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Divergent #1-3
Divergent Series Complete Box Set
All three books in the #1 New York Times bestselling Divergent trilogy are available boxed together for the first time! Perfect for gift givers, collectors, and fans new to the series, the box set includes: A specially designed slipcase Hardcover editions of Divergent, Insurgent, and Divergent #3 Bonus booklet! "The World of Veronica Roth's Divergent Series," a forty-eight-page booklet including Faction Manifestos, a Faction Quiz and Results, a Q&A with Veronica Roth, playlists, discussion questions, series inspirations, and much more!
Divergent One choice can transform you. Veronica Roth's #1 New York Times bestselling debut is a gripping dystopian tale of electrifying choices, powerful consequences, unexpected romance, and a deeply flawed "perfect society."
Insurgent One choice can destroy you. Veronica Roth's second #1 New York Times bestseller continues the dystopian thrill ride. As war surges in the factions all around her, Tris attempts to save those she loves--and herself--while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.
Divergent #3: The explosive conclusion to Veronica Roth's #1 New York Times bestselling Divergent trilogy reveals the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.
Divergent One choice can transform you. Veronica Roth's #1 New York Times bestselling debut is a gripping dystopian tale of electrifying choices, powerful consequences, unexpected romance, and a deeply flawed "perfect society."
Insurgent One choice can destroy you. Veronica Roth's second #1 New York Times bestseller continues the dystopian thrill ride. As war surges in the factions all around her, Tris attempts to save those she loves--and herself--while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.
Divergent #3: The explosive conclusion to Veronica Roth's #1 New York Times bestselling Divergent trilogy reveals the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.
1556 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2013
1,914 people are currently reading
13.7k people want to read
About the author
Veronica Roth
60books462kfollowersVeronica Roth is theNew York Timesbest-sellingauthorofArch-Conspirator, Poster Girl,Chosen Ones, the short story collectionThe End and Other Beginnings,the Carve the Mark duology, and the Divergent series. She lives in Chicago, Illinois with her husband and dog.
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October 25, 2013The third book.......I LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!! I HATED the ending.... I LOVED most of the book. Up until the very end it was AMAZING!!! I loved Four and Tris in this book, I think it fits well with the other books and I don't think V.R could have done better... Then the ending. I cried. Sorry if u haven't read it yet, but... Yeah, I'm trying to forget the ending ever happened. Though, it seemed more real and what life can be like. There will always be losses, even for the heroes. Doesn't mean I have to like it though...
December 31, 2013
Yes, I know these are young adult books. As such, my expectations of complexity and maturity are not high. I enjoy reading young adult books at times because they can be a pleasant way to pass the time: engaging, but not requiring much thought, resonance with characters, and a healthy dose of triumph of the soul and idealism. In that sense, the series started out meeting my expectations. It was pleasant to read. I was engaged. It wasn't very well written, but the plot was still exciting. The premise was not terribly convincing, but these things can be ignored. But as the series progresses, it goes from ok to worse. The entire premise becomes more obviously severely flawed. The writing is repetitive and starts to become almost too annoying to stand. It was better before Roth reveals what is outside of the city. After that it becomes some sort of weak, poorly reasoned tirade against genetic engineering. Or something. None of the character decisions make sense. It is as if the author didn't plan on writing a second book after the first, and then had to try had to retrofit the facts. There are so many plot holes that it rivals swiss cheese. All of the characters are one sided and one dimensional. They all resemble each other. And their interactions are entirely unrealistic. It is really, in a sense, a romance story for teen girls. But an unrealistic romance, with conversations that would never happen in real life, with Tobias acting strictly in accordance with a little girl's expectations of her dream lover, without any mind of his own. That aspect can be overlooked. It is a young adult book after all. But what gets me in the end is that the entire series Doesn't Make Any Sense. I was halfway through and felt obligated to read the rest, just so I could get to the conclusion and lay the series to rest. I'm not sure I'm any better off for having done so. Without spoiling anything, the conclusion was banal and unnecessary. Nothing is learned. So much for recommending it to an adult. But I wouldn't recommend it to a younger person either, just because it is riddled with weak logic and muddled thinking, which can only serve to confuse.
December 28, 2013
This series had a really interesting concept, but it is deeeeeefinitely written for teenagers and doesn't quite manage to transcend the genere to be something interesting for older readers. Unlike series such as Hunger Games or Chaos Walking, I felt like this Divergent didn't manage to mature and explore the adult concepts brought up throughout the series, and treated some very serious issues rather blithely or surficially. Compelling, but by the third book I was dead sick of the series, mainly because TOO MANY PLOT HOLES. Holy hell. I get that you don't want to waste a lot of time discussing the history of your dystopian society etc, but there still has to be a level of credulity (and an even vaguely believable timeline). And I can only take so much mushy idealized teenage romance, oi. So, interesting, but for me ultimately more frustrating than satisfying.
March 5, 2014
A test of Love and Bravery...
I decided to review the Divergent series as a whole.
I give this series 5 Stars.
Once I picked up Divergent I was hooked. I loved it and immediatly picked up Insurgent after I finished Divergent.
I think I read through the first two books within a week and was aching for the next.
I honestly fell in love with Tris and Tobias and their friends and enemies.
When Allegiant finally came out, I was afraid to read it because of all the reviews complaining about the ending. Did I really want to finish off an amazing series with a horrible/disappointing ending?
So , I would pick up Allegiant and start reading...then allow myself to be distracted and put it back down. Until two days ago. I picked it back up and re-started from page one, determined to find out the end, no matter how bad it might be.
But guess what? It wasn't bad!
I absolutely adored the ending. Yes it was sad, if u think about it pretty much the entire series was sad, why wouldn't the ending be? You know what else the ending was though? It was hopeful. So even though things may not have gone the way we want for Tobias and Tris, we can still walk away from this series with hope for the future of all the lives that we were touched by in the divergent series.
I feel like this series could not of ended any other way.
This was a series about prejudices,Lies,tragedies,friendship,love and hope. All it all it was a series about humanity and what all these things put together can bring to our lives.
While I was reading Allegiant I came across a quote and I want to share it with you.
“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."
To me that quote, really sums up this book.......Bravery, love and selflessness.
To be honest, you will have to read this book for yourself to see how you truly feel about the ending, its different then what you usually come across ,especially in a young adult novel. I applaud Veronica Roth for taking a chance to be different in her writing. I am so happy I finally took the time to read Allegiant. I know that sometime soon I will re-read the Divergent Series.
I decided to review the Divergent series as a whole.
I give this series 5 Stars.
Once I picked up Divergent I was hooked. I loved it and immediatly picked up Insurgent after I finished Divergent.
I think I read through the first two books within a week and was aching for the next.
I honestly fell in love with Tris and Tobias and their friends and enemies.
When Allegiant finally came out, I was afraid to read it because of all the reviews complaining about the ending. Did I really want to finish off an amazing series with a horrible/disappointing ending?
So , I would pick up Allegiant and start reading...then allow myself to be distracted and put it back down. Until two days ago. I picked it back up and re-started from page one, determined to find out the end, no matter how bad it might be.
But guess what? It wasn't bad!
I absolutely adored the ending. Yes it was sad, if u think about it pretty much the entire series was sad, why wouldn't the ending be? You know what else the ending was though? It was hopeful. So even though things may not have gone the way we want for Tobias and Tris, we can still walk away from this series with hope for the future of all the lives that we were touched by in the divergent series.
I feel like this series could not of ended any other way.
This was a series about prejudices,Lies,tragedies,friendship,love and hope. All it all it was a series about humanity and what all these things put together can bring to our lives.
While I was reading Allegiant I came across a quote and I want to share it with you.
“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."
To me that quote, really sums up this book.......Bravery, love and selflessness.
To be honest, you will have to read this book for yourself to see how you truly feel about the ending, its different then what you usually come across ,especially in a young adult novel. I applaud Veronica Roth for taking a chance to be different in her writing. I am so happy I finally took the time to read Allegiant. I know that sometime soon I will re-read the Divergent Series.
August 18, 2014
Divergent Series
4 Stars - Fast, fun, unexpected and new. The divergent series is a great book for YA's looking for an enjoyable read. Great introductory series by a new author, Roth has made a solid foothold with Divergent. Worth the read for sure(book > movie)!
The divergent series is a quick easy read, aimed at quenching the thirst of YA readers. It has the love story, the overcoming ones self doubt, secret plots, a lot of action, bravery, murder, sabotage, backstabbing and so on. It is overall an interesting page turner of a series that can get you hooked.
Once getting into the first novel you will find it is not a very difficult read, but nevertheless enjoyable. The characters are neat and the idea of this type of structured society is a new take and interesting. The plotline of some factions colluding with others to overthrow the society is not entirely new itself, but the world built by Roth takes this into a new area that is fascinating.
There is good and bad portions, however I would say after reading the series, the good prevailed, as the story got the kid reader in me hooked well. I think this is one of the big reasons it blew up the way it did, hence the movie release on the heels of Allegiant. It also has a lot of building of the main character, as the female lead Tris really comes into finding herself, and as we have seen with the Hunger Games, it is really a treat for todays younger readers to have that strong female lead at a younger age.
It is aimed at YA's and fans of the dystopian genre. It also a great read for those looking for an easy read and to enjoy a simple fast paced series. Roth keeps the pace moving at a good speed in the three novels and it is easy to read each of the books in a single sitting or two.
I enjoyed the series as a whole, but was left wanting with the third installment in the series, as I found that many doors opened in the finale book, that I do not believe were properly closed. To be fair most YA books I find, take away from in-depth descriptions, to ensure the general reader is never bored. It is a give and take for sure, however I think Roth gets away with it in this series, as I was overall very satisfied when I rolled with her world she had built.
Great overall series from an emerging author, I was hooked as a reader, was left with some questions, but had an enjoyable time in Chicago with Tris and Four!
4 Stars - Fast, fun, unexpected and new. The divergent series is a great book for YA's looking for an enjoyable read. Great introductory series by a new author, Roth has made a solid foothold with Divergent. Worth the read for sure(book > movie)!
The divergent series is a quick easy read, aimed at quenching the thirst of YA readers. It has the love story, the overcoming ones self doubt, secret plots, a lot of action, bravery, murder, sabotage, backstabbing and so on. It is overall an interesting page turner of a series that can get you hooked.
Once getting into the first novel you will find it is not a very difficult read, but nevertheless enjoyable. The characters are neat and the idea of this type of structured society is a new take and interesting. The plotline of some factions colluding with others to overthrow the society is not entirely new itself, but the world built by Roth takes this into a new area that is fascinating.
There is good and bad portions, however I would say after reading the series, the good prevailed, as the story got the kid reader in me hooked well. I think this is one of the big reasons it blew up the way it did, hence the movie release on the heels of Allegiant. It also has a lot of building of the main character, as the female lead Tris really comes into finding herself, and as we have seen with the Hunger Games, it is really a treat for todays younger readers to have that strong female lead at a younger age.
It is aimed at YA's and fans of the dystopian genre. It also a great read for those looking for an easy read and to enjoy a simple fast paced series. Roth keeps the pace moving at a good speed in the three novels and it is easy to read each of the books in a single sitting or two.
I enjoyed the series as a whole, but was left wanting with the third installment in the series, as I found that many doors opened in the finale book, that I do not believe were properly closed. To be fair most YA books I find, take away from in-depth descriptions, to ensure the general reader is never bored. It is a give and take for sure, however I think Roth gets away with it in this series, as I was overall very satisfied when I rolled with her world she had built.
Great overall series from an emerging author, I was hooked as a reader, was left with some questions, but had an enjoyable time in Chicago with Tris and Four!
May 9, 2014
I became interested in this book because of the movie. I wanted to read it before watching it. That was way back in March. I'm a pretty fast reader but this just kept dragging on and on. I have the gift and the curse of having to finish reading what I start even if it makes me want to projectile vomit. The first book was really interesting and kept my attention pretty well but the other two were just a complete mess. The plot moved haphazardly and people died before I really got a chance to know them, making it hard for me to understand their impact on Tris. Yes, it's sad but it wasn't enough foundation for me. The third book features two different narrorators but I found that I often couldn't distinguish between the two since their voices were written so similarly. The romance angle was cliché and poorly executed as a truly great love in my opinion. Quite frankly, I don't see the appeal for this series at all and I'm just glad it's over. This may be the one time a movie is better than the book although I have absolutely no desire to watch it now.
December 28, 2013
Divergent is one of my favorite books and is a part of a trilogy but if you ask me after reading the other two books it is a better standalone book! I really liked the series but felt it lost what made it special in the first book and part of the second. The third book really lost all of the feelings that I had for the first, and so much of it seemed out of character!
January 29, 2014
(This review contains spoilers)
One of the most poorly written trilogies I've read in a long time.
I spent most of the three novels wishing Veronica Roth would dust off her thesaurus and use a some synonyms for the verb 'says'. How about: scoffs / urges / whines / snaps / retorts / declares / suggests / interjects, just to mix things up a bit?
Roth also failed to construct a believable new world. Instead, all she did was describe a reality in which the USA is the largest geographical concept (did the Purity War affect the rest of the world..?) and guns, serum and aeroplanes exhausted the reach of her imagination.
Despite the obvious limitations of writing a novel in the first person, it did allow the portrayal of emotions and character psychology to be fairly developed. In contrast, I found the actions of the characters to be at times both irritating and inconsistent. On more than one occasion it seemed as though Roth had just played 'eenie, meenie, minie, mo' with her plot options and then settled on the most shocking twist she could think up. This was not always conducive to character development or the creation of suspense. In the end, it became predictable.
For example, Tris' death at the end of the final novel seemed inevitable to the reader because it was the most shocking outcome. A much more challenging ending would have been to see Tris lose her memory and Tobias handle the fall out. However, I'm not sure that Roth could have handled the complexity of that, it was far easier to just kill Tris off in a sweeping cliché that allowed her to be with her mother.
Furthermore, does Roth really believe that the USA of today needs a teen novel in which the main characters are gun-toting vigilantes that are constantly injecting themselves? Perhaps it's just me, but I think most countries in the current climate could do without more glorification of guns...
My advice to Veronica Roth:
- invest in a thesaurus / use one online
- fire your editor as they should have told you to keep working on the plot and tightening up the descriptive passages, I would not have passed these novels for publication
- vary your description of kissing scenes - there's only so many times a reader can cope with hearing about a girl tucking her fingers into her boyfriend's belt loops...
- don't treat writing a novel like journalistic writing - more time should be taken to carefully construct the plot rather than pumping out books to make more money from shock factor literature
On the plus side, I thought that it was an average teen novel for younger readers. Roth has managed to produce a challenging portrayal on the themes of love, betrayal, bravery, loyalty and healing from emotional scars. I take my hat off to her for broaching the subject of domestic violence in such an open way and exploring the long term scars it can cause on victims.
Admittedly, I couldn't put the books down and simply had to keep reading to the end to discover the fate of the characters. Perhaps this is the secret of Roth's success; to keep people guessing about how ludicrous her plot twists will become.
Personally, I have strong doubts that this trilogy will stand the test of time as it seemed far too rushed, far too laden with shock-loaded events that make for a gripping, yet sloppy read. But even beyond that I doubt its durability because Roth, in her desperation to write something original and engaging, has betrayed her reader by slaying the protagonist. Would Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter have remained so popular if Frodo or Harry had been bumped off at the end of the final novel? My guess is no and I fear that is the long term fate that Roth has unwittingly imposed upon Tris Prior.
One of the most poorly written trilogies I've read in a long time.
I spent most of the three novels wishing Veronica Roth would dust off her thesaurus and use a some synonyms for the verb 'says'. How about: scoffs / urges / whines / snaps / retorts / declares / suggests / interjects, just to mix things up a bit?
Roth also failed to construct a believable new world. Instead, all she did was describe a reality in which the USA is the largest geographical concept (did the Purity War affect the rest of the world..?) and guns, serum and aeroplanes exhausted the reach of her imagination.
Despite the obvious limitations of writing a novel in the first person, it did allow the portrayal of emotions and character psychology to be fairly developed. In contrast, I found the actions of the characters to be at times both irritating and inconsistent. On more than one occasion it seemed as though Roth had just played 'eenie, meenie, minie, mo' with her plot options and then settled on the most shocking twist she could think up. This was not always conducive to character development or the creation of suspense. In the end, it became predictable.
For example, Tris' death at the end of the final novel seemed inevitable to the reader because it was the most shocking outcome. A much more challenging ending would have been to see Tris lose her memory and Tobias handle the fall out. However, I'm not sure that Roth could have handled the complexity of that, it was far easier to just kill Tris off in a sweeping cliché that allowed her to be with her mother.
Furthermore, does Roth really believe that the USA of today needs a teen novel in which the main characters are gun-toting vigilantes that are constantly injecting themselves? Perhaps it's just me, but I think most countries in the current climate could do without more glorification of guns...
My advice to Veronica Roth:
- invest in a thesaurus / use one online
- fire your editor as they should have told you to keep working on the plot and tightening up the descriptive passages, I would not have passed these novels for publication
- vary your description of kissing scenes - there's only so many times a reader can cope with hearing about a girl tucking her fingers into her boyfriend's belt loops...
- don't treat writing a novel like journalistic writing - more time should be taken to carefully construct the plot rather than pumping out books to make more money from shock factor literature
On the plus side, I thought that it was an average teen novel for younger readers. Roth has managed to produce a challenging portrayal on the themes of love, betrayal, bravery, loyalty and healing from emotional scars. I take my hat off to her for broaching the subject of domestic violence in such an open way and exploring the long term scars it can cause on victims.
Admittedly, I couldn't put the books down and simply had to keep reading to the end to discover the fate of the characters. Perhaps this is the secret of Roth's success; to keep people guessing about how ludicrous her plot twists will become.
Personally, I have strong doubts that this trilogy will stand the test of time as it seemed far too rushed, far too laden with shock-loaded events that make for a gripping, yet sloppy read. But even beyond that I doubt its durability because Roth, in her desperation to write something original and engaging, has betrayed her reader by slaying the protagonist. Would Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter have remained so popular if Frodo or Harry had been bumped off at the end of the final novel? My guess is no and I fear that is the long term fate that Roth has unwittingly imposed upon Tris Prior.
March 19, 2014
Young adult writers have been producing some wonderful books, starting with JK Rowling and her Harry Potter books which brought young adult fiction and, in fact, fiction for older children into the present age. There have always been some great writers whose books were appropriate to and appealed to tween and teen readers and which were also meaty enough to satisfy adult readers. There have been a number of series with volumes of unrelated stories that used the same characters such as The Bobbsey Twins which are no longer politically correct, but which I enjoyed as a child, and the Nancy Drew books, and The Babysitter’s Club books. But these contemporary creations of longer stories that continue over multiple volumes are relatively new to young adult fiction. We saw this trend continue with The Hunger Games trilogy of Susanne Collins and now in Divergent, Insurgent, and Allegiant by Veronica Roth.
This trilogy, often called The Divergent Series has the most important requirement of all literature; it is obsessively readable. Don’t be caught finishing one book before you have access to the next one because it may lead to crabbiness. We drop into a city that has landmarks we recognize, but a city that has been through something traumatic. Some parts of the city are nearly intact, some are in ruins and the lake that made the city so distinctive is dry. Roth’s characters appeal immediately. We are introduced to the factions Abnegation, Erudite, Candor, Dauntless and Amity by our main character Beatrice as she meets and experiences people from these different groups.
It is time for the exams which help “graduating� students know which faction is right for them. Our Beatrice, although a member of Abnegation, a faction of service and self-denial, is clearly not suited to a life spent on the down-low. She admires the Dauntless young people she sees who leap on and off of the trains, who take risks and seem free and strong. But her test results are inconclusive. She shows talents in three areas and she could be sent out into the lawless spaces of the city to be factionless, because having more than one talent is considered “Divergent� and means you don’t fit in. Some Divergents even die or disappear. Tori, who administers Beatrice’s tests hides her Divergent scores and explains what her choices are. At the “choosing ceremony� Beatrice chooses Dauntless and when she arrives at her new faction she meets Four, the love of her life, and gets her own nickname, Tris (from Bladerunner, perhaps?).
Is a society that assigns character traits to different factions likely to produce a satisfying lifestyle for humans? Can we be engineered so that a tendency towards certain traits can be socially selected as traits dominant enough to allow an individual to fit into one faction for life? If so, then why do the factions seem to be unraveling?
Tris and Four (Tobias) make a perfect couple. We love to root for them to stay together and we think we will just stop reading altogether if their love does not grow. But a changing world is always threatening to pull them apart. Genetics plays a huge role in these stories and Veronica Roth poses a number of scientific, societal and governmental questions that offer thoughtful philosophical puzzles that get both young adult and adult brains churning. However, you have to read all three books in the trilogy to get there.
Bravo Veronica Roth. This trilogy of books, Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant is the real deal, an engrossing and unforgettable read (unless you encounter that memory serum that wipes memory � READ THE BOOKS).
This trilogy, often called The Divergent Series has the most important requirement of all literature; it is obsessively readable. Don’t be caught finishing one book before you have access to the next one because it may lead to crabbiness. We drop into a city that has landmarks we recognize, but a city that has been through something traumatic. Some parts of the city are nearly intact, some are in ruins and the lake that made the city so distinctive is dry. Roth’s characters appeal immediately. We are introduced to the factions Abnegation, Erudite, Candor, Dauntless and Amity by our main character Beatrice as she meets and experiences people from these different groups.
It is time for the exams which help “graduating� students know which faction is right for them. Our Beatrice, although a member of Abnegation, a faction of service and self-denial, is clearly not suited to a life spent on the down-low. She admires the Dauntless young people she sees who leap on and off of the trains, who take risks and seem free and strong. But her test results are inconclusive. She shows talents in three areas and she could be sent out into the lawless spaces of the city to be factionless, because having more than one talent is considered “Divergent� and means you don’t fit in. Some Divergents even die or disappear. Tori, who administers Beatrice’s tests hides her Divergent scores and explains what her choices are. At the “choosing ceremony� Beatrice chooses Dauntless and when she arrives at her new faction she meets Four, the love of her life, and gets her own nickname, Tris (from Bladerunner, perhaps?).
Is a society that assigns character traits to different factions likely to produce a satisfying lifestyle for humans? Can we be engineered so that a tendency towards certain traits can be socially selected as traits dominant enough to allow an individual to fit into one faction for life? If so, then why do the factions seem to be unraveling?
Tris and Four (Tobias) make a perfect couple. We love to root for them to stay together and we think we will just stop reading altogether if their love does not grow. But a changing world is always threatening to pull them apart. Genetics plays a huge role in these stories and Veronica Roth poses a number of scientific, societal and governmental questions that offer thoughtful philosophical puzzles that get both young adult and adult brains churning. However, you have to read all three books in the trilogy to get there.
Bravo Veronica Roth. This trilogy of books, Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant is the real deal, an engrossing and unforgettable read (unless you encounter that memory serum that wipes memory � READ THE BOOKS).
May 25, 2014
Just a few spoilers don't read if you haven't read all 3. I am proud to say I read all 3 books within a week. The first I loved! Great story line just amazing. The second one oh my god! The end was sorta epic and I love how you can see how much Tobias trusts Tris' judgment kind of gives you how much he really loves her. The third one made it hard for me to breathe I want to just forget the ending! As soon as I read the end of chapter 50 I closed the book started crying punched a pillow opened it back up and I just couldn't make the tears stop then when Tobias found out and my the tears came rushing even harder! I will have to read all of them again and I bet my reaction will still be the same. Even though I think it was a horrible ending I also feel that it fit...that is what Tris would've done. I know for a fact this is going to bother me for a few days and I will find myself crying every now and then, but I am going to cope.I will definitely be in mourning.
August 18, 2020
This is a very disappointing series if you like dystopian world books. It is set in dystopian world but doesn't really feel like it for the most part. I didn't like the MC Tris and most of the other characters. The only character that I liked a bit was Four but that was on and off as well. Sometimes Four was good and sometimes he was a totally different character. Overall, I didn't like the series.
Divergent - 3 stars
Insurgent - 2 stars
Allegiant - 2 stars
Divergent - 3 stars
Insurgent - 2 stars
Allegiant - 2 stars
November 8, 2013
An awesome series! Similar to The Hunger Games in that it's a futuristic look at the world and is teen-centered. However, it's a totally different future, and just as captivating. Not quite as thrilled with the third book as the first two, but still well worth reading!!!
December 28, 2014
If you are looking for an edgy, addictive YA book, you're in the right place. The Divergent series is by far the best book I've ever read. I loved the fact that there was no love triangle in the series, and loved how Mrs. Roth developed the characters throughout the series. Tobias(btw I prefer the name Four) is one of the greatest characters I've encountered; He is so brave and fragile at the same time, it makes my heart itch. I also loved the factions...albeit I'm more of an erudite, I fell in love with Dauntless instantly. Over all I loved the book....well except for the ending. I applause Roth for being brave enough to kill a main character, but the selfish part of me hate her for it. That's not the only reason for my hatred towards the ending. I hated the fact that Tobias tried to move on because it made her death insignificant...I couldn't stop crying(mind you I've never cried for a book before)......Idk over all the book is amazing and I recommend everyone to read it. Hope the movie does the book justice!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2014
I just finished this series, and unfortunately it had diminishing returns for me. The first book was a fun read and I went through it really quickly. I think what I liked about it was the world-building, the dystopian Chicago setting, the coming of age story and the young, sheltered heroine who discovers her strength. Then the real plot happened and it was all downhill from there. The second book was okay, in a PTSD sort of way, and the third book I read quickly just because I was ready to be done with it. Without getting into spoilers, there were enough plotholes to drive a truck through, the characters became more cliche and the POV switch in the final book irked me. It was like Roth fell in love with her leading male character, which felt very Twilight to me. I did feel that the ending was satisfying though, so there is that.
December 8, 2018
After a discussion with my husband, I agree that this book has intriguing idea about society and the way it shapes you to meet their needs: warriors in Dauntless, good people in Abnegation, inventors in Erudite etc. And when someone of you rebel against the rule, lets say a smart person has to be in Erudite but he is not only smart but he can be good (basically human nature to have such complicated feelings and abilities) they eliminate you because of course, society wants order, not chaos.
The thing is, a good intriguing idea is not enough to satisfy my thirst for a good literary work. It has to have strong characters, enjoyable narration, nice and neat storyline, and especially for a young-adult genre, less lame romance story between the characters. And, Divergent series have nothing of that.
The thing is, a good intriguing idea is not enough to satisfy my thirst for a good literary work. It has to have strong characters, enjoyable narration, nice and neat storyline, and especially for a young-adult genre, less lame romance story between the characters. And, Divergent series have nothing of that.
February 28, 2016
Für mich war "Die Bestimmung" eine solide Dystopie. Der erste Band hat mir eindeutig am besten gefallen, der zweite war ein wenig langweilig. Ich verstehe warum viele das Ende von Band 3 kritisch sehen oder es ihnen nicht gefällt, aber ich fand es eigentlich ganz gut, da es eben doch etwas unerwartet ist. Allerdings habe ich jetzt erstmal genug von Dystopien...
January 21, 2019
This is a really amazing book! I got mine from big bad wolf and I never regretted it! Tris is just amazing but the third book just really made me cry. I have seen the divergent and insurgent movies. I must say I like the book more than the movie. This is really amazing!
November 12, 2013
I LOVE IT BUT I CAN NOT OVERCOME THE END OF THE TRIOLOGY, IT LITERALY BROKE MY HEART :)
February 5, 2025
very good premise extremely poor execution i mean i read this shit years ago but i just remembered it existed and i want to complain
the idea of factions and society being separate into one exaggerated character trait IS interesting (albeit full of plot holes) and then the main character discovering the corruption and immorality that lies in it is also very good. however it was focuses way too much on romance, and is so poorly written it's insane
the idea of factions and society being separate into one exaggerated character trait IS interesting (albeit full of plot holes) and then the main character discovering the corruption and immorality that lies in it is also very good. however it was focuses way too much on romance, and is so poorly written it's insane
September 17, 2020
I've an unfortunate habit of coming late to the 'next' YA Fantasy. I was late to Harry Potter, late to The Hunger Games and now late to The Divergent Series...
The Divergent series are captivating and fascinating books that kept me in constant suspense and was never short on surprises. It will be a long time before I quit thinking about this haunting vision of the future.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
The Divergent series are captivating and fascinating books that kept me in constant suspense and was never short on surprises. It will be a long time before I quit thinking about this haunting vision of the future.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
November 5, 2015
Full review on my blog ! :)
Trang- Book Blogger
Trang- Book Blogger
January 8, 2016
Overall, I enjoyed the series! They were exciting and different and easy to read
December 24, 2021
Worth a one time read
April 10, 2014
I am reviewing the boxed set, as I read the entire series before I wrote the review. As a result, this review is going to have four parts: Each book reviewed, then the whole series. There are going to be spoilers so the review will be hidden....
Review 1 - Divergent:
Pro - the characters are fascinating, the plot flows very well, and the action is extremely believable.
Con - There were no surprises in terms of Beatrice/Tris saves Tobias/Four, the simulation's outcome is incredibly predictable given what we have learned about Tris' resistance to serums. Put another way, while I enjoyed the characters, plot, and action, there were no surprises.
Overall, I would give Divergent FOUR STARS. It is good but not great.
------------------------------------
Review 2 - Insurgent:
Pro - Several people we are told in the first book are dead are not dead. The effects on Tobias, and as a result on Beatrice, provide much the tension in the plot. The action continue to "pop" quite well, and the several people who suffer losses or are themselves killed keep everyone off-balance, reducing some of the plot predictability.
Con - First, the minor cons. We know since there is a third book that no one major is going to die here. It is not really a serious problem but the author's dramatic tension really did not make this any question. But now we come to the serious issue I had with this book. THIS IS MAJOR: The author telegraphs the ending for the series she has in mind almost half-way through. In addition, she lets her explicit Christianity not merely bleed but begin to dominate the story. I am not sure if she fancies herself the heir to C.S. Lewis and his Narnia series, but we have a near-perfect rendition of the Jesus myth with Beatrice in the role of Jesus. This detracted from the story for me in a serious way. If I wanted to read Christian fiction, I would have bought such books.
Overall, this book gets THREE STARS. Well-written and a good tale, the whole "look at my Christian allegory" thing took away from what could have been a good tale.
---------------------------------
Review 3 - Allegiant:
Pro - This is not so much a positive about the book as much as a positive about the writing itself. Nearly every prediction I made upon reading Insurgent came to pass in this book. The only one I made that did not come true was who the ultimate villain would be, though I was only proven wrong near the very end of the story. In effect, Veronica Roth is so good at telegraphing her Christian allegory that I was able to call it top-to-bottom.
Con - You see this coming a mile away. BEATRICE IS JESUS, laying down her life for something bigger than herself and serving as an inspiration for all, especially Tobias. She is super-human to the end, unable to be stopped by serums, stopping her brother from dying by taking his place. There is nothing surprising in any way in this.
Overall, this one gets TWO STARS. Selling Christian fiction as young adult dystopian fiction is a cheap shot but nothing less than I expect from someone whose dedications begin with praising her god and his human self.
-----------------------------------
Before I give my review for the whole series, I want to save people time and lay out what Roth did with this. I am giving her a lot of credit for trying to hide her religious propaganda, though she is not as capable as C.S. Lewis, whose Narnia series did precisely what she tried to do here and indoctrinate children into Christian myths. If you are reading this, you are not going to mind spoilers, so here goes the whole allegory lain out:
*Beatrice/Jesus is the salvation of everyone.
*David is Pontius Pilate and the Jewish Elders executing Jesus for attacking the government and preaching a different doctrine.
*Marcus is a combination of Judas (betrayer) and Caiphas (seeks to maintain status quo)
*Tobias is Peter, who fails to trust but ultimately comes to love the messiah
*Evelyn is a combination of John the Baptist (preaches against the status quo) and Peter in the Garden (willing to fight to bring down the status quo)
*The Project is the Roman government.
*The factionless/fringe dwellers are the poor to whom Jesus preaches.
Overall, the series does warrant the THREE STARS I give it. It is well-written overall, has memorable characters, and the author did a very good job of creating a Christian mythology-based story sequence, right down to the sacrificial lamb being slaughtered in order to "redeem" everyone. But it is not good enough to warrant any higher rating. Pushing Christian fiction in this way is as pathetic an attempt to preach the gospel as many of the other "dystopian young adult" books that I have encountered.
Review 1 - Divergent:
Pro - the characters are fascinating, the plot flows very well, and the action is extremely believable.
Con - There were no surprises in terms of Beatrice/Tris saves Tobias/Four, the simulation's outcome is incredibly predictable given what we have learned about Tris' resistance to serums. Put another way, while I enjoyed the characters, plot, and action, there were no surprises.
Overall, I would give Divergent FOUR STARS. It is good but not great.
------------------------------------
Review 2 - Insurgent:
Pro - Several people we are told in the first book are dead are not dead. The effects on Tobias, and as a result on Beatrice, provide much the tension in the plot. The action continue to "pop" quite well, and the several people who suffer losses or are themselves killed keep everyone off-balance, reducing some of the plot predictability.
Con - First, the minor cons. We know since there is a third book that no one major is going to die here. It is not really a serious problem but the author's dramatic tension really did not make this any question. But now we come to the serious issue I had with this book. THIS IS MAJOR: The author telegraphs the ending for the series she has in mind almost half-way through. In addition, she lets her explicit Christianity not merely bleed but begin to dominate the story. I am not sure if she fancies herself the heir to C.S. Lewis and his Narnia series, but we have a near-perfect rendition of the Jesus myth with Beatrice in the role of Jesus. This detracted from the story for me in a serious way. If I wanted to read Christian fiction, I would have bought such books.
Overall, this book gets THREE STARS. Well-written and a good tale, the whole "look at my Christian allegory" thing took away from what could have been a good tale.
---------------------------------
Review 3 - Allegiant:
Pro - This is not so much a positive about the book as much as a positive about the writing itself. Nearly every prediction I made upon reading Insurgent came to pass in this book. The only one I made that did not come true was who the ultimate villain would be, though I was only proven wrong near the very end of the story. In effect, Veronica Roth is so good at telegraphing her Christian allegory that I was able to call it top-to-bottom.
Con - You see this coming a mile away. BEATRICE IS JESUS, laying down her life for something bigger than herself and serving as an inspiration for all, especially Tobias. She is super-human to the end, unable to be stopped by serums, stopping her brother from dying by taking his place. There is nothing surprising in any way in this.
Overall, this one gets TWO STARS. Selling Christian fiction as young adult dystopian fiction is a cheap shot but nothing less than I expect from someone whose dedications begin with praising her god and his human self.
-----------------------------------
Before I give my review for the whole series, I want to save people time and lay out what Roth did with this. I am giving her a lot of credit for trying to hide her religious propaganda, though she is not as capable as C.S. Lewis, whose Narnia series did precisely what she tried to do here and indoctrinate children into Christian myths. If you are reading this, you are not going to mind spoilers, so here goes the whole allegory lain out:
*Beatrice/Jesus is the salvation of everyone.
*David is Pontius Pilate and the Jewish Elders executing Jesus for attacking the government and preaching a different doctrine.
*Marcus is a combination of Judas (betrayer) and Caiphas (seeks to maintain status quo)
*Tobias is Peter, who fails to trust but ultimately comes to love the messiah
*Evelyn is a combination of John the Baptist (preaches against the status quo) and Peter in the Garden (willing to fight to bring down the status quo)
*The Project is the Roman government.
*The factionless/fringe dwellers are the poor to whom Jesus preaches.
Overall, the series does warrant the THREE STARS I give it. It is well-written overall, has memorable characters, and the author did a very good job of creating a Christian mythology-based story sequence, right down to the sacrificial lamb being slaughtered in order to "redeem" everyone. But it is not good enough to warrant any higher rating. Pushing Christian fiction in this way is as pathetic an attempt to preach the gospel as many of the other "dystopian young adult" books that I have encountered.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2016
I normally cannot be bothered to use up my few precious minutes to write a review, but in this case I just have to do it.
I read Divergent shortly after it first came out, and had already been reading quite a few YA books, dystopian in particular (NOT because of The Hunger Games, but because of The Giver, which I had to read for a college class before THG was becoming the hit it became. I don't understand why the world seems to think that THG started the dystopian-style novels - oh yes, ignorance). I really enjoyed Divergent. I liked Tris and Tobias individually as well as their chemistry. I also enjoyed the adventures the Dauntless brought us. The style of writing, well, it was clear this was her first (published) novel and since it was YA, I let it go and just enjoyed the story.
Here comes Insurgent: I have to admit, I was a little bored with this book. I only kept going in the hopes that something exciting was going to happen.There were moments, I suppose, but the writing was leaving more to be desired than the first one did.
Now we've come to Allegient: I think I may have dozed off a time or two while reading this one. The writing was worse than ever (I'm sorry Ms. Roth, I really am!) and the story just dragged and dragged and dragged and dragged.
The sad thing is, she had a great storyline! She could have done so much with it! I felt like she had lost her joy of the story after the first one and was only finishing the trilogy because she had a contract to do so. I can't blame her, it's the reason that I am better at short stories than novels. Short attention span. With all the GMO drama with our food crops these days and the cloning of sheep, etc, she really could have made this into a great story that people may have actually thought "Hey, this could happen one day!" but it was immersed by so much dribble and wish-washy characters that nobody even noticed it because their heroine was given her particular fate at the end...
Now I am going to say something really crazy... I mean, really crazy... There is an actual possibility that Hollywood will improve books #2 and #3. YIKES! Then again, since they are fast-tracking the movies, I won't get my hopes up.
I read Divergent shortly after it first came out, and had already been reading quite a few YA books, dystopian in particular (NOT because of The Hunger Games, but because of The Giver, which I had to read for a college class before THG was becoming the hit it became. I don't understand why the world seems to think that THG started the dystopian-style novels - oh yes, ignorance). I really enjoyed Divergent. I liked Tris and Tobias individually as well as their chemistry. I also enjoyed the adventures the Dauntless brought us. The style of writing, well, it was clear this was her first (published) novel and since it was YA, I let it go and just enjoyed the story.
Here comes Insurgent: I have to admit, I was a little bored with this book. I only kept going in the hopes that something exciting was going to happen.There were moments, I suppose, but the writing was leaving more to be desired than the first one did.
Now we've come to Allegient: I think I may have dozed off a time or two while reading this one. The writing was worse than ever (I'm sorry Ms. Roth, I really am!) and the story just dragged and dragged and dragged and dragged.
The sad thing is, she had a great storyline! She could have done so much with it! I felt like she had lost her joy of the story after the first one and was only finishing the trilogy because she had a contract to do so. I can't blame her, it's the reason that I am better at short stories than novels. Short attention span. With all the GMO drama with our food crops these days and the cloning of sheep, etc, she really could have made this into a great story that people may have actually thought "Hey, this could happen one day!" but it was immersed by so much dribble and wish-washy characters that nobody even noticed it because their heroine was given her particular fate at the end...
Now I am going to say something really crazy... I mean, really crazy... There is an actual possibility that Hollywood will improve books #2 and #3. YIKES! Then again, since they are fast-tracking the movies, I won't get my hopes up.
January 26, 2014
Being that this is a trilogy, I shall break it down by book [First Two are reviews that I already made on ŷ]:
Divergent (4 stars):
Surprisingly good read. Not to mention very quick read as well. I had no problem breezing through those 480 pages.
Insurgent (4 Stars):
Wow. Quite the ending. certainly would have killed me knowing I would have to wait for the 3rd book if I read this one when it was released.
Maybe it might be me but my issue with these dystopian stories with a female lead is that for some reason the author decides to make the character whine and complain a lot as a new way to have internal conflict with the character. I absolutely dislike that a lot because the theme of the protagonist not wanting to take up the hero's call or taking it up because they have no choice but whine about it along the way gets really old. Tris definitely takes up the call and yes she makes some really brash decisions but it doesn't go without her having to complain about it. I'd really like to see a female character remain strong and not delve into self pity along the way. It seems that the strong female leader characters falls only in the antagonist category.
Overall, good book and another quick read.
Allegient (4 Stars):
A really good way to end the series. The author definitely took a different approach to the story than the one I thought it would go but I liked it in the end. I know that there has been some hatred from fans about the way it ended in terms of some the characters but I think it was fitting and it felt natural. In fact, I liked the way this series ended more than I liked the ending to The Hunger Games. Very much looking forward to the movie franchise as well as more books from Veronica Roth.
Divergent (4 stars):
Surprisingly good read. Not to mention very quick read as well. I had no problem breezing through those 480 pages.
Insurgent (4 Stars):
Wow. Quite the ending. certainly would have killed me knowing I would have to wait for the 3rd book if I read this one when it was released.
Maybe it might be me but my issue with these dystopian stories with a female lead is that for some reason the author decides to make the character whine and complain a lot as a new way to have internal conflict with the character. I absolutely dislike that a lot because the theme of the protagonist not wanting to take up the hero's call or taking it up because they have no choice but whine about it along the way gets really old. Tris definitely takes up the call and yes she makes some really brash decisions but it doesn't go without her having to complain about it. I'd really like to see a female character remain strong and not delve into self pity along the way. It seems that the strong female leader characters falls only in the antagonist category.
Overall, good book and another quick read.
Allegient (4 Stars):
A really good way to end the series. The author definitely took a different approach to the story than the one I thought it would go but I liked it in the end. I know that there has been some hatred from fans about the way it ended in terms of some the characters but I think it was fitting and it felt natural. In fact, I liked the way this series ended more than I liked the ending to The Hunger Games. Very much looking forward to the movie franchise as well as more books from Veronica Roth.
January 4, 2014
I read the first two books a while ago and was excited to finally read the third one. I re-read the first two and enjoyed them both again...the third book however wasn't nearly as engaging as the first two. The constant switching back and forth between the character points of view was often confusing and was very inconsistent with the other two books which were exclusively seen from the protagonists point of view. The story was still ok and I felt like the author wrapped it up nicely but I just had a hard time feeling as connected to the story as I did in the first two books...again could be the result of the alternating points of view thing. Anyway, it's a good series but I didn't love the last book.
March 26, 2023
[edit po przemyśleniu zakończenia itd]
Nie wiem jak określić to co czuje po przeczytaniu tego.
Bohaterowie momentami wkurzali mnie swoimi decyzjami bądź zachowaniem.
Trzeci tom czasami strasznie mnie nudził - szczerze mówiąc byl najgorszy XD
Śmierć Tris mnie rozwaliła (poleciało parę łez). Spodziewałam się, że ona umrze, ale wydawało mi sie to tak absurdalne. Wierzyłam, że autorka tego nie zrobi (WIEM, JESTEM BARDZO GŁUPIA, ZE TAK MYŚLAŁAM. AUTORZY UWIELBIAJĄ ZNĘCAĆ SIE NAD CZYTELNIKAMI).
Spodziewałam się całkowicie czegoś innego po tej trylogii. Czegoś o wiele lepszego. Podobało mi się, ale bez rewelacji (ale i tak nie zapomne o historii Tris na długo. Może kiedyś jeszcze do niej wrócę w postaci rereadu - ofc filmy na pewno obejrzę).
NIEZGODNA - 5�
ZBUNTOWANA - 4�
WIERNA - 3�
Nie wiem jak określić to co czuje po przeczytaniu tego.
Bohaterowie momentami wkurzali mnie swoimi decyzjami bądź zachowaniem.
Trzeci tom czasami strasznie mnie nudził - szczerze mówiąc byl najgorszy XD
Śmierć Tris mnie rozwaliła (poleciało parę łez). Spodziewałam się, że ona umrze, ale wydawało mi sie to tak absurdalne. Wierzyłam, że autorka tego nie zrobi (WIEM, JESTEM BARDZO GŁUPIA, ZE TAK MYŚLAŁAM. AUTORZY UWIELBIAJĄ ZNĘCAĆ SIE NAD CZYTELNIKAMI).
Spodziewałam się całkowicie czegoś innego po tej trylogii. Czegoś o wiele lepszego. Podobało mi się, ale bez rewelacji (ale i tak nie zapomne o historii Tris na długo. Może kiedyś jeszcze do niej wrócę w postaci rereadu - ofc filmy na pewno obejrzę).
NIEZGODNA - 5�
ZBUNTOWANA - 4�
WIERNA - 3�
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2013
I really enjoyed this series. Although dubbed a "Hunger Games" knock off, the book is similar because of the society divided into factions, however, I think there are many interesting discussions that could form in a group setting. I began reading "Divergent" because my son was reading it in his Grade 9 class as a more current "Lord of the Flies" type of novel. At the end of the novels there are additions that allow you to explore the writing process of the author and topics to discuss. Book Three, "Allegiant" is very different from the first two and opens up new discussions about reality. I would recommend this series to be read before the movie comes out in March 2014.
May 28, 2014
I truly enjoyed reading this series. the characters were true to themselves clear to the end.
The first two books were a swift read. I was a little disappointed that the third book was a slower read, but it was worth making it to the end.
Several people that i know,and some other reviewers, remarked on the despairing ending. I feel it was only fitting for Tris to have such a fate. it wouldn't have matched with her true character otherwise. I will admit that it was very depressing. However, I'm glad the author was willing to write an ending that made me, as a reader, pause and reflect on its true meaning.
Sometimes the best endings are the ones you don't want.
The first two books were a swift read. I was a little disappointed that the third book was a slower read, but it was worth making it to the end.
Several people that i know,and some other reviewers, remarked on the despairing ending. I feel it was only fitting for Tris to have such a fate. it wouldn't have matched with her true character otherwise. I will admit that it was very depressing. However, I'm glad the author was willing to write an ending that made me, as a reader, pause and reflect on its true meaning.
Sometimes the best endings are the ones you don't want.
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