least an hour each day, Monday through Friday, on my commutes to and from work. Why not spend the time listening to books? I listened to music anyway and I was getting tired of some of the morning talk shows on the radio, so I thought a change might not be so bad. Luckily for me, there was a Living Social deal (kind of like Groupon, for those of you who are unfamiliar) for two months free subscription to Audible (which I HIGHLY recommend - very user-friendly and worked great when I wanted to listen from my phone through the Bluetooth in my car!). I jumped on that deal and immediately snagged a copy of Divergent.
I feel like it's only right to talk about my impressions of the format of the book first. I was unsure about how I would like listening to a book. I usually go off into my own little world when I read, so distracted driving was a very real possibility -- and something that would have made me stop listening to an audiobook (no distracted driving please!). I quickly discovered that it was something I really enjoyed! It made my drives so much more pleasant. I actually couldn't wait to get in my car and battle traffic! I will admit that my comprehension and retention of the material were noticeably lessened. I found myself having to rewind 30-60 seconds every time I started listening to the book again to remind myself where I was in the story. I'm a visual person and have an extremely good memory for things like where the words were on a page. I've never really been an auditory learner, so this took some getting used to. It did not really lessen my enjoyment of the story, but I do think the narration helped a lot. Emma Galvin was the narrator of the audiobook and (though I don't really have too much experience in this area) I think she did a fairly outstanding job of it. At first, I was a little uneasy with a single narrator doing all of the character's voices, but I caught on and soon grew to appreciate how easily she maintained her continuity of tone and inflection for each individual character. Considering how many there were, this could not have been an easy task! Kudos to her.
As for the story, I wasn't quite sure what to think when I first heard we would be teaching it. I was such a fan of Hunger Games that it almost fell disloyal to pick up another dystopian teen fiction (silly, I know). I knew there was a lot of hype going on about the movie, but I'd never even made an attempt to see it. Being from the Chicago area, I think that was what eventually drew me into this book. I know all of the places Roth describes and it was really disturbing in a thrilling sort of way to "see" the city in such ruin.
(The idea of factions was really interesting from sociological and psychological standpoints, but I won't get too much into that here for fear of putting you to sleep!)
I liked Tris as a character. She was strong, but not without some weaknesses; she was selfless, yet selfish; and she had just enough "girl" in her to make her relatable to her readers. Tris walked a fine line between "character" and "realistic," but I think Roth manage to pull it off nicely. I think she was extremely relatable for female teen readers. Had Tris had no conscience, then she would have been flat; had she been too strong, then she would have been intimidating to the readers; and had she not had a love interest, then I think the story would have lost an important facet in appealing to a certain teenage demographic. Who doesn't love a little bit of romance? I enjoyed the way Roth presented it -- it wasn't too over-the-top or a love-at-first-sight, which I really appreciated. (Those of you who have read other installments here realize I don't have an issue with these kinds of things in books. I just don't think they would have fit well with the character of Tris that Roth created.)
I enjoyed Four as a strong male presence in the book. He was strong without being uber-masculine. His character shows readers how men can be both "men" and have depth of emotion and empathy as well. Even though the story was told from the first-person point of view of Tris, I didn't feel like Four was lost or "less important." His back story was about as rich as that of Tris, so he was an extremely well-developed character.
(I will say that it bugged me more than a little about how many times characters remarked on the age difference between Four and Tris -- as if two years equated two decades! This seemed a bit juvenile.)
(I will say that it bugged me more than a little about how many times characters remarked on the age difference between Four and Tris -- as if two years equated two decades! This seemed a bit juvenile.)
The book dealt with some pretty powerful issues in ways that teens can comprehend them. ***Possible spoilers to follow!*** Four's mistreatment at the hands of his father unashamedly confronts child and spousal abuse. The factions deal with identity, loyalty, cliques, and conformity issues so many teens are confronted with each day. It openly deals with sex and violence, anxiety and death. As most dystopian books do, Divergent makes teen readers wonder what will become of their world if solutions aren't found. I think this book allows for an opportunity for them to see the bigger picture. Their mental development doesn't always allow them to see outside of their own "bubble," and it's easy to see how a book like this might trigger broader thinking. Roth is unafraid to hit on a great deal of powerful and emotional situations. ***End of spoilers***
In general, I very much enjoyed the story. I think the writing style was very enjoyable and the pacing was just right. It sucked me in and lingered in all the right places. Keeping in mind that the book is teen literature, I think it was well done. I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. The characters were fun, and the plot was interesting and exciting. I'm definitely going to have to rent the movie now!
In general, I very much enjoyed the story. I think the writing style was very enjoyable and the pacing was just right. It sucked me in and lingered in all the right places. Keeping in mind that the book is teen literature, I think it was well done. I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. The characters were fun, and the plot was interesting and exciting. I'm definitely going to have to rent the movie now!
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