Divergent #1 (Veronica Roth)

Ebook (Epub format) 357 pages

Published May 3rd, 2011 by Katherine Tegen Books

How do you feel when it's time for you to choose to stay with your family or leave them for good? Which one would you decide? Well, it's not about loyalty or betrayal, but this can be about finding who you really are.

Beatrice Prior, 16, lives in Abnegation faction. She's there because her parents are Abnegation. But, is she really Abnegation, physically and mentally? It reminds me of Harry Potter in his first year, when the Sorting Hat was about to select his dormitory, he could be on Slytherin, but he picked Gryffindor at the end. Beatrice or Tris decides to leave her parents and stays as a transfer in Dauntless. It could be easier if her aptitute test shows that she is a Dauntless. She is not. She is a Divergent!

She leaves her family anyway. She must join overwhelming trainings given by the Dauntless trainers. Four or Tobias is one of them. Series of trainings are to prove that those transfers or Dauntless in born are Dauntless mind and soul. Training of showing bravery, simulations of one's fears and strategy are quite overwhelming for Tris who used to have constant life in Abnegation. She finally finds herself as a part of Dauntless, Abnegation but she can't deny of having Divergent in her brain. And that means threat for their leaders

“… But our minds move in a dozen directions. We can’t be confined to one way of thinking, and that terrifies our leaders. It means we can’t be controlled. And it means that no matter what they do, we will always cause trouble for them.” I feel like someone breathed new air into my lungs. I am not Abnegation. I am not Dauntless

I am Divergent.

And I can’t be controlled (Page 322)

If only Divergent have their own faction, it wouldn't be a problem. Divergent is a threat for other factions since it would be a danger for the government. The hard training seems to have another goal, not to show as a real Dauntless, but to be murderous brainless attackers!!!

Comments:

Frankly speaking, I didn't get too much promotion from my friends since the translated version has just been released. I was just curious why so many folks here compared this trilogy with The Hunger Games trilogy. I love THG trilogy very much, that's why I did want to read this novel.

At the beginning of my reading, I was nowhere of any info of this book. I just avoided some reviews written by Goodreads. I didn't want to spoil myself. I only read feview from the book review. What I felt was a mixed feeling while reading it. I kept comparing this Roth novel and Collins'. The main character, the brutal scenes committed by teens, series of trainings are not really poles apart from THG. Katniss is Beatrice, the overwhelming training is the games of Hunger Games, Dauntless and Erudite are pictures of Capitol.

Speaking about simulations of fears, one of the trainings, suddenly I recognize one of Harry Potter scenes when Professor Lupin asked his students to fight their fears by shouting 'Riddikulus' then the object of fears would turn into another object. Well, it's not too similar but I just couldn't resist myself from recognizing that scene. Here in this book, the Dauntless will face their fears in a place and the trainers see how they fight their fears. The number of fears and the ways to fight their fears will determine whether they deserve Dauntless or factionless.

Last but not least, eventhough I got a bit distracted with those similarities both from THG and Harry Potter, I really enjoyed reading this thrilling novel. 4 stars is for an awesome heroine (Tris), series of thrilling scenes, heart rending moments when innocent people die (the author is murderous) , and of course the romance scenes. Arrggghhh... Can't wait for reading Insurgent!