Divergent - Veronica Roth (Book Review)

I had watched the movie Divergent first before reading the book to see if it was something that I could focus on and keep my attention.  I try really hard to read the books before the movie since typically the books are hundred times better than the movie.  I have only seen the first movie and now read the first book.

For me this book was a little challenging to get into since I saw the movie and knew what was going to happen.  I am hoping for the next book it is easier for me to get into since I don't know what is going to happen in the ending.  The book gives a short amount of background about how this new society was formed in the book, but keeps going with the small details.  The author adds more and more to the societies and their build-ups throughout the book to allow the reader to see the bigger picture of how the society is broken now.

I love how the author follows Beatrice's life from the simple child routine to choosing a new fraction and leaving her family.  The author really develops the character so you can feel her emotions of being a child and growing into an adult.  Beatrice who becomes Tris learns so much in the first few days of being away from home about how different relationships develop and what a true friendship means.   Tris is constantly evolving throughout the book and facing each new challenge with more and more knowledge behind her.

The author covers several different larger topics, but one that I keep going back to consider is the thoughts on how a society can have a moral code that was originally developed to live by and slowly and slowly this evolves and changes.  As you can see for the Dauntless society it has strayed from being the brave protectors to a society that worships silence of bad actions and bravery of suicide.   The author keeps mentioning how the fraction/society has evolved into more of a negative view from what these original society set out to do.  This allows the reader to easily see how an entire fraction can be manipulated into killing since it has strayed to far away from the idea of being protectors.  

The book also touches on the importance of growing up.  Beatrice alludes to the idea that her parents kept her sheltered from what was really going on in the world.  I feel this adds to her character because once she starts to piece things together she is able to see they kept it from her because not everything is actually good in society.  Growing up keeping a child sheltered is one approach the parenting, but than when a child is let out into the world you need to have them gather all these new perspectives and follow the moral code you instilled upon them as a child.

I would suggest reading this anytime of the year, whenever you have some time because once you have finished the first book you will want to start reading the second to see what is going to happen.

My Rating 3/5
Author website http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com/
Publisher Katherine Tegen Books
ISBN 9780062024022
Length 482
Format Hardback