Divergent

By: Veronica Roth

Narrated by: Emma Galvin

Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue - Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is - she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are - and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating 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 a growing conflict that threatens 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 literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series - dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

©2011 Veronica Roth (P)2011 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"Though Galvin’s narration is concentrated on giving Tris the perfect voice, she never neglects the secondary characters. Poignant moments with Tris’s mother and Four, her leader and love, are subtly nuanced to let listeners hear the terror Tris often hides.... listeners will hold their breath waiting to see if she can survive the day." ( AudioFile)

Hard to stop listening

The story may be a little bit juvenile and many pieces seem borrowed from other stories, but the story is told in a very gripping way and it keeps you on edge for nearly the entire book. I'm glad I gave it a chance.

Loved this book!

This book was great, Veronica Roth has obviously spent a lot of time figuring out how the society is organized and how the different factions interact with each other. Tris was an interesting heroine, and I liked how she embraces her new faction and overcomes her small stature and puritan upbringing to earn her place with the Dauntless. She shows herself to be intelligent, resourceful and able to adapt in different situations; as well as showing leadership skills and loyalty to her friends and family. She shows her teenage girl side and weaknesses, and struggles to deal with them and keeping them hidden while earning acceptance. I could not wait for the second book to come out after I finished this book, and now I am waiting for the third book; this story definitely has me hooked!

Great Character Development

If you could sum up Divergent in three words, what would they be?

See title.
The author has me cheering for the divergent people. Not just the divergent characters in the book, but also their beliefs and their commitment to protect the other factions from misconceptions of the Faction System.

What other book might you compare Divergent to and why?

Just one! ummmmm.
Donald Spoto's Joan: The Mysterious Life of the Heretic Who Became a Saint.
Joan chose to follow her desire to know who SHE was. Even though she went against the status quo of her people, era and the governing religious leaders.

Which character – as performed by Emma Galvin – was your favorite?

Theo James as Four.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

A good read/listen but, not really. I enjoyed the story and want to read/listen to all the books in the series. I have recommended Divergent to many. And, I am waiting for my next credit to download Insurgent.
My extreme reaction came when I saw the movie. I was VERY disappointed in the movie.

Any additional comments?

I hope the author continues to keep me interested.

if you liked Hunger Games you'll love this trilogy

Veronica Roth is a very engaging writer. She writes about a future Chicago and creates a story that you can see really happening! I love the characters. I love the fighting and friendships and love that develops. I love how "Trice" develops from a teenager trying to find herself and decide who she is and where she fits in. In our world she would be considered a genius. In their world she's divergent but she fits in in 2 other sanctions. So she chose the one where she would feel the most free...free to be herself and to try things she would never have been allowed to do in her parents sanction. And I fell in love with Four! What a champion and gentleman and fighter! Great book. I just finished the 2nd book. Can't wait for the 3rd and final book. But will look forward to anything she writes from now on. She paints with words so you can see her story!

Nice

Listened multiple times, and still enjoy it. Good reader, story, and ideas. Definitely recommend the download.

Doesn't achieve what it strives for

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Without giving away too much of the story, Divergent is a story about a remarkable girl, who doesn’t really fit in to the family and environment where she is raised. Then comes the test that will offer her a new life. Of course this takes place in a dystopia where everything is not as it seems. Some of her fellow classmate become her enemies, and people you’d expect to be her enemies become her friends and allies. Adventure ensues, until the end which sets you up for more books.

It feels like the author is reaching desperately for Harry Potter, Enders Game, or the Hunger Games but falls short. There are moments in the book where I did get carried away with the story, but unfortunately they are not frequent or enduring enough to sustain the grandness that the author strives for. She has only a few sentences that hint a larger, darker and more troubling story to be told, but I don’t feel she gets to it. Perhaps she is leaving for the next books, but I won’t ever know because I don’t plan on reading them.

I will say the book is entertaining and I didn’t have to struggle to finish it, but I wasn’t finding excuses to drive a little further or run an extra mile just to find out what is next.

Better than the Hunger games

Found the story entertaining and can't wait to get on to the 2nd one n the series.

Great book and story. Very well read.

Very captivating and thrilling story. Much better than the movies as most books are. Recommend

Action packed

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this to anyone who likes futuristic books about dystopian societies. The storyline is intriguing and easily captures and keeps the listener's attention. However, this is a young adult novel, and includes a lot of awkward teenage sexual tension, which is the only thing I did not like about it. If you can get past that, the story itself is excellent.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would recommend Divergent to a friend. At first I thought it would be like The Hunger Games but at no time did I ever notice any similarities, and that's good since I wanted a fresh story. I'm not a big reader and I still found myself wanting to continue to listen to know what comes next. I think the author provided just the right amount of character development and description without getting all Stephen King on me.

My wife read all three books and with the movie coming out I decided to try listening to this book on my new tablet, party because I just wanted to try the experience of an audio book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character would have to be Beatrice, the main character, for the simple fact that she had the most development, so I felt like I knew her better. Plus her personality was likable. She wasn't too timid or too aggressive and reacted to many things in a believable and interesting way. Just for fun the worst character was Four, or Tobias. I did not like how he was written, although after a revelation at the end I can understand what the author was going for. I just couldn't relate to several characters from the various factions as they did not react in a "human" manner so it took me out of the story.

What three words best describe Emma Galvin’s performance?

Monotone, slow, soothing.

Was Divergent worth the listening time?

Divergent was definitely worth the listening time. it's a great listen and easy to get involved in.

Any additional comments?

Honestly, Emma Galvin didn't do a bad job. I think she was just a bit too monotone and paused just a hair too long between sentences. I tried to read along with the immersion experience but gave up after one page as I am just a natually faster reader and it was throwing me off.