Divergent by Veronica Roth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
There is a lot to like about Divergent. Veronica Roth's writing is some of the most vividly descriptive I've ever read. When reading Divergent, you can envision and see every locale and action scene.
When I read fiction, I want to be mentally transported to another world or place and feel like I was actually there after putting the book down. I want that place or world to linger throughout my thoughts. Divergent does this. And as a writer myself, Veronica Roth set a new bar for me, in descriptive quality. She really does show readers just how powerful words can be.
One of the things that makes me care about a book is if I am emotionally invested in the characters. Divergent does this as well, once again through vividly descriptive writing. Whatever a character is going through emotionally, you feel like you are going through it with them.
Speaking of characters, Tris was an awesome female protagonist. She was strong and courageous, but still had weaknesses, making her human. But what really made Tris so awesome for me is that she was a symbol. A symbol of what, you may ask. Answer: independent thinkers.
Part (not all) of being Divergent meant that Tris could not totally conform to any of the factions' train of thought. Thus, I see her as a representation or symbol of an independent-minded person. Think about it: We live in a society that seems to say we have to choose a certain train of thought, like a certain political ideology or maybe a certain religious denomination. But some people cannot or choose not to. Many people are independent thinkers, kind of like being Divergent. Tris mother even said about being Divergent: “ . . . our minds move in a dozen different directions. We can't be confined to one way of thinking, and that terrifies our leaders. It means we can't be controlled.” I thought it was cool how the novel portrayed independent-mindedness as a threat.
As I myself am an independent-minded person, I found myself loving the concept of Divergence and was able to connect with Tris and was able to relate.
I am not in the “young adult” age range. But as a lover of great novels, even if it is YA, I found Divergent to hold my interest. And it was just as thought-provoking as any novel that is not YA.
Overall, Divergent is a great book. I can see why it has such a fan base and has international acclaim. I can't wait to read the other two installments to the Divergent series, and maybe even see the upcoming movie.
View all my reviews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
There is a lot to like about Divergent. Veronica Roth's writing is some of the most vividly descriptive I've ever read. When reading Divergent, you can envision and see every locale and action scene.
When I read fiction, I want to be mentally transported to another world or place and feel like I was actually there after putting the book down. I want that place or world to linger throughout my thoughts. Divergent does this. And as a writer myself, Veronica Roth set a new bar for me, in descriptive quality. She really does show readers just how powerful words can be.
One of the things that makes me care about a book is if I am emotionally invested in the characters. Divergent does this as well, once again through vividly descriptive writing. Whatever a character is going through emotionally, you feel like you are going through it with them.
Speaking of characters, Tris was an awesome female protagonist. She was strong and courageous, but still had weaknesses, making her human. But what really made Tris so awesome for me is that she was a symbol. A symbol of what, you may ask. Answer: independent thinkers.
Part (not all) of being Divergent meant that Tris could not totally conform to any of the factions' train of thought. Thus, I see her as a representation or symbol of an independent-minded person. Think about it: We live in a society that seems to say we have to choose a certain train of thought, like a certain political ideology or maybe a certain religious denomination. But some people cannot or choose not to. Many people are independent thinkers, kind of like being Divergent. Tris mother even said about being Divergent: “ . . . our minds move in a dozen different directions. We can't be confined to one way of thinking, and that terrifies our leaders. It means we can't be controlled.” I thought it was cool how the novel portrayed independent-mindedness as a threat.
As I myself am an independent-minded person, I found myself loving the concept of Divergence and was able to connect with Tris and was able to relate.
I am not in the “young adult” age range. But as a lover of great novels, even if it is YA, I found Divergent to hold my interest. And it was just as thought-provoking as any novel that is not YA.
Overall, Divergent is a great book. I can see why it has such a fan base and has international acclaim. I can't wait to read the other two installments to the Divergent series, and maybe even see the upcoming movie.
View all my reviews