A Review of the Divergent Series
I thought that the way I did the other review wouldn't quite fit my plans for this one. I'll post a spoiler edition below this, with a nice, big space in between just in case you accidentally scroll down so I won't ruin the story for you.
Non-Spoiler Edition
It's hard for me to judge just how much I like a book. I've become quite the critic lately with most things, and so I hardly can say that I wholeheartedly like something, I usually have to include a few disclaimers. However, for me, a good book can be determined by this. No matter how angry I get at the author or the characters and their idiot actions, I keep reading because I'm genuinely concerned with the characters and how the story plays out (and if anyone brings up how I finished Atlas Shrugged despite how much I despised that book on so many levels, I will first point out that by 400 pages in when I determined I very much disliked the book, I was too invested to call it quits and had to finish the book, and then I will slap that person in the face so hard they'll forget what question they asked). The Divergent series was one of these books.
I found myself unable to stop reading the books because, despite the characters making me furious with their idiocy, I cared about them and the plot was interesting enough to keep me attached. I almost threw the book across the room several times, but seeing how it wasn't my book and the fact that I needed to know what was on the next page, I decided not to.
I can't honestly recommend this book to everyone. The love scenes make me want to gag sometimes (you can probably tell I'm not into that sort of thing), but they weren't overly present and actually weren't terribly descriptive. The violence wasn't extremely bad either, but maybe I was too invested in the story to really pay attention or care about either of those.
On a scale of Atlas Shrugged to The Astonishing Story of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, I'd give it about a 7.5 overall. Some of the things Ms. Roth pulled off were done surprisingly well, and I congratulate her on her success. I mean, how much can you criticize someone who made a lot of money off of these books?
By the way, if anyone tries to tell you that it's like Hunger Games, please do us all a favor and punch them and yell, "NO!" If they insist, please take further measure to correct their thinking.
Okay, but if you ever need someone to fangirl about the book with you, I will totally do it.
I found myself unable to stop reading the books because, despite the characters making me furious with their idiocy, I cared about them and the plot was interesting enough to keep me attached. I almost threw the book across the room several times, but seeing how it wasn't my book and the fact that I needed to know what was on the next page, I decided not to.
I can't honestly recommend this book to everyone. The love scenes make me want to gag sometimes (you can probably tell I'm not into that sort of thing), but they weren't overly present and actually weren't terribly descriptive. The violence wasn't extremely bad either, but maybe I was too invested in the story to really pay attention or care about either of those.
On a scale of Atlas Shrugged to The Astonishing Story of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, I'd give it about a 7.5 overall. Some of the things Ms. Roth pulled off were done surprisingly well, and I congratulate her on her success. I mean, how much can you criticize someone who made a lot of money off of these books?
By the way, if anyone tries to tell you that it's like Hunger Games, please do us all a favor and punch them and yell, "NO!" If they insist, please take further measure to correct their thinking.
Okay, but if you ever need someone to fangirl about the book with you, I will totally do it.
"There are so many ways to be brave in this world. Sometimes bravery involves laying down your life for something bigger than yourself, or for someone else. Sometimes it involves giving up everything you have ever known, or everyone you have ever loved, for the sake of something greater.
But sometimes it doesn't.
Sometimes it is nothing more than gritting your teeth through pain, and the work of every day, the slow walk toward a better life."
But sometimes it doesn't.
Sometimes it is nothing more than gritting your teeth through pain, and the work of every day, the slow walk toward a better life."
*!*~*Spoiler*~*!* Edition
I swear, near the end, Ms. Roth just wanted to write a whole bunch of short, inspirational messages. But, I mean, she killed off the main character, the character she built up for two and a half whole books, and she somehow pulled it off without getting killed by publishers and/or fans, so who am I to judge?
The ending, though, is actually pretty amazing. I was surprised she actually killed Tris, and I was even more surprised that she got away with it. Very few authors have the ability to kill of a main character (we build too much of an attachment, like we put a piece of our soul into it, and killing it off is like killing a child), and even fewer have the prowess to pull it off without setting off a bomb in the mind of every reader and publisher everywhere.
I really enjoy that Tobias doesn't spiral into a half-book of depression and madness like Katniss did (in case you can't tell, I hate that). I really like how he handles it (despite almost committing suicide, in a way).
The premise is exciting for me, and I actually enjoyed reading it. I can't quite recommend reading it to everyone, but if you enjoy an exploration into death and destruction and everything breaking apart and the repair of lives, friendships, minds, and society, then read it.
Well, that's about all I have to say. 7.5 total, maybe an 8 or 8.5 if there was less kissing and mushy-gushy BLECK sort of romance. That really bugged me, but when I thought about it, it does fit the Dauntless lifestyle and mindset, but I just wish it didn't consume so much of the book (and I'm thankful that it only consumed as much as it did).
Well, one more thing. I enjoyed the exploration into different ideas and concepts throughout the book, such as the GP/GD thing, the whole faction identity, the psychological concepts like masks and redemption, and the relationship troubles, though idiotic and made me angry at the characters for being idiotic, were nice as well.
But seriously, how did Ms. Roth kill of a main character so well? Like, the mainest, mainy, mainerton character there ever was, who was built up over two and a half books, dead. Just like that. Hoooooooowww? Okay, I'm done.
The ending, though, is actually pretty amazing. I was surprised she actually killed Tris, and I was even more surprised that she got away with it. Very few authors have the ability to kill of a main character (we build too much of an attachment, like we put a piece of our soul into it, and killing it off is like killing a child), and even fewer have the prowess to pull it off without setting off a bomb in the mind of every reader and publisher everywhere.
I really enjoy that Tobias doesn't spiral into a half-book of depression and madness like Katniss did (in case you can't tell, I hate that). I really like how he handles it (despite almost committing suicide, in a way).
The premise is exciting for me, and I actually enjoyed reading it. I can't quite recommend reading it to everyone, but if you enjoy an exploration into death and destruction and everything breaking apart and the repair of lives, friendships, minds, and society, then read it.
Well, that's about all I have to say. 7.5 total, maybe an 8 or 8.5 if there was less kissing and mushy-gushy BLECK sort of romance. That really bugged me, but when I thought about it, it does fit the Dauntless lifestyle and mindset, but I just wish it didn't consume so much of the book (and I'm thankful that it only consumed as much as it did).
Well, one more thing. I enjoyed the exploration into different ideas and concepts throughout the book, such as the GP/GD thing, the whole faction identity, the psychological concepts like masks and redemption, and the relationship troubles, though idiotic and made me angry at the characters for being idiotic, were nice as well.
But seriously, how did Ms. Roth kill of a main character so well? Like, the mainest, mainy, mainerton character there ever was, who was built up over two and a half books, dead. Just like that. Hoooooooowww? Okay, I'm done.
7/22/14