Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent by Veronica Roth, published 2011

Young Adult, dytopian, romance

Read, February 2012

4 Stars

My Review:
I have read several young adult dystopian romances. After awhile, they seem to run together. Some elements are just the same, it is dystopian and the characters are fighting for something. So when I start a new book of this genre, I wonder what this author is going to bring to the table. What is Veronica Roth going to write that I haven't read in some way before?
I was concerned as I started reading Divergent that the book didn't draw me right in. I had a couple of false starts. I must have read the first chapter 3 times before I went any further. I just couldn't get into it. I wasn't seeing the world that Roth created. At this point, having finished the book, I blame it on being dystopianed out (I have recently read 2 other novels of that genre, see old posts). So, if you have a hard time with the first few chapters, KEEP GOING!
Once Roth got through the set up and put the main character, Beatrice, on her path, this was a wild ride. There was action, romance, heart break, friendships, bullying, familial relationships, suicide, self sacrifice, facing fears, death, etc. This book has it all. I couldn't put the book down.

Warnings: This book has violence that at times was hard for me to read. (I haven't read it in a while, but I would say that the violence is on par with the Hunger Games Trilogy).

I would NOT let my 14 year old read this at this point. She has read the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins and was upset by some of the violence and death that happened in the final book, Mockingjay. With that knowledge, I would say there is no reason for her to read this book at this time.