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)

Very good. Almost excellent.

I liked Divergent a lot. It was fast paced, well-written, and interesting. The action was nonstop, so the book kept me engaged throughout. I am eager for the next book in the series.

I could have given the book five stars, and I'll tell you why I didn't. First, there were the odd words that didn't ring right when reading (or in this case, listening to). Slacks. Who says "slacks"? The word popped up frequently in the beginning and it was distracting. "Slacks" is an old person word. It sounded strange, especially when later Beatrice started saying "pants" instead. Other words like "abnigation" and "erodite" also sounded awkward. Tobias....Beatrice. Was there a sale on syllables? And speaking of which, that was another annoyance. We are introduced to Beatrice in the beginning. Horrid name, but then she shortens it to Triss. Okay, that's good. We meet Four. Unusual name but good for a character. Then, halfway through the book, they are no longer Triss and Four. They are Beatrice and Tobias. Can we just pick a name and stick with it?

These things are minor nitpicks and not enough reason to knock off a star. But add those annoyances to the fact that I wasn't quite a believer. I wasn't buying it, the whole post apocolyptic world of factions. I love dystopian fiction, but there are usually more convincing reasons for dystopian survivors to create quirky societies. In City of Ember, for example, the community was organized in a way that rationed resources. In Hunger Games, people went along with the barbaric rules because of tyrant leaders. In Divergent, Beatrice's explanation was simply that "it works." That reasoning was weak to me. The factions sounded like church denominations, which leads me to conclude that many people would choose not to be factioned. I didn't see the advantage of factions at all. Again, the weak explanation is that it would be horrible not to have a faction. Why? Was there a reason factionless people couldn't build their own houses or grow their own food? They couldn't find valuable commodities to trade?

I also didn't understand how there were so few resources and yet there seemed to be raw materials everywhere. How did a 100-story building survive the destruction of the world? How did a ferris wheel and carousel survive? Even if they did survive, that is a lot of metal, wood, and glass that can be converted into cars and houses. Another thing I struggled with was the initiation, for several reasons. For one, the initiation seemed to be run by a couple of 18-year-olds. Where were the real adults and why did the initiation involve beating each other up? What was the point of jumping off trains? I had a lot of trouble swallowing the physical aspects of Triss' endeavor. She never exerted physical effort in her life and suddenly she's running, jumping off of trains, and fighting. Even if we called her ambitious, it's not likely that anyone could endure so much physical abuse in so short a time.

It's not obvious from my rants, but I really did like this book. I just wanted it to be a bit more polished. I am hoping that before the next book in the series, the author will patch up a few of the holes.

THIS IS A MUST READ!

I loved this book so much! Emma Galvin did a fantastic job. Actually listened to this twice which I never do. LOVED IT!

Young Adult Action Series

I thoroughly enjoyed Divergent. The story line incorporated science fiction, possible post-war consequences and coming to adult themes. I loved & hated the characters and couldn't wait to find out what would happen to each of them in the telling of the story. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

More Addictive than the Hunger Games

First, let me say, I adored the Hunger Games. This book is not as thought provoking or as complex as that trilogy, but it is more addictive. I simply couldn't put it down. I loved the relationship between Beatrice and Four. In fact, I adore Four. It is gripping, exciting and sometimes even funny. Read it!!! The narrator is great too!

Amazingly good

This is by far the best YA I have listened to since Hunger Games. However, it's not Hunger Games, so please don't go in expecting that. However I can promise that if you liked that series, you will enjoy this book.

It is an interesting world, with a good plotline. The book is really quite enjoyable, and I am a 32 year old man.

I would recommend this book to anyone that has an interest in Dystopian societies.

The next book is in May of 2012 which is rather annoying.

Regardless it's well worth the money.

Fabulous!

It was smart, inventive, thoughtful, beautiful and at times horrific. I haven't read something I loved so instantaneously since the Hunger Games.

Hunger Games Fan? Ya Might Like This One, then.

I was hesitant. This book was marketed for The Hunger Games fans. Was it possible there was another book out there that I would enjoy as much as The Hunger Games? After my disappointment with Wither, I wasn't sure if I should pick up another YA dystopian book for a couple months, but this one did not let me down at all.

Years ago, it was deemed there were certain actions that without them, would cause ultimate chaos in society. Because of this belief, five factions were created and while the Chicago residents in Divergent work and go to school with other factions, they are fiercely segregated. The five factions are Abnegation, selflessness; Amity, peacefulness; Erudite, intelligence; Abnegation, selflessness; and Candor, honesty.

Beatrice and her family are part of Abnegation. She has known nothing but sacrifice for others, whether for her family or for strangers. It's Abnegation's belief that selflessness is the most important quality and without it, society will break down. Although other factions ridicule the Abnegation, deeming them weak, it's the only life Beatrice has ever known.

At the annual Choosing Ceremony, sixteen-year-olds from each faction will make a life decision to either stay within the faction they were raised in (and ultimately stay with their family), or to choose another and forget everything they ever knew before. In this world, faction comes before blood. When Beatrice uncovers a secret about herself, she daringly chooses to leave her family behind and join the courageous Dauntless, and endures a difficult initiation under the watchful eye of Four, the enigmatic and cryptic training coach, in order to prove that she is brave. Now known as Tris, what she uncovers about herself, her "friends," and the world in which they live, is daring, secretive, and surprising.

Marketed for readers who loved The Hunger Games, I was skeptical. After all, I thought there couldn't possibly be another book that would rival my affection for the crazy nonsense I loved so much in the world of Katniss, Peeta, and Gale and the Districts. But Divergent was surprising and, I freely admit, it convinced me to stick with the audio versions of these thrill-ride dystopian novels (provided the narrator is spot on amazing). The audio kept me rapt with attention: I was loyal to it and didn't stray to any other audios or to my regular book to give myself a break; instead, I was turning Divergent on every chance I got. It sort of makes me think what The Hunger Games may have been like in audio. Anyone out there listen to it?

Veronica Roth created a wonderfully odd world of the future in which people segregate themselves into five factions and strive to be the best examples of it; the Dauntless throw caution to the wind and do everything they can to prove how unafraid they are, wildly dare-devilish actions that made my fear of heights even more pronounced. The Candor are honest to the point of being rude and inappropriate, and the Erudite wax philosophic and snobbishly exert their intelligence over others. It's a creative and eclectic order and in this story, works extremely well.

Events and characters were fully established and I had a clear picture of it all, along with their personalities. It wasn't hard to root Tris on in everything, and while I was a bit frustrated with her family (well, they were the selfless Abnegation), I did enjoy Four's hard edge and gritty approach to situations. Tris' friends in Dauntless were also surprisingly multi-layered and it was a positively challenging experience to know if they were truly friends, or if there were deeper secrets that questioned credibility. Perfect for this dystopian landscape!

I'd highly recommend Divergent to anyone interested in dystopian fiction. Veronica Roth created an extremely fun ride that was difficult to put down, and I eagerly await Insurgent in just a few months.

Audio Notes: Emma Galvin was remarkable. She had the perfect voice for the character of Tris and had just enough of a tone variance to distinguish other characters. As Tris began to grow from innocence in Abnegation to unabashed fearlessness in the Dauntless group, so too did Emma Galvin's voice successfully project this evolution. I will definitely pick up Insurgent in audio when it's released, especially if Emma Galvin is at the helm.

Waiting for Book 2

What did you love best about Divergent?

I liked that it was a dystopian book where the main focus wasn't who you are/aren't allowed to love specifically in a romantic sense; it was more class divisions and loyalties. You need a balance of adventure and romance and Divergent does a good job of that.

What other book might you compare Divergent to and why?

Maybe something like Hunger Games in style and theme (though I liked Hunger Games much better, which is not to disparage Divergent, just a preference thing)

Timely, not just for teens

In the era of highly divisive political campaigns, Divergent reminds us all about the importance of compassion and understanding and what happens when we forget the value of humanity. A wonderful, entertaining read for all ages.

A Dystopian story.

Written in the first person. In a way the beginning reminded me of the sorting hat in Harry Potter, in the long run the hat will choose what house you want and in this story you can pick which faction suits you best. Yes some of the storyline has been done before, but it worked for me and I enjoyed it, my day at work flew by. The narrator was excellent, I believed her to be a young adult woman. I don't think this story is for everyone, but the ones it is intended for will be happy to have read it and eager for the next book. Other book I enjoyed that are similar are Cinder by Marissa Meyer or of course The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins.