Tuesday, December 6, 2011

My Thoughts on Divergent by Veronica Roth

Since I read Divergent only a day ago, none of my friends have read it yet and I can't say all I think on Twitter, I decided I could make another blog post. It took me only two days to read it because it was so good and I just didn't want to put it down. I would have probably read it all in one sitting if I could have, but I had to go to sleep and do some things before I could continue - which didn't make me happy, but oh well. I really enjoyed this book, although there were a few things that I didn't like, so that's why I gave it four stars on Goodreads. I know people compare it to The Hunger Games because it's dystopian, but I wouldn't want to compare it at all. It seems silly to me to compare all the books with the most famous in the genre like it's supposed to be the same or something. Now for those who didn't read Divergent or haven't heard of it, here is the summary from Goodreads:
Picture Beatrice "Tris" Prior has reached the fateful age of sixteen, the stage at which teenagers in Veronica Roth's dystopian Chicago must select which of five factions to join for life. Each faction represents a virtue: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite. To the surprise of herself and her selfless Abnegation family, she chooses Dauntless, the path of courage. Her choice exposes her to the demanding, violent initiation rites of this group, but it also threatens to expose a personal secret that could place her in mortal danger. Veronica Roth's young adult Divergent trilogy launches with a captivating adventure about love and loyalty playing out under most extreme circumstances.

So if you haven't read it yet and you like dystopian young adult fiction, go ahead and get this book immediately. It has great characters, good and interesting plot and it's nicely written.
If you have read the book, you can continue reading because now I will say things that some might consider spoilerish. So, yeah, possible spoilers ahead! 
First I wanted to say that I really don't know how would I choose a faction. No, seriously, how do you choose something like that? It decides your whole life. And yeah, reminds me a lot of choosing college, except there you can at least give up if you don't like something and switch to another. In the world of Divergent, you're basically doomed if you choose wrong. Besides, I'd probably end up being Divergent because when I did those test which were supposed to help me choose in which field to continue my education, the woman who brought the results told me it was all up to me because I was good in everything. Yeah, that was so helpful I ended up rolling my eyes as soon as I was out of her office. In that way I can relate a bit to Beatrice because she too had to choose by herself what she wanted and had more options. Of course, people could still choose to go study what they wanted despite the tests, but if you're not for something, then you have it harder to succeed. It's sort of like initiation test in Divergent. You can choose whatever you want, but that doesn't mean you're going to choose right and end up doing that kind of job.
Now when I think of factions, I probably couldn't choose one. The last thing I'd choose would probably be Abnegation. You probably think I must be the most selfish creature ever ahaha. No, actually in this I'm like Beatrice too, I can be selfless, but all the time in every situation? Uh huh. Maybe it's just the world we live in, where you have to fight for yourself because no one else will. What I don't like the most about Abnegation is their plain look, gray clothes, no looking in the mirror, children not allowed to ask question at the table.... Just no. :P As for Candor, to tell the truth all the time, I don't think so. I really wouldn't want to tell my friend her new haircut sucks, or that her dress makes her look fat. Sometimes you just can't be honest. Amity doesn't sound bad, but it's somehow too good, too dreamy or something like that. Actually, I don't know why I wouldn't want to belong there. Probably too ideal for me ahahah. Erudite sounds good, but they are too much in the scientist mode and too smart. :P I wouldn't want to go there just because Id' find it too boring. Besides, I hate studying ahaha. It doesn't even matter that I was good at Maths, Physics and things like that; I still mostly hated it. As for Dauntless, eh, I'd never pass the initiation. :D I'm just not in the shape to run and jump or anything. ahaha Too much sitting with books, I guess. Ok, a bit of exercising could fix that, but meh. I wouldn't really want to fight people, get punched in the face or jump from a building. O.o I guess I'm not really brave. Besides, I'd never survive a simulation with spiders, bugs and other icky things crawling all over me (yeah, what a fear :P). I'm not sure how that fear thing works. Does it see only your biggest fears or all fears? Because if it sees all fears, no matter how small, I'd probably never get done. :D  Oh, and if you're still reading this, you must be Dauntless. :P
Anyway, I should probably get to the things that bothered me. I don't know is it just me, but I had trouble picturing characters, especially Four. I just read the description and imagined something like a caricature, something weird and twisted, and most likely not human. So I just had to forget it and imagine how I wanted it. haha Maybe they weren't supposed to be pretty, but I need pretty people, I'm so shallow :D. Oh, and for someone so smart who can manipulate simulations, Beatrice sometimes does really stupid things, but maybe that's because she's just a teenager and isn't supposed to always do and react in the best way. For most of the book I kept thinking of Four as much older, like 25 or something, but that scene where he got drunk was perfect, so I was like yeah, finally, acting like a real teen. :P At first I had trouble seeing Four as a name and not a number, and right when I got used to it, she started to call him Tobias, and I was just noooooo! XD What else I wanted to say? Ah, yes, Beatrice and Four sort of reminded me of Vampire Academy and Rose and Dimitri, because of this whole instructor thing, but I like Rose more than Beatrice as a character, and Beatrice and Four more as a couple. :P I'm talking too much, aren't I? Oh, well, I loved this book, really did, and I can't wait for the sequel.

P.S. I basically wrote this post how ideas came to my mind, so if it doesn't make sense, if there are missing words, typos or something, I'm sorry. Spent too much time writing this already, have to go. See you soon. Oh, and if you actually read all of this, you're the most amazing person in the whole world.

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