Series: Divergent (Page 1 of 2)

BOOK REVIEW – Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth

BOOK REVIEW – Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica RothDivergent (Divergent #1)
by Veronica Roth
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

*Re-read with my buddies Kristin (KC), Jennifer, Sarah, Maythavee, and Annie :)-my rating obviously stays 5 amazing stars*

It has been a long time since I have read a book where the romance takes a backseat to action and suspense and I have actually enjoyed it. It seems with these types of books that the author tends to write with a simplistic nature that, at first, is hard to get used to, but then ultimately becomes addicting and adds to the tone of the story. I found I was trying to immerse myself into the story on page one, but was having difficulty getting back into the simplistic writing style. But once I plunged head first into the story and embraced what was happening, I could not put Divergent down.

Tris is such a likeable female lead. She is hard and she gets gritty, but she ultimately loves. She doesn’t think so, but as the story progesses, we see her difficulties with the decision she chose and that crack in the armour that makes her human. She wanted to separate from a boring, selfless lifestyle where she was just another grey shirt that blended in, but never really belonged. But throughout her journey she shows guilt, anger, selflessness, betrayal-all the emotions possible-things she never thought she should be allowed to feel and things she never thought she’d feel again. Who can she trust? Who should she trust? All questions she must face daily if she wants to become initiated.

Four…ooohhh Four. I loved him! He was a great addition to the story and he was woven in perfectly. Not too much and not too little…just enough for me to flip through the pages (or in my case, SLIDE the pages)hastily. My next point-it has been such a long time since I have read every. single. page. without skimming. None. NO skimming. I skim even on my all-time favorite books, so this is quite a feat. Honestly.

This was a fun, gripping read that had me on the edge of my seat 90% of the time. I do wish some things had turned out differently, and I can’t say what-but in the end, I discovered everything I could ask for: suspense littered all throughout the pages, romance, betrayal, a few if-I-don’t-get-my-ass-outta-this-I-WILL-die moments, and a good family backstory. Yes, I loved her family. In other books like this I didn’t necessarily care what happened to the family. But in Divergent her family was solid and strong, and I found myself terribly addicted to what happens with her mother, brother, and father. So now I can’t wait to read Insurgent. I just hope it’s as good as the first.

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
divergent veronica roth
Divergent #1
Reviews:

Jen
Chelsea
insurgent veronica roth divergent
Insurgent #2
Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea
allegiant divergent veronica roth
Allegiant #3
Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea

Four: A Divergent Collection #0.1 - 0.4
*Four's Story*

BOOK REVIEW – Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth

BOOK REVIEW – Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica RothInsurgent (Divergent #2)
by Veronica Roth
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Re-read with my buddies Kristin (KC), Sarah, Jennifer, and Maythavee. So much fun guys! 🙂

Love as defined by Dictionary.com: a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.
Love as demonstrated by Tris and Tobias in Insurgent and Divergent: Two stubborn people who consistently participate in selfless acts that get them into horribly dangerous situations for the other person.

If that isn’t love, it’s just foolishness…but I’d like to think it’s a little of both. Tris and Tobias find themselves in the middle of a war for the factions-even those that would rather not be involved. They don’t know who to trust or what their next move should be, which leads to one thing: What’s the lesser of two evils? Trust one known wholly evil person, or a person who has just recently resurfaced and might have a hidden agenda. Who doesn’t in this faction divided world?

I really liked the story behind Insurgent. Anybody who chooses to read my reviews knows that I like a good romance sandwiched by suspense and peril. Both Divergent and Insurgent dove head first into my favorites pile for these exact reasons, and I am now left feeling a little ache in the pit of my soul where these books ended and left us to wait for the final installment in the trilogy. It seems this has been happening a lot lately-adding books to my “not yet released” shelf. It’s driving me crazy.

A lot has happened since initiation day when everything was still normal. There are even more characters involved and a lot more at stake. People from the past who were undoubtedly out to get them [T/T} aren’t as much of a threat anymore and may even be an unknown ally. We can’t be sure, what with all the deception and lies, but Tris is realizing things are black and white-you are either good or you are bad, you might help this time and not help the next, and no one is ever truly innocent in their intentions.

Overall, a truly fun read. While not as good as the first, I still became immersed in the story and couldn’t put it down. My heart was pounding in my chest and I was nervous as shit for each and every perilous situation. With one more book to go there is a lot that can still happen, but I can only hope for twenty times the action and quadruple the romance. I can’t wait to see what becomes of Tris and Tobias-hopefully a happy ever after.

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
divergent veronica roth
Divergent #1
Reviews:

Jen
Chelsea
insurgent veronica roth divergent
Insurgent #2
Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea
allegiant divergent veronica roth
Allegiant #3
Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea

Four: A Divergent Collection #0.1 - 0.4
*Four's Story*

BOOK REVIEW – Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth

BOOK REVIEW – Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica RothAllegiant (Divergent #3)
by Veronica Roth
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads


I know some things-I know that I’m not alone, that I have friends, that I’m in love. I know where I came from. I know that I don’t want to die, and for me, that’s something-more than I could have said a few weeks ago.

This is such an impossibly hard review to write, because I loved this series so very much. I have seen so many negative reviews pertaining to this particular installment, and while I understand the sadness, what I don’t get is the harshness with which people rated this story. Yes, things happened that can never be ‘undone’, but there is so much more to the story than the inevitable ending. Many different thoughts cross my mind when I think of Allegiant, but outcasting it based on one event has never been one of them.

Now she looks pale and small, but her eyes make me think of wide-open skies that I have never actually seen, only dreamed of.-Tobias
A piece of her hair falls into her eyes, and I am brushing it back before she even notices it. She covers my hand with her own, which is warm and strong, and the corners of her mouth curve into a smile.-Tobias

Told in dual POV, we get an insight into Tobias’s head that helped us to see his inner turmoil and strong feelings for Tris. Anyone who has read the novellas in Tobias’s POV knows that Veronica Roth can write for both the female and male POV with no problem. For those of you who haven’t, well, it was a surprise to me as well that Roth chose to make the final installment in alternating views. She welcomed those readers who hadn’t had a chance to be in his head into the inner workings of his mind, and overall I think people enjoyed it. Refreshing, well-written, confused, and meaningful, not a moment was wasted in Four’s head. Roth wrote an intricately woven web for Tris’s counterpart, and just like in Tris’s POV, the writing was vivid, imaginative, and flawless. Not many authors can do that, and that’s why I had to focus on this for a bit-I loved seeing what made Four’s soul so full of turmoil, and I loved seeing him work through it all-it added a much needed layer to the story that I never expected possible, transitioning from T-T seamlessly and without a single glitch-I enjoyed every second of each POV.

Above me, panes of glass reflect light in every direction. Somewhere up there is the chair I sat in while I was running the attack simulation, and a smear of Tris’s father’s blood on the wall. Somehwere up there, Tris’s voice pierced the simulation I was under, and I felt her hand on my chest, drawing me back to reality.-Tobias

Now for the hard part. It’s difficult to write about something so weighted. Slinging words around like ‘genetically damaged’ and ‘genetically pure’, I found myself detaching from the middle of the story because of such technical content. While essential to the story, I felt as if Roth could have toned it down a bit or not dragged these sequences out as long as she chose to.

The shaking moves down my arms and into my hands, and soon my entire body is shuddering, as if rejecting some kind of poison that I’ve swallowed, and the poison is knowledge, the knowledge of this place and its screens and all the lies I built my life on.-Tris

See, that’s the thing with this story-it was all about choices. Every. Single. Page. The choices we make separate us from those who are too weak to do so, from those who are too damaged to make the right or harder choice, the choice that will ultimately set a path for the rest of our lives. Heavy, right? Each chapter had the wheels turning in my head, constantly trying to figure out what the best choice was, who T/T should trust, what the best option for survial might be, and ultimately, what each character was willing to do to save an entire society, even at the cost of their own life-or whether they were willing to save it at all. These were the choices that would shape the rest of their lives, and I couldn’t put the book down. I just had to know what became of some of my favorite characters of all time.

I feel a pang in the middle of my chest. She’s right. Desperation can make a person do surprising things. We should both know.-Tobias

Now, I rated this four stars because of content. I have been anticipating Allegiant for months, extremely excited to finish out an unexpected series that came highly recommended by one of my better GR friends. And while I started this book with an optimistic outlook, DESPITE the negative reviews that have plagued GR and other book websites, I couldn’t change the fact that the middle of the story made me both angry and eager to skim. I have read some very sad and heavy books lately, but none like Allegiant. It crushed me with it’s intensity and swallowed me whole. I felt weighed down with the knowledge Roth was giving us, I even began bordering on depression. There is a complete bone deep certainty that comes with the choices I was speaking of earlier, and they kickstarted a swell of emotions inside of me, making me dizzy with the gravity of what was to come.

All the knots of tension inside me come apart at once. I feel just for a moment, like I am remade, like I am brand-new.-Tris

Overall, I did enjoy the story immensely. It was harsh, it was realistic, and I guess in a way I respect Roth for not feeding us complete fairytale bullshit. It doesn’t mean I enjoyed every aspect of the book, but I have complete and utter respect for it. I am at peace with the way the story ended, and I will not likely forget it soon. Maybe that was what Roth was going for-an unforgettable ending that will always be with us, whether we loved or hated it. Bittersweet and with a twinge of redemption, I found myself rooting for each and every character (aside from Nita-fuck her). Tris has grown so so much over the course of these three books and became one of my all time favorite female leads. She was rational and steady, even when Tobias wasn’t, and she kept her feet on solid ground even in the face of danger. I hate to say goodbye to these characters forever, but their story is complete, and I am happy (enough) with the conclusion and what is to come for all of our beloved fictional favorites.

“And,” I say, “I think you’re still the only person sharp enough to sharpen someone like me.”
“I am,” he says roughly.
And I kiss him.

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
divergent veronica roth
Divergent #1
Reviews:

Jen
Chelsea
insurgent veronica roth divergent
Insurgent #2
Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea
allegiant divergent veronica roth
Allegiant #3
Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea

Four: A Divergent Collection #0.1 - 0.4
*Four's Story*

BOOK REVIEW – Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth

BOOK REVIEW – Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica RothAllegiant (Divergent #3)
by Veronica Roth
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

What if your whole world was a lie? What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything? What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

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.

Review:

This book broke my heart into a million pieces. I have never sobbed so hard or for so long while reading a book. I guess that’s because I’ve never read a book that can be so true to life. In real life happy endings don’t always exist and life is not always fair. We see this every day in our lives yet we rarely see this in books. And truthfully, I did love this book. I loved this book all the way until the end. The end is NOT what I wanted and I was so upset that I wanted to rate this book a 1 star. BUT when I thought it through, I still loved Allegiant and I realized that the rating should be based on EVERY part of the book, not just the ending. And again I found myself lost in the action, I fell in love with the dialogue, there were so many characters that I loved and loved to hate and I was enraptured with how the story progressed. I was so lost in this book that I was ignorant to think the ending could be what really happens. Looking back, I can see that Allegiant flows perfectly with how the two previous books progressed and it sticks with the theme Veronica Roth has created and doesn’t deviate from it. That in itself I highly value. Ultimately, I will read whatever Veronica Roth writes in the future BUT I will go into the books being realistic and knowing that I may need a huge box of tissues.

Tris: I fell in love with him. But I don’t just stay with him by default as if there’s no one else available to me. I stay with him because I choose to, every day that I wake up, every day that we fight or lie to each other or disappoint each other. I choose him over and over again, and he chooses me.

This book starts off exactly where Insurgent left off. Tris and Christina are locked in a cell since Evelyn sees them as traitors and she and the factionless are now in charge of Chicago. Everyone, including Tris, is still reeling from Edith Prior’s revelation about what lies outside of the fence and that being Divergent is more important than they ever could have thought. When Tris and Christina are released as traitors they learn that there is a group, called the Allegiant, and they are allied with the original purpose of the city – sending people outside the city to help and living in factions. Upon hearing of this, Tris becomes resonate in her plans that she has to escape the city. She HAS to know what is out there. And again, from here I became completely absorbed in their world. Between the action, the knowledge we gain, how the relationships blossom and wither apart and the way the story progresses, Allegiant is addicting!

Tris: He is stronger than anyone I know, and warmer than anyone else realizes; he is a secret that I have kept, and will keep, for the rest of my life.

This time we get to alternate between being in Tris’ and Tobias’ head. I loved being able to listen in to both of their thoughts and see the situations from both of their points of view. I loved being able to see the logical process of why Tris wanted to do certain things and then how Tobias viewed what Tris did and how he reacted to it. It made me feel as though I knew them both inside and out and I felt that much closer to them. I finally understand what makes them tick and why they both do the things they do. Sometimes they can be neurotic but in the end their love for each other is beautiful.

Tobias: I feel like what I have become is halfway between my mother and father, violent and impulsive and desperate and afraid. I feel like I have lost control of what I have become.

I was so happy to see that Tris seems to have more of a grasp on who she is. Her compassion, her strength and her ability to analyze situations amazed me and even though she still struggled I felt as though she was confident with who she was and the choices she makes throughout the book. Tris is back to someone that I would want to stand behind in times of great unrest and danger. Tobias is a little bit different……since we get to see inside Tobias’ brain we finally get to see how much he struggles in this book. It reminds me of how Tris struggled in Insurgent. He is desperately trying not to become who is parents are and he is also struggling with trying to figure out what is really right and wrong. Even though I wanted to yell at him a few times he is still sexy as ever. His love and loyalty for Tris is a force to reckon with and I think that’s what makes me love him the most.

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.
That is the sort of bravery I must have now.

I LOVED the huge revelation of what was outside the city. I was so excited to find out that it went along with what I thought from the beginning when Tris sees that the gates on the city’s fence lock from the outside and not the inside. Overall, I love this series. Did I wish it ended differently….uhh yeah! But in the real world and Divergent you don’t always get what you want. And sometimes that can be ok and other times you just have to the make the best of things and think of all of the wonderful moments you got to experience while going through this journey.

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
divergent veronica roth
Divergent #1
Reviews:

Jen
Chelsea
insurgent veronica roth divergent
Insurgent #2
Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea
allegiant divergent veronica roth
Allegiant #3
Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea

Four: A Divergent Collection #0.1 - 0.4
*Four's Story*

BOOK REVIEW – Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth

BOOK REVIEW – Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica RothInsurgent (Divergent #2)
by Veronica Roth
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful.

Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

Review:

This book was potent, but in an exceptional way. I got to run through the gamut of emotions again, I laughed, I cried and I got the ever loving crap scared out of me time and time again. I swear Veronica Roth made my heart stop a few times! And the ending? I am shocked, and I have no clue where in the world this series is going to go from here! I love being overwhelmed in a good way – so much action, tension, old faces, and an overabundance of emotions still had me asking for more in the end. And all of these things thrown together make a highly addictive book that is impossible to put down.

Both of us watch the purification happen, and I wonder if he is thinking what I am; that it would be nice if life worked this way, stripping the dirt from our lives and sending us out into the world clean. But some dirt is destined to linger.

The book starts off exactly where Divergent ended; with Tris, Tobias, Marcus, Peter and Caleb riding the train to seek refuge and regroup at Amity. From there I can’t say much more other than Marcus dangles something in front of Tris which could force her to lose Tobias forever, Tris finds out who her true friends are and who leaves her up a creek without a paddle (I was definitely shocked on both fronts!), and we get to see inside Amity, Candor and Eurodite which only helps us become more intertwined and engrossed in Tris’ world.

He still believes that I am strong. Strong enough that I don’t need his sympathy. I used to think he was right, but now I am not sure.

Tris was so strong in the first book but now she is drowning in her sorrows. From losing her mother, father and being forced to kill Will she is PAST her breaking point. She feels so weak. It doesn’t help that she doesn’t tell Tobias that she killed Will. That secret is slowly tearing them apart from one another and it has become a poison in her system that is slowly eating her away. While their whole world is crumbling around them I was broken hearted to see that instead of finding strength in one another they started to crumble also. But in those times of desperation I kept hoping that eventually she would shove the weak Tris down into the ground and stand up and be the selfless, brave, smart girl we all fell in love with in Divergent.

“Nothing else is all right.” His whisper tickles my cheek. “But we are.”

Tobias isn’t this mysterious man anymore. We know his faults, weakness and we come to learn the full extent of what love means to Tobias. His love for Tris is absolutely beautiful. And one of the hardest things to watch was what Tobias WOULD do and WOULDN’T do out of love for Tris. Both are heart-wrenching and cry inducing but in the end you love Tobias more for it. Even though this book was so heavy for me I loved that in the beginning we get to see a completely different side of Tobias. He banters a lot with Tris and oh my goodness that was smile inducing. They are hilarious and I’m thankful the book started off on such a light foot. There is a scene where Tris is a little “out of it” and the conversation she has with Tobias is most definitely giggle worthy.View Spoiler »

I can’t tell him I need him. I can’t need him, period – or really, we can’t need each other, because who knows how long either of us will last in this war.

The only fault I can find in Veronica Roth’s books is that she has this unnerving knack for being able to kill anyone off. It is disturbing and absolutely frightening because none of your favorites are safe. I understand that their world isn’t safe, well unless you go hang out with the ever so cheerful Amity but what would be the fun in that? Anyways, that is my only gripe and I am absolutely terrified of who will be on her radar to kill in the third book!

Reading Order & Links:
Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
divergent veronica roth
Divergent #1
Reviews:

Jen
Chelsea
insurgent veronica roth divergent
Insurgent #2
Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea
allegiant divergent veronica roth
Allegiant #3
Reviews:
Jen
Chelsea

Four: A Divergent Collection #0.1 - 0.4
*Four's Story*

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