Divergent

By: Veronica Roth

Narrated by: Emma Galvin

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.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series - dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

©2011 Veronica Roth (P)2011 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"Though Galvin’s narration is concentrated on giving Tris the perfect voice, she never neglects the secondary characters. Poignant moments with Tris’s mother and Four, her leader and love, are subtly nuanced to let listeners hear the terror Tris often hides.... listeners will hold their breath waiting to see if she can survive the day." ( AudioFile)

Another Dystopian YA Entry

The world is divided into personality-type factions and at age 16, Triss must choose to stay in her family's sector, or venture on her own path. Action-centered drama unfolds with teen love story and fight to save the world. Not as good as the Hunger Games, but better than "Matched," by Condie.

Narrator, Emma Galvin is fantastic. Sounds 16, has confident, strong voice and nice inflection with changing tone.

In Comparison with other Dystopian YA Novels:
Hunger Games: A
Divergent: B- (action)
Matched: C- (girly)
The Giver: D (creepy)

Better than The Hunger Games

You MUST listen to this book. It is better than the Hunger Games Series! Despite listening to 50+ books a year I rarely write reviews but if you're 13, 30 or 300 you should listen to this book!

Awesome Book!

What made the experience of listening to Divergent the most enjoyable?

The main character, Tris, is the type of young girl all girls want to be like! In her mind, her thoughts are humorous and outspoken, and very expressive. I loved the character Four, and the different factions are very interesting.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The story hints at a futuristic time, but it does not let technical details overwhelm the story. Most of the book is very simple, and you want to be a part of it! Some parts made me laugh, some actually made me cry.

I really enjoy this book

I really enjoyed listening to this book. I liked how it ended; leaving me wanted more and anticipating the next book in this trilogy. The book left me questioning myself that if I lived in a Dystopia society what fraction would I belong in. Since the Hunger games this genre of books have really become my favorite. I loved the narrator voice; she did a great job with the characters.

Great dystopia with characters you'll care about.

Would you consider the audio edition of Divergent to be better than the print version?

The reader made me care more about the characters.

What did you like best about this story?

The world she created was really interesting. I felt like she fleshed out the dystopia pretty well but left plenty of questions that makes you want to read more of the books. The synopsis doesn't really explain well what the book is about. She decides which path she'll take early in the book. The rest is about her initiation into her chosen path. The book makes you feel empowered to change your destiny and challenge yourself. So the two best things about the book are the deep insight into people's behavior and also the world she created.

What about Emma Galvin’s performance did you like?

She had great intonation and her voice for the main character made her seem young but also brave. Like a kinda scrapy but deep-down insecure teenager.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Having to kill one of her friends and losing family members. It was heartbreaking.

Any additional comments?

This book is definitely one of my favorite YA books I've read. There is a fair amount of violence so I'd say 16+. I definitely want to support new young authors like Roth.

Been here before

Would you try another book from Veronica Roth and/or Emma Galvin?

Might possibly - narrator was good, story was well-worn

What could Veronica Roth have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

More original material - there are so many alternate world, teen hero, save the world offerings, but they all seem similar.

Have you listened to any of Emma Galvin’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but she did a pretty good job

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Probably not - be good for the YA's and/or the sci-fi yuppies????

Any additional comments?

Good try, but no cigar

Highly Recommend!

Where does Divergent rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is only my third audio book, but I LOVED it! Great story! Great Book! I highly recommend to all readers.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

A few jaw dropping moments. I can't say anything without Spoilers. Just trust that this is a great book for all ages.

i did not finish listening.

What did you like best about Divergent? What did you like least?

I never got in touch with this story which probably is because of me lacking understanding af this future language. So I cannot recommend it to anyone and have no more to say about it.

Good Story

What other book might you compare Divergent to and why?

Similar to Hunger Games in that it's some future world and a young girl is tangled in trying to right all the wrongs of society.

Any additional comments?

This was a good story. It drug a little in the middle but all in all kept me interested while driving, which is important to me. I can't wait for the next one to come out on audio.

Strange but good

I didnt know anything about this story before I started listening but it captivated me. I am not normally a science fiction fan but I did enjoy it. I didnt know it was a trilogy but when I found out I bought the other two. I cant wait to see what happens next.