Overall Rating and Opinion of Divergent

Discuss the June 2014 book of the month Divergent by Veronica Roth. While only Divergent--the first book of the series--is the book of the month, feel free to use this subforum to discuss the rest of the series or to talk about the movies, but make sure not to post spoilers unless noted in the topic title.
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How do you rate Divergent?

1 star - poor, recommend against reading it
9
5%
2 stars - fair, okay
21
11%
3 stars - good, recommend it
83
43%
4 stars - excellent, amazing
81
42%
 
Total votes: 194

abasto123
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Re: Overall Rating and Opinion of Divergent

Post by abasto123 »

I absolutely loved the book. All of them in the series actually. They managed to keep me interested so much I never really put the books down. I have to say Divergent is one of my favorite reads of all time.
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trisprior
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Post by trisprior »

People need to stop comparing it to The Hunger Games. It was inspired by THG, but that's not wrong, and it doesn't mean it's plagiarized.
The book is just beautiful. It represents the real world in so many ways and delves into human nature. I love that Tris and Tobias's relationship wasn't fast paced or sexual or all lovey dovey. They weren't codependent. They were strong and made each other stronger. Their relationship felt mature, not like all YA books where couples always keep secrets from each other and jump into fire recklessly to protect each other.
Recommended for anyone who knows how to read.
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Post by Arie_ »

When I first started the book I had no idea what to expect. I was told that the book favors the Hunger Games. However I found no similarities. The set up of each universe was completely different. Their motivations were different. The love interest were different. However I will compliment both books for using a solid friendship based on trust and giving each other the hard truth as the basis for a relationship.

I read the first book in a day. I was enraptured by the story. I could see myself in Tris. Trying to find yourself without losing touch with your loved ones hit home for me. I cheered at her bravery throughout the book. Her fears weren't a set back but a motivation. Tris was easy to relate to. She wasn't so cool , pretty, and perfect. She had flaws and fears that I even deal with. She's headstrong yet caring. I cried when she cried because the author allowed us to feel her pain.
I have already given my copy away for a friend to enjoy.
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Post by BColeman »

I loved this story until the third installment.
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Post by iwishicouldread24_7 »

Love it! 4 stars
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Post by savilewis »

It took me a while to finally dive in and read it as many friends talked about it (they are also book lovers). Overall, I liked the series and it had good plot twists. The ending was not what I wanted but I feel it did not do the book an injustice as it kept true to the characters and who they are. The characters felt like they could be real people and not just the reckless, consequences be damned kind that are being written more than they should about older teens. It felt as if this could be a place that would be realistic.
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Post by zjones99 »

Is Divergent the best YA series, no. But is it a fun and interesting read that makes you think where you belong, yes! If you read this book you know you thought to yourself, "Hmm, am I more Erudite or Dauntless?" I know I would probably belong in Erudite but that is besides the point. The book can get a little confusing at points, but the character development and the intense scenes make up for that and more. Overall it is an amazing read, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to read a YA novel.
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Post by hannahbm13 »

I read Divergent and absolutely loved it! I couldn't put it down. Although the idea of a dystopian society is very over done, I think this book succeeded. It was such a page turner I could not even put it down. I may have stayed up all night reading it! The sequel does fall short though. I think it would have done better as a stand alone book, with a more solid ending. And don't even get me started on the movie! The book, though, was very good, in my opinion.
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Post by Crimsonsky 749 »

There are 5 factions, Abnegation the selfless, Erudite the knowledgeable, Dauntless the brave, Candor the honest, and Amity the kind. Then there are the Divergent, they have traits that put them into more than one faction and are dangerous, too dangerous to live, at least that's what the leader of Erudite says. Meet Beatrice (Tris) Prior, she has always admired the Dauntless who jump off from the trains and their sense of adventure and thrill. But she doesn't want to leave her parents in Abnegation. When she takes the test and finds out she is a Divergent her life changes forever. However when the time comes to chose and her brother Caleb, the perfect Abnegation leaves to join Erudite, Tris is sure that she will stay by her parents. But inside her heart, she longs for Dauntless, when time finally comes for her to chose who will pick?

I loved this book! The characters seemed so real and portrayed real emotions and reactions to unreal situations. The plot of the book was very interesting as you can see above. All of it slowly adds up to the final and once you read it you go like...wow that is crazy. However I feel like some of the clues were a bit too obvious and made the story a little predictable. There is lots of suspense and mystery surrounding why there are factions and you don't really get an explanation for that until the next book. I couldn't wait to read it but I stopped halfway through because I kind of lost interest in it but I think that was just me!
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Post by Heidi M Simone »

I had no idea what Divergent would be about when I first picked it up. Trying to remember now, I'm not exactly sure why I did pick it up. Regardless of the reason, I absolutely love Divergent. I like the concept of the different factions and how teenagers get to decide on which faction they would rather be in when they turn 16. Also, I like how Veronica Roth used enough details to explain how Tris transitioned into becoming Dauntless. Lastly, I love the attraction there is between Tris and Four! Reading the first in the series, I quickly picked up the next two!
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Post by ratmckinley »

I absolutely loved this book. I flew through it, barely putting it down. I like the futuristic approach to society and the thoughts it provokes. I thought it set the standards high for the next books, and I enjoyed insurgent very much but was thoroughly disappointed with allegiant. With such a good foundation established it seemed silly to leave this all behind. Nevertheless the first two books in this series are truly outstanding and definitely worth the read.
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Post by AlishaKennedy »

I personally loved reading Divergent by Veronica Roth. I would rate it a 4 out of 4. The society was well developed in Roth's writing and it made it extremely interesting to read. It was a definite page turner and I read the entire book in a span of two days. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend, and I have to several. I have not read any of the other books in the series, but I want to in the future. I also have not seen the Divergent movie.
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Post by woodswalker »

I would give Divergent maybe a 2-1/2 rating. It was a quick read with a mildly interesting scenario. Of course you could see "high school" written all over it. We get it that the author recently survived high school, where you are forced to choose a peer group and a career. Some of the dystopian classics (1984, Animal Farm) are one-dimensional and this book certainly fits the bill. Nobody could believe that a society like this would work. Mostly it is just a backdrop for a teenager to fight, jump off things and have a shallow love affair.
Things go downhill in the second and third books. Tris wallows in self pity, and the premise becomes ever more sketchy. The most unbelievable thing of all is how this series became a huge best-seller. What are those big-time editors smoking?
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Post by The Book Reviewer »

My overall rating would be 3/4.

Divergent was a gripping read which had a great protagonist and promoted good morals. Set in a world of post-war, Tris is unflinchingly brave and selfless in the face of strong, well-written characters and problems. The book can sometimes turn quite teenagery, with language that doesn't particularly excite and typical hetrosexual relationships, but other than that, it is a fabulous young adult novel.
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Post by TangledinText »

I would recommend Ann Aguire's series if you enjoyed this story. I do love action movies and this read like a movie that I would not fall asleep during. It had its highs and lows and very intense moments that kept you interested, but it was predictable. I would give this four out of five but for this ranking I will give it a 3.
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