Divergent is the first book by 22 year old author Veronica Roth. I LOVED this book! It is now one of my favourite books of all time! Divergent is the first in a trilogy. It is followed by Insurgent ( equally as good) and the last book is still being written- how will I wait??!!
Divergent is set in a dystopian world where people are divided into 'factions' depending on which virtue ( courage, truth etc) they prize most highly. It is narrated by the main character Tris. When they turn 16 they have to undergo tests that show them what faction suits them best. They then have to make their choice for life at a choosing ceremony. This was probably my favourite part of the book-something about the finality of it really resonated with me. The plot thickens when Tris ( the main character) finds out that her test showed she wasn't suited for any particular faction which makes her divergent ( something you could die for).
For me, the characters were really well crafted. I felt like they were real people that I might run into on the street one day. They had obvious flaws but many good traits too. What I liked about it the most, is the fact that the characters had to make such hard choices. It definitely made me think about how I would act in similar situations. Once again I prefer teen fiction from adult because it is so straightforward. Even though the characters have been through a lot, they don't tend to be cynical or depressing. If you haven't read teen fiction before I definitely recommend giving it a go :)
If you are after an exciting, fast paced read, with some romance thrown in there too, this is the book for you!
You can also check out Veronica Roth's website: http://thedivergenttrilogy.com/veronica
I'd love to hear any feedback or other recommendations- leave a comment here or on my Twitter account @JuliadeRuiter
Have a great weekend,
Julia
Hi, I'm Julia and I'm addicted to reading 'young adult' fiction.
Anyone else out there love YA fiction? I'm only a recent convert to the genre but can't believe I haven't discovered it earlier!
There are heaps of things I love about YA fiction- it's to the point, there is always a conflict that actually gets resolved and they don't seem to be all doom and gloom like so many of the adult fiction I've read lately. Don't get me wrong- I do enjoy adult fiction. I've recently just finished Ann Mah's Kitchen Chinese which I enjoyed so much I read it twice :) But there is something special about YA fiction I can't define that really sucks me in. I'm a big fan of Dystopian fiction. I LOVED 'Divergent' & 'Insurgent' by Veronica Roth so much so that I think I'm going to buy my own copies. You can check out her website/blog here: ( and she's only 22!)http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.co.nz/
There are so many exciting things happening in the world of YA fiction and I can't wait to keep you all updated :)
And of course, if you have any recommendations for good YA books, let me know,
Julia
