If you like Hunger Games, you'll like Divergent!

I'll start out saying I was a fan of this book.  While the general concept of the book reminds me a good bit of the Hunger Games idea, Veronica Roth has taken enough of her own twist that the storyline keeps you engaged to read to the end.

In this particular dystopian novel, rather than the futuristic government setup of having "districts", Divergent's idea of government are divided into these "factions."  By the end of the book, I'm annoyed by the word "faction", but just temporarily get over it cuz they talk about it CONSTANTLY.

At a certain age, children must choose their "destiny" and basically go through a faction try out training.  Each faction: Amity, Erudite, Abnegation & Dauntless, all embrace different characteristics that define your being.

The main character, Tris (Beatrice), decides to go wayward from the faction in which she was raised since she never fully felt like she belonged in her family born faction.  When leaving your faction and attempting to join another you have to go through an initiation and training.  Once you abandon your faction, you can never go back, and only a certain number of initiates are accepted into their "chosen" faction.  So there is tension and suspense with this aspect of continually wondering who will get the boot and become what they call "factionless"...which is basically just a pathetic version of a really homeless outcast.

The idea of these factions are a little robotic for me.  Could you imagine living in a district or a city surrounded by people with your personality traits?  I guess for some traits this might not be an issue, but for strong willed, independent individuals this sounds nighmare-ish!  And this seems to also lead to where the mystery of "DIVERGENT" develops.  The book never really defines Divergent because Veronica wants us to all read her second book.  But she implies that a Divergent is somehow a faction rebel.  These divergent are kind of referenced like a Voldemort or "Those We Don't Speak of" from The Village.  They're probably going to break down this whole stinkin "faction" thing and recreate world peace :)

I think the Divergent are really level headed, smart peeps who get that this faction crap is bull...(there is this weird hair or something stuck in my letter "s"or "w" key on my keyboard...I can't see it, but I feel it and it's driving me nutsoid!).  The story ends abruptly kinda like a "walking into the horizon" type finish...leaves you wondering: where're they going? what's going to happen next? are they divergent now? what the stink is divergent?!!!

This book wasn't as bloody as The Hunger Games, but the love story twist in it was appropriately enough.  I get pissed in books where the girl pulls two guys along on a string or can't make up her mind and causes all this drama that's not even relevant nor does it enhance the story...KATNISS!!!  There's a little side love fest going on in Divergent and it's just enough that it's not distracting from the story, if it goes somewhere great....if it doesn't who cares!  So I liked that angle.  The book also has a little Matrix-y kinda feel to it with the simulation stuff and whatnot.

Still boggles my mind that Hunger Games is a Young Adult fiction book series and 9 year olds were reading it.  I think I'd class Divergent as a more appropriate Young Adult read for those parents of 9 year olds that feel bad for not letting your kid read Hunger Games...let them read this book.  (FOUND THE HAIR! Blasted thing was stuck in the letter "a" key! MUCH BETTER!!!)

Anyways, download the Kindle Book.  It's like $6.  Worth $6 for sure.  HEY! And how was THIS for a Lisa Book Review...I don't think I spoiled, right?  Tell me if I did...I'm trying to better about that. Some of my reads lately just get me so riled up that I have spoil to get my vent on...hehe!