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Divergent / Insurgent / Allegiant - Veronica Roth


Michelle

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I'm surprised we don't have an existing thread about these books! I came across Divergent when browsing Audible - I hadn't heard about it, but it sounded interesting. I've since become caught up in the whole trilogy, and am looking forward to the film.


 

 

Divergent

 

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. 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.

 

 

Insurgent

 

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.

The 3rd book, Allegiant, has just been published, and I can already see a mix of ratings on amazon. I guess that's to be expected with a loved series, some are always going to be disappointed if the end doesn't match what they expect, whilst others will love it whatever happens. 

 

Please use this thread to discuss all three books, but please use spoiler tags for the important bits. 

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Quite a few of my "book reading" friends have been telling me to read this for a long time. I haven't quite gotten around to it, but I am really excited to read it. 

 

I hear it is somewhat like the hunger games, but without a love triangle and all that sappy stuff. 

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I loved Divergent (5/5), really enjoyed Insurgent (4/5) but not so keen on Allegiant, I did give it 4/5 but thinking about it now I may well change it to a 3/5, such a shame as I was soooo looking forward to it. My son (14) is now reading it then my 12 year old daughter will.

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Do NOT read these spoilers if you're yet to read Allegiant - but I think it's important that those who have can discuss how they feel. I've already spoken to chaliepud about this, as we seem to be the two main readers on here, and these are my thoughts:

 

 

To me, there was too much going on in the book - it's one thing to go and find out what was going on in the outside world, but it didn't feel necessary to get caught up in a whole new revolution. There also seemed to be an overuse of the idea of serums - it's too easy to rewrite memories and the death serum seemed a bit over the top.

I'm all for dark endings, but if she wanted to go that way, I would have preferred one or even both of them to be affected by the memory serum.. the part where Tobias almost chose to take it was more emotional for me than Tris dying.

To be honest, her death didn't affect me when it happened, because I expected her to survive. And once she was gone, I felt cheated - it was her story, not Tobias's.
 

Sigh.. I still enjoyed it, because I love the world and the characters, but there was a lot to disappoint.

 

 

In the following, Veronica Roth talks about the ending, and I have a lot of respect for how she feels: http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/about-end-of-allegiant-spoilers.html

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

I just heard about these books- I guess the 3rd one sold out in record time?  I did see the trailer before Catching Fire, but it didn't look... well, it looked like a more futuristic version of the Hunger Games!  Please tell me no!  I really want a good trilogy right now.  Anyway, I was reading an article yesterday about the movie coming out and it said the author is only 24!  Just downloaded the sample for the first book and might start it after Hild.  I'm 75% finished now.

Edited by Anna Begins
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I just watched the trailer and have to say it looks very intruiging. I prefer not to start a series before the last book is out, and it looks like the smaller paperback release won't come out until october 2014. The story sounds so good though, I might have to start the series sooner..

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  • 5 weeks later...

I have finally gotten my hands on Insurgent, and I'm really enjoying it so far.  It had been so long since I read Divergent that I had to go back and skim it.  The wait is trouble with trilogies for us impatient readers. Good thing I already have Allegiant waiting in the wings.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I really loved Divergent, but as the series went on it became more predictable and the ending was just....interesting. It seemed rushed in the last book to finish the series. 

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I really loved Divergent, but as the series went on it became more predictable and the ending was just....interesting. It seemed rushed in the last book to finish the series. 

I thought it was a bit rushed too, but really, how much more of that would have been interesting.  One of the things I liked about this book is its brevity and... easiness of it all (for lack of a better word) 

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I thought it was a bit rushed too, but really, how much more of that would have been interesting.  One of the things I liked about this book is its brevity and... easiness of it all (for lack of a better word) 

 I agree. I'm not sure if there was a better way to finish out the series. I think they could have ended the series in book two, though. Book three was a lot different than the other two and seemed unnecessary. Things could have been added and taken away from Insurgent to make it work. But for some reason the trilogy is popular right now. 

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 I agree. I'm not sure if there was a better way to finish out the series. I think they could have ended the series in book two, though. Book three was a lot different than the other two and seemed unnecessary. Things could have been added and taken away from Insurgent to make it work. But for some reason the trilogy is popular right now. 

Well, the movie is coming out, so there is a resurgence there with the trilogy.  It looks really good and it is made by the  same production company as Hunger Games. 

 

I agree with your point she could've ended it in book two, but I did like Allegiant, even if it had some gaps and was a bit scattered.  I liked the controversial point of view too.  I hope I'm not giving too much away, I found a light spoiler about the book I'm reading now on the forum and it's kinda ruined it for me!

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Well, the movie is coming out, so there is a resurgence there with the trilogy.  It looks really good and it is made by the  same production company as Hunger Games. 

 

I agree with your point she could've ended it in book two, but I did like Allegiant, even if it had some gaps and was a bit scattered.  I liked the controversial point of view too.  I hope I'm not giving too much away, I found a light spoiler about the book I'm reading now on the forum and it's kinda ruined it for me!

I agree about the point of view. I liked that switch for the last book. I am interested in reading the Four short story series because they are all in his point of view. 

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I agree about the point of view. I liked that switch for the last book. I am interested in reading the Four short story series because they are all in his point of view. 

Ya I'm interested in that too.  I'm a little conflicted and on the fence about it though- I just read the triolgy at Christmas, so I am actually still going through them in my head!  I really got into them.  The Four short stories are REALLY short- I might give them a go next, in time for the movie on March 21st :P

Edited by Anna Begins
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Ya I'm interested in that too.  I'm a little conflicted and on the fence about it though- I just read the triolgy at Christmas, so I am actually still going through them in my head!  I really got into them.  The Four short stories are REALLY short- I might give them a go next, in time for the movie on March 21st :P

They're short? I thought I read on her blog that she released them later than expected because they were longer than she expected them to be. Maybe I read it wrong...

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They're short? I thought I read on her blog that she released them later than expected because they were longer than she expected them to be. Maybe I read it wrong...

Or maybe I'm looking at them wrong :P Looking at Amazon... isn't the first one called The Transfer?

Edited by Anna Begins
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Or maybe I'm looking at them wrong :P Looking at Amazon... isn't the first one called The Transfer?

Yes, I believe so. What it said on her blog as they came out was that originally she thought they would be short, but they turned out to be longer than she expected. So they are coming out all together. Or maybe I have it backwards. I have no clue.  :blush2:  :giggle2:

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Yes, I believe so. What it said on her blog as they came out was that originally she thought they would be short, but they turned out to be longer than she expected. So they are coming out all together. Or maybe I have it backwards. I have no clue.  :blush2:  :giggle2:

That makes sense because on Kindle, there are like 4 of them that look like they all came out at once but they are only like 80 pages each.  So maybe she thought a nearly 400pg book all written from Four's (I have his real name) perspective would be too much?

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That makes sense because on Kindle, there are like 4 of them that look like they all came out at once but they are only like 80 pages each.  So maybe she thought a nearly 400pg book all written from Four's (I have his real name) perspective would be too much?

Something like that. Or the first one came out and she decided that the next three combined with the first would create another whole book. I think a physical book with all four short stories is coming out...Not 100% on that though. 

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Something like that. Or the first one came out and she decided that the next three combined with the first would create another whole book. I think a physical book with all four short stories is coming out...Not 100% on that though. 

That would be great, as they are all $1.99 each, a bit more than I'd like to pay for a 80 page short story.  The sample will come in handy.  Edited- it looks like the first one is out, then two and three will be out in July and four is slated for October

Edited by Anna Begins
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