Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Copyright: 2011
ISBN: 9780062024022
Reading Level: Grades 7-12
Genre: Dystopian--action
Reader’s Annotation: Yet another seemingly unremarkable girl learns that she represents an existential threat to her dystopian society, kindles obligatory tepid romance with sensitive hot guy.
Review
Utilitarian writing without the bare-bones urgency of the Hunger Games trilogy. Suspension of disbelief comes with the territory, but the conceit of this particular dystopian society really strains it. Could anyone honestly believe that all humans have one and only one defining personality trait (from among the four the author has chosen, seemingly at random)? There are some memorable elements--for example, the "Dauntless" group that heroine Tris joins gets around by hopping on and off moving el trains in a ravaged post-apocalyptic Chicago. But the book doesn't come close to living up to the hype, and its runaway popularity is unfathomable to me. However, I find that I still want to see the movie, mostly because it is a movie with a female protagonist, and there aren't a lot of those to choose from these days.
Challenge Issues: Teens beating each other up, attempted rape (in virtual reality)
Author: Veronica Roth
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Copyright: 2011
ISBN: 9780062024022
Reading Level: Grades 7-12
Genre: Dystopian--action
Reader’s Annotation: Yet another seemingly unremarkable girl learns that she represents an existential threat to her dystopian society, kindles obligatory tepid romance with sensitive hot guy.
Review
Utilitarian writing without the bare-bones urgency of the Hunger Games trilogy. Suspension of disbelief comes with the territory, but the conceit of this particular dystopian society really strains it. Could anyone honestly believe that all humans have one and only one defining personality trait (from among the four the author has chosen, seemingly at random)? There are some memorable elements--for example, the "Dauntless" group that heroine Tris joins gets around by hopping on and off moving el trains in a ravaged post-apocalyptic Chicago. But the book doesn't come close to living up to the hype, and its runaway popularity is unfathomable to me. However, I find that I still want to see the movie, mostly because it is a movie with a female protagonist, and there aren't a lot of those to choose from these days.
Challenge Issues: Teens beating each other up, attempted rape (in virtual reality)