Sunday, August 3, 2014

Divergent, by Veronica Roth




Synopsis
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—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating 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 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.


     I can´t find a better way to start this review but admitting: This is the second best book I´ve read in my life. Divergent has played a big role on changing my point of view about how to control myself and how I should analyse the world we live in. It was such a great experience to read it. It isn´t just a surprisingly teenager adventure - it goes further than that - it´s about making choices and understanding others. 

      Beatrice lives in a society which is divided into five factions, each connected to a different value - Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). When kids turn sixteen, they´re supposed to take an aptitude test and choose a faction to belong in. Beatrice is naturally from Abnegation, but she isn´t satisfied with the life she has got - the rules she has to follow hide who she really is. And she will make a choice that has the power to change her world - and mainly to change her perspective about herself.
     The consequences for the choice she made are tough - Beatrice, now called Tris, needs to go through a competitive and brutal initiation to her faction. She´ll find out about what her biggest fears are and learn how to deal with them. Besides these obstacles, she finds herself drawn to a boy who seems to both threaten and protect her.
     This thrilling story is set in a futurist  post-apocalypt version of Chicago and takes the reader to an exploration of a clearly controlled society. The system of factions was created in order to prevent humanity from another war. Each individual works to the faction they belong in, and the factions work together as a strategy to survive. The book settles a great contrast to the deep human being wills - it is often called status quo - wealthy, prestige and power. And these three are combined in Divergent, showing how, even in a post-apocalypt world, societies cannot find piece. Someone has to be in power, and the Abnegation faction, known for its selflessness has always occupied the government positions - until the human instinct and attraction for power calls louder.
     Tris´s choices need to take into account the fragile world she is living in, besides her family and friends. It isn´t about selflessness anymore. It´s about being brave. Or maybe the two are strictly connected.
     There are many reasons this is a great formulated book. One of them is that I could take a lot from it - I got to learn how to deal with my fears and how I should face them. I feel braver after this reading. And that´s what attracts me to a book: not just its power to entertain me, but to make me reflect about my life and the directions it is turning to, and to deeply learn. Learning gets to knowledge, and knowledge is a power no one can take away from me.

Quotes: "Decades ago, our ancestors realized that it is not political ideology, religious belief, race, or nationalism that is to blame for a warring world. Rather, they determined that it was the fault of human personality - of humankind´s inclination toward evil, in whatever form that is. They divided into factions that sought to eradicate those qualities they believed responsible for the world´s disarray."

"In our factions, we find meaning, we find purpose, we find love."
"My father says that those who want power and get it live in terror of losing it. That´s why we have to give power to those who do not want it."
"Intentios are the only thing they care about. They try to make you think they care about what you do, but they don´t. They don´t want you to act a certain way. They want you to think a certain way. So you´re easy to understand. So you won´t pose a threat to them."



Depression after reading: 100%
Final Rating: 100%

1 comment:

  1. Olá, Stéfane
    Tudo bem?
    Adoro esse livro, sério, sou suspeita pra falar.. Também amei a resenha, super detalhada e muito bem escrita! Vi que gostou mesmo né? Adorei
    Beijos*-*
    Território das Garotas

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