Divergent by Veronica Roth...(what Glass thought about it)

Don't you just love this cover?

Book summary:

   In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
   During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her.

      I've been a bad little reader. A bad, bad reader!

     It seems that everyone I know read Divergent before me. Any respectable bookworm over twenty years wouldn't allow to be labeled as one-who-doesn't-follow-hyped-releases. Well, did I tell that  I was a really bad reader lately?

     My fellow partner in blogging crime, Tanychy, posted her review of this novel last month. She was mesmerized by the dystopian storyline and strong characters. But I wouldn't be me if I don't do or say something "blasphemic"...

     It took me a while to get into the story. It was fun to read, don't get me wrong, but somehow I didn't find a whole fictional dystopian society much believable. Am I the only one who still don't get the point of factions? I know - Veronica Roth explained that society had found new order of things to prevent conflict and war - I didn't buy it. There must be something more. I hope she'll develop this aspect of the story in next two books. I should probably blame The Hunger Games for this - it's going to be hard task to find another dystopian novel that will keep up expectations this book set up for me.

     Everything else was perfect. As the matter of fact, so perfect that I was able to overlook everything else above and give Divergent five star rating.  What I liked the most? Characters. Tris and Four are girl and boy with positive and negative sides like any normal human beings - that's what makes them so real. Tris isn't a "wallflower" waiting for someone to save her from "big bad wolf". She is selfish, selfabsorbed and temperamental. Tobias doesn't treat her as something breakable. He isn't represented as Edward-arian hero - Four is moody boy with big case of cocky attitude and no filter between his brain and mouth when it comes to Tris. Other thing I liked? Tattoos. They have nice background story.

     All you girls out there, consider yourselves warned! Tanychy has already put Four in her bookish boyfriends harem (if you don't know what harem means, see it here). And that girl doesn't like to share!

    Make sure to stop by tomorrow - Tanychy will reveal you if she thinks this series is worth reading 'till the end. Yes, we are talking about Insurgent - second instalment of Divergent series was published on May 1st.

Until next time,