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

TrishaAnn92
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Re: Overall Rating and Opinion of Divergent

Post by TrishaAnn92 »

I really liked Divergent.
It has been years since I have been able to read a paper book in a matter of a few days but I just couldn't put the book down! I watched the movie before and after I read the book so I had a lot of fun comparing the two. And thought they were both really good. I would recommend it.
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Post by innovative1 »

I really enjoyed this book. I found that you can relate to the storyline of this book. It speaks to the different personalities of all of us. It really was a page turner for me. I was not able to put this book down and read it in a day and a half. Must read before you see the movie. I found that reading the book before seeing the movie had me on the edge of my seat, I was anticipating what came next all the way through. I look forward to reading more of Veronica's books!!
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Post by MatthewAlexander »

I really liked this book, but I didn't think it was absolutely amazing. The idea behind it was great and original, I thought. The factions are very cool and Divergent characters existing and being feared make it even better. The only problem I had with it was I thought it moved a bit fast at times. Too much happened at once or the author didn't tell us enough about something she should have. I found myself lost a few times, but not often enough that it was a real problem.
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Post by mrsallen7114 »

I really enjoyed Divergent.

The dystopian setting pulled me in immediately and I found myself curious to learn more about the factions. I confess, I had a hard time setting this one down (and therefore read through it quickly!).

The setting/plot/characters etc. were all really interesting to me!

I also liked the relationship between Tris and Four. It perfectly depicted their personalities (no sudden night one rendezvous'). It built up, gradually (in an almost tantalizing manner) and kept me hooked, not board of the romance by page twenty.
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Post by reginabally »

I gave it a 4 stars because I really enjoy reading it a lot (compared to the sequels). The idea of having factions in society is a very new idea even though fitting one into a single faction is quite impossible and illogical, but it's just a very creative idea.

The pace of the story is kind of fast and I like it because I'm an impatient person. With lots of fighting, violence, blood and Tris's inner feelings on punching someone's face, this book is definitely a good choice to make into movie.
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Post by zeldagreene »

"Divergent" is one of my favorite books and dystopian novels. I was hooked from page one until the last chapter of "Allegiant". Tris goes through major character development through the series and the meaning of sacrifice. What does it mean to sacrifice? That is the theme Veronica Roth talks about. I learned about sacrifice through Tris's experiences, which in turn, made me a better person. Any book that can make me a better person is a book worth reading.
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Post by Books_are_Life »

I love this book. It was a nice change from most heros wanting to make the world better and are driven by happiness. The main character is driven by trills and where she really fits. She did not go out of her way to try and change the whole world because she didn't like it.
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Post by SusanE »

I absolutely loved Divergent. I couldn't put it down! The second book was a little slower for me and took me longer to read and now I'm on the third book and I just can't seem to get through it. I'll read it here and there but it doesn't have me completely in the zone and reading it for hours. But all in all, I enjoy the series but the first book has definitely been my favorite so far. I also haven't seen the movie, we all know they're never as good. But I imagine I'll watch it at some point out of curiosity.
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Post by reginabally »

SusanE wrote:I absolutely loved Divergent. I couldn't put it down! The second book was a little slower for me and took me longer to read and now I'm on the third book and I just can't seem to get through it. I'll read it here and there but it doesn't have me completely in the zone and reading it for hours. But all in all, I enjoy the series but the first book has definitely been my favorite so far. I also haven't seen the movie, we all know they're never as good. But I imagine I'll watch it at some point out of curiosity.
I have the exact same feeling as you when I read the series!
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Post by lisateb »

The book isn't bad, but it isn't great either. It is highly predictable and at times, a little annoying. Maybe it's because I'm tired of the most popular books of this age having to do with a young female taking on a collapsed system. It is a young adult book, and I'm always happy when buzz books like this get people interested in reading that maybe weren't before. However, it was very hard to relate to the characters, and feel anything for them in the long run.
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Post by Adurna101 »

It was not the most fantastic book that I have ever read. If anything, it was above average, and little more than that. It was enjoyable, and very well written, but it had far to go to reach a four out of four stars rating. Very far. I've unfortunately not had the chance to read the others, as when I read the original, the second and the third book, were not out at that stage.

-- 28 Sep 2014, 16:07 --

It was not the most fantastic book that I have ever read. If anything, it was above average, and little more than that. It was enjoyable, and very well written, but it had far to go to reach a four out of four stars rating. Very far. I've unfortunately not had the chance to read the others, as when I read the original, the second and the third book, were not out at that stage.
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Post by nik_ratliff »

Divergent was so intriguing and once I read it, I had to finish the rest of the books! Although the ending was upsetting, the books were exciting, and definitely worth reading.
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Post by mkostecki11 »

I give Divergent a 2 out of 5. The book left no particular impact on me, in fact the entire series seemed to be just an action-packed series, which was fun, but I did not connect with the characters at all. I thought Tris had one too many flaws and didn't understand her or her actions. The concept of there being different factions in the world is interesting and makes you think, but on the other hand i thought the factions were sort of shallow. You could see from the start that it would never work, humans cannot be that one dimensional and Roth doesn't even try to convince us that they can. Overall, I don't regret reading the series, it was adventurous, but like others have said it needs to be developed more.
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Post by booksbycourtney »

When I first read the book about 2ish years ago I would give it a 4 out of 4 stars but now looking back I would give it a 3 out of 4 stars. I really do like the book and I think people should read it but Tris really bothers me. I really enjoy the world and think it is such a unique idea, but Tris was just so predictable to me and after a while it was typical what would happen and what she would do. Though one of the best things about this book is the strong secondary characters. They really made the book for me.
I recommend this book if you enjoy dystopian books.
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Post by therhinofam »

I have a general love for the distopian genre and I really enjoyed Divergent. Like so many other comments, I think Divergent could have been a stand alone book and not necessarily a series. The idea of behind the factions was very inventive and thought provoking. I found Tris to be a protagonist with depth and likability.
I did read the 2nd and 3rd book in the series and I wish I could say they were each as good as Divergent but sadly that is not the case. The second book's plot felt a little jumbled with trying to process all the chaos from the ending of book 1 and then mixing in awkward family dynamics. By the third book, I feel that the author lost sight of her target audience and what she was really hoping to write and convey when she began writing Divergent. Interestingly enough, I found myself liking Tris less and less as the books continued and feeling that Four was the character with the greater depth and possibility.
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