Overall Rating and Opinion of Divergent

Discuss the June 2014 book of the month Divergent by Veronica Roth. While only Divergent--the first book of the series--is the book of the month, feel free to use this subforum to discuss the rest of the series or to talk about the movies, but make sure not to post spoilers unless noted in the topic title.
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How do you rate Divergent?

1 star - poor, recommend against reading it
9
5%
2 stars - fair, okay
21
11%
3 stars - good, recommend it
83
43%
4 stars - excellent, amazing
81
42%
 
Total votes: 194

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torchwilde
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Re: Overall Rating and Opinion of Divergent

Post by torchwilde »

I read this book after seeing the movie in the theater. As usual the movie misses so many elements of the book. I left the theater feeling like there was an inside story that I missed. When I read the book the jokes were better, the story more complete. It was a good YA novel, but there were places where the main character seemed shallow and inconsistent. But that could be the character's personality. I have read the rest of the series, and I have to say 1/2 way through the last book I knew how the story was going to end. The rush to the ending made me put the series back in the recesses of my collection.
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Darling_Reads
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Post by Darling_Reads »

I decided to go ahead and read Divergent because I kept getting it recommended based on other books that I had read. I was skeptical at first because so many people were saying that it is the next "Hunger Games". I didn't want to read it have it no where near the excellence of the "Hunger Games" and then be disappointed. I was not disappointed. Divergent was exciting and had me asking myself what would I do if I was in Tris' shoes? I was able to relate to the characters and feel their emotions. I also like the idea of different factions that emphasized traits in people and what happens if you have too much of one thing. I gave Divergent 3 out of 4 stars.
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krm21
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Post by krm21 »

I loved the Divergent series, couldn't put them down! I felt like I knew the characters personally, whether I loved them or hated them the emotions were there! I loved the factions, that your true personality placed you. The power struggles in this book were suspenseful, always keeping you reading for more! A little love story always helps sell a book as well :). The ending, oh the ending, let's just say tears were falling! I would suggest this as a must read!
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Post by PluviophileReader »

Scott, I completely agree with you! I went in with low expectations as well and was pleasantly surprised. Tris is a strong and stubborn character and I love that. I haven't seen the movie yet either but it didn't get very good critic ratings according to Rotten Tomatoes.
Scott wrote:What was your overall opinion of our June 2014 book of the month Divergent by Veronica Roth? Would you recommend the book to others? Why or why not?

I usually have a skeptical outlook on huge commercial successes, figuring they often tend to be to the literary world what McDonald's is to culinary art. I also usually do not like to start a series but would prefer to read a strictly standalone novel. So going in with low expectations I was actually satisfied. The book was fast-paced and kept me interested. Tris was a great protagonist--a nice multi-dimensional hero. I give it a solid 3 out of 4 star rating.

I am definitely glad I got to read this book before ruining that opportunity by seeing the movie, which I haven't done yet.
The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
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horsesrule12411
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Post by horsesrule12411 »

I found Divergent a bit lacking to be honest. I did not particularly admire the writing style, and I found the world building superficial and a bit stretched (especially in the third book of the series). It was, however, an interesting read and dealt with some fascinating concepts. I got sucked in even though I didn't want to- there was action and tension which worked very well for the story.
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karenr
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Post by karenr »

I really enjoyed Divergent and very happy I read the book before I get a chance to see the movie. I wasn't able to put the book down and really enjoyed the love story between Tris and Tobias :-)

I would recommend it to others, in fact I've recommended my mother-in-law to read it... we'll see how she goes with the fight scenes.
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Post by Jolie »

I would recommend Divergent to those who wants to read a dystopia society. I personally sort of like it, since Allegiant was more complex wich made Divergent weak. I was in love with Allegiant <3 I would still give a 3 to Divergent c: #dauntless
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Post by Valenavarro96 »

It was a good read but not the best. I loved the series but sometimes it would get a little repetitive. Throughout the book you find a lot of "tris dont do it" and then she goes ahead and does it anyways risking everything. I do however like the whole idea of the book and i think its really creative. its a good way to pass the time, and it does get you thinking, what faction would you choose, if you could only be in one and keep in mind youll never see your fanily again if you leave your original faction and youll have to stay at the new faction for the rest of your life, doing the same thing forever. So in a way, everyone becomes tris, a divergent.
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Post by Cool Books »

i loved reading divergent. I thought the book was better than the movie. I liked the concept a lot because I really like books based on the future and i loved how people could go into fractions. I gave this book 4 out of 4 stars because i liked it so much.
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Heather
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Post by Heather »

I don't usually read young adult novels, I never read Dystopian society stories, and I probably never would have read Divergent if it wasn't this month's book of the month. That being said, I loved it. One night, I was up reading it until 3:00 a.m. because I just couldn't put it down. It's been a long time since I stayed up that late reading. I just kept wanting to find out what happened next.

Now that I've read it, I can't wait to see the movie, or to read the next book.
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Post by miztree46 »

I give the book 2 stars.I thought that the author should have take a little more time to craft her story. The world she created was interesting but there were times during the story that I was unable to suspend my disbelief.
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Post by rachel_spurgeon1 »

I just finished the last book in the series, Allegiant, and I was very disappointed with how the author seemed to be stretching the world she had created just to write that last book.

I loved Divergent - the plot line was great - I loved the dystopian setting. And Tris was a complex character that kept me wondering what she would choose to do - even though it was written in her voice. The parallels the author uncovered were amazing in this first book!
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Post by winsomefish »

I really enjoyed Divergent when I read it, and for the most part the first book stands up to criticism. I felt the dystopia was original and that the characters were very dynamic and believable. I loved that Tris wasn't conventionally attractive. This being said, the quality of the series declined slowly but dramatically as it went on and it ends in a way that kind of breaks EVERY RULE OF FICTION EVER. So, I feel like the best course would be to just read the first one, as it really is quite solid and entertaining.
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StacyM931
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Post by StacyM931 »

I picked up Divergent from the bookshelf because the cover caught my eye, and Roth's writing style hooked me. Like others have said, it is a very typical YA book, but hey, if it ain't broke don't fix it, right? Anywho, Tris was a great protagonist in my opinion and the cliffhanger at the end made me itch for book two. The series end left something to be desired, but overall it was a great read. I'd give it a 4.5 and I would definitely recommend it.
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Post by carmelamarie07 »

I've read the entire series and it was not all that great to me. It was a very visual read, and being a Chicago native, I was able to pinpoint locations. However, I think the story feels a bit rushed. I would have liked a little more information about life in Abnegation and to really feel what life as a "Stiff" felt like. We get a blurp and then she's off to Dauntless. I think she could have slowed down and really delve into the differences between being a transfer and a native Dauntless, just as there is the constant emphasis of being divergent versus not divergent.
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