Divergent (book log notes)
Author: Veronica Roth
Dates of reading: 27.03.-29.03.2024
Year published: 2011
Genre: YA, Dystopia, Romance
Page count: 487
Rating: 2/5
How I felt while reading: Confused by the worldbuilding, but in a fun way where I just kept laughing at certain parts. (Also see General Notes for live reactions)
How I felt after reading: Sort of intrigued by the Cliffhanger but decided not to keep reading the series. (Also see General Notes for live reactions)
Goodreads summary: In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, 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 alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are — and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating 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 unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.
First sentence: There is one mirror in my house. It is behind a sliding panel in the hallway upstairs. Our faction allows me to stand in front of it on the second day of every third month, the day my mother cuts my hair.
Last sentence: “I am no longer Tris the selfless or Tris the brave. I suppose that now I must become more than either.”
Favourite quote(s):
“I think my mother could have been beautiful in another world.” (ok- backhanded much?)
“To live factionless is not just to live in poverty and discomfort. It is to live divorced from society. Separated from the most important thing in life. Community. […] Without a faction we have no purpose and no reason to live.”
“You display equal aptitude for abnegation, dauntless and erudate. People who get this kind of result are called… divergent.”
“Don’t you have pretty eyes. Too bad the rest of you is so plain.” (WHAT THE HELL)
“‘Every man has the right to choose his own way in this world.’ ‘Or… one of five predetermined ways.’”
“They divided into factions that sought to eradicate those qualities they believed responsible for the worlds disarray […]. Those who blamed digression formed Amity. Those who blamed ignorance became the erudite. Those who blamed duplicity, created Candour. Those who blamed selfishness made Abnegation. And those who blamed cowardice made the Dauntless.”
“Human reason can excuse any evil.”
“I want to hurt them. I want to so I will.” (Omg, I was not actually expecting her to be so brutal- Molly and the others kiiiinda had it coming though ngl; the towel scene was so creepy and gross).
“If Eric thinks I did something right, I must have done it wrong.”
“Have a piece of cake for me, alright? The chocolate. It’s delicious.”
“‘I think it’s important to protect people. To stand up for people. […] That’s what the Dauntless are supposed to do, right? That’s what courage is. Not hurting people for no reason.’ ‘I remember what Four told me. That teamwork used to be a Dauntless priority.’”
“Are you trying to manipulate us? […] By acting weak so we pity you? And then acting tough to psyche us out?” (It is kind of funny how quick the switch is)
“It isn’t right to wish harm on other people just because they hurt you first.” (Ok? Didn’t hear you saying that as you were beating up Molly. Make up your mind xD)
“It is more important to be safe than right for the time being.” (THATS ALWAYS IMPORTANT)
“‘Peter would probably throw a part if I stopped breathing.’ ‘Well, I would inly go if there was cake.’”
“That is what death is. Shifting from is to was.”
“My first instinct is to push you until you break, just to see how far I have to press.” WHAT THE SHIT THATS SUPPOSED TO BE HER LOVE INTEREST?!
“I think I want to put Peter’s hand in a bowl of warm water to make him pee tonight.” Interesting
“Fear of confinement.” What a convenient way to get Tris and Four trapped in a small space! (You know what, I respect that they show Four not enjoying it because of claustrophobia)
“‘But you’re older than I am.’ ‘Yes, that whopping two year gap truly is insurmountable.’” (Ok, touché, but there’s still a feeling of power imbalance. It’s not the most problematic thing I’ve seen though (EXCEPT FOR THAT TIME HE SAID HE WANTS TO PUSH HER UNTIL SHE BREAKS))
“The first time I felt powerful in the Dauntless compound was when I was holding a gun.” (Oh noo) “I feel the same rush of power.” (Nooo, nooo, I don’t like that)
“‘We’ve all started to put down the virtues of the other factions in the process of bolstering our own. I don’t want to do that. I want to be brave and selfless and and kind and honest.’”
“I’m factionless now.” LOOK AROUND YOU. EVERYONE IS AT WAR I DONT THINK THE FACTIONS ARE REALLY SOMETHING YOU SHOULD WANT TO BE PART OF RIGHT NOW
Setting: Chicago, Illinois (United States)
Main characters: Albert, Drew Leighton, Eric, Beatrice/Tris Prior, Peter, Caleb Prior, Natalie Prior, Molly Atwood, Christina, Jeanine Matthews, Marcus Eaton, Tobias/Four Eaton
Favourite character: Tris’s mum? Maybe?
Favourite scene: None of them?
General notes/thoughts: (notes I took while listening to the audiobook completely out of context)
The first scene is very reminiscent of Hunger Games: preparing for some big, serious event for “the faction” where the protagonist has to make herself presentable + “choosing ceremony
Interestingly, every dystopian novel I’ve read has people sorted in some way (into districts, into bubbles, into factions, …). Making it so that people can’t really contact the outside world, outside of whatever they were sorted into. (I think I might be wrong, but then I don’t understand why the decision is such a big deal, why would it mean her being split off from the family if the factions share a space?)
Why does the protagonist want to leave her family? D:
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The test is interesting!
I’m curious as to why Divergence is seen as dangerous. Too many girlbosses?
:0000 the brother transferred to erudite
OK I’M SORRY BUT IT SEEMS LIKE DAUNTLESS IS THE ONLY FACTION WITH LUFETHREATENING TESTS- MAYBE DON'T PICK DAUNTLESS??
Interesting that Beatrice chooses to change her name to Tris. I feel like there must be more to why she and her brother left her family? (Never mind, I get it, it’s because they were never allowed to self-indulge/enjoy themselves)
I seriously don’t get the worldbuilding- so, different factions share a school since they are said to have shared classes- and yet there are dauntless who already know the Dauntless school, even though they seem to be in the same grade- and even though if seems like once you leave the faction, you are cut off from your old faction, they still have shared spaces and are allowed to go outside?? And even though they share a school, somehow Tris doesn’t seem to be aware of the behaviour of other factions (like kissing in public)??
So, the scene where Christina has to hang from the railing: 1. Damnnn, so strong but 2. Why didn’t she try to use her legs to help hold her up??
Also, if anyone can choose any faction during the choosing and everyone has to go through the tests, what difference does being Divergent make? It’s not like only people who are “diagnosed” with the respective aptitude to pass the tests to join the faction, otherwise there wouldn’t be a choice.
I am seriously not appreciating Tris’s judginess towards Al’s sensitivity >:0 just cause he looks strong does NOT mean he’s not allowed to be weak
I think the factions may be a metaphor for fitting in/belonging to a community? And then maybe Divergence is like the feeling that you don’t really belong anywhere/only one community? Seriously though, right now, I feel like Divergence has absolutely no impact on the plot 😂
I was surprised when I realised Four is a love interest 💀 I assumed the age difference and/or power imbalance would be too big
I think it’s hilarious that Tris notices her muscles as if they appeared out of nowhere
I feel like the factions are such a problematic idea because usually people (not just Divergents) show multiple traits. Like, selfless acts can be brave and being honest can mean being selfish. But maybe that’s the whole point. ALSO how on earth would the abnegation community work?? Someone has to be selfish, otherwise everyone would be giving to no one. I’m surprised that not more people are diagnosed as Divergent.
OH Is Four the son of Tris’s Dad’s colleague?
OH OH Tris’s mum used to be a Dauntless FOR SURE
Who are even the leaders of the factions?? Who keeps them separated? Why? Obviously there’s still hostility between them, so it’s not creating peace
The writing is a bit weak sometimes
Tris’s clothes suddenly not fitting after a shower because of her muscles
Lots of actions being ambiguous as to what faction they fit (like, they say that Tris’s idea of climbing up the Ferris wheel was Erudite, but isn’t it also Dauntless?)
And, for example, Tris being like “[I’m not ok with Al saying I can’t help him. I want to. But I’m powerless to.]” ok, so you are agreeing with him then
And I really don’t get the worldbuilding in regards to how the factions are separated. They act like there’s no contact between them and yet they share a school before initiation, so there’s obviously contact.
And more people should be Divergent. The characters themselves keep pointing out how the transfer students show traits of multiple factions.
WHAT THE HELL, AL, WHY ARE YOU HELPING PETER
I feel like Tris can’t decide if she loves or hates her home/Abnegation
I KNEW IT I KNEW FOUR WAS MARKUS’S SON
Maybe the factions are a metaphor for how 16-year-olds are chosen to prove a career path FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE- AT 16. Yeah, you can change career paths, but it’s not encouraged, and there’s so much pressure
Tris is so judgy sometimes, especially towards the erudite
TRIS YOUR BROTHER IS JUSTIFIABLY WORRIED ABOUT YOU. YOU SAY NOTHING HAPPEN AS YOU HAVE NOT MEAN PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY PUSHED TO YOUR LIMITS AND ALMOST KILLED
Tris can’t decide if she’s selfish or selfless
I respect that even though Al had a crush on Tris, there isn’t a love triangle. Tris only likes Four and I like it that way.
Dude, is Tris stupid?? She knows that her manipulating the simulations is what made Four realise she’s Divergent. She knows her initiation test is being watched. Why would she try to manipulate her simulations again?? She’s going to give herself away. Also?? Before, we were told that facing your fears is like swimming down when scared of drowning. But Tris isn’t facing her fears by doing whatever she’s scared of. She’s just combatting the fear by making it go away (like making it rain when on fire- shouldn’t she be letting herself burn to face the fear?) It doesn’t make sense that her facing her fear to kill her family means letting herself die?! Shouldn’t facing that fear mean killing her family? She’s just avoiding her fears.
Nah, cause her having to face the fear of affection from Four in front of the testers is so embarrassing 😭
NOOO DONT KISS FOUR IN PUBLIC GOD THATS SO EMBARRASSING XD
Oh god, everyone being controlled in their sleep is so scary-
Nah, cause how does being divergent stop the high-tech injection from controlling you? They keep talking about divergence like it’s some sort of magical superpower, but it just means they have multiple strengths at the same level XD that level could be hella weak/you could be equally bad at all virtues, and still be divergent
Oh my god, the image of them starting a war with mind controlled soldiers forced to kill is horrifying
This book hates intellectuals
OMG MUM TO THE RESCUE
So, basically Divergent people are harder to manipulate? Idk, the description of Divergent people just makes it sound like everyone who isn’t divergent is 1-dimensional
I can’t believe they killed the mum right after making her interesting
OH MY GOD YOU KILLED WILL- WHY DIDNT YOU AIM FOR HIS LEG- IT WAS NOT HIM OR YOU- I CANT BELIEVE SHOT ERIC IN THE FOOT BUT WILL IN THE HEAD
“I’m factionless now.” LOOK AROUND YOU. EVERYONE IS AT WAR I DON'T THINK THE FACTIONS ARE REALLY SOMETHING YOU SHOULD WANT TO BE PART OF RIGHT NOW
Oh my god, Tris, can you STOP bashing Al’s suicide. You don’t have to compare it to how your mother died. Literally who cares if it was brave or not.
Babe, obviously you said “them” instead of us. It’s not because of how you identify. It’s because you’re not being mind-controlled. So the people being controlled are “them”
Honestly, I don’t mind the story too much. I can imagine finishing the series and not hating it. But I’m not invested enough. I don’t have a favourite character to root for and the concept just feels like something I’ve seen before in each Dystopia, where there are separated societies and corruption and jealous love interests and competition leading to torture + abuse framed as normal and genocide and a badass and yet innocent protagonist who challenges the government.
Maybe I’m biased because of Divergent’s reputation.
I’ll probably watch the movies out of curiosity.
