My Thoughts on Divergent

When a book is recommended to me, I always asks if it includes two things: a fast plot and a little love. Divergent has both. I did not jump on the bandwagon and read this novel when I first heard about it because I had my fill of the dystopian melodrama. The hype of Hunger Games, which I love, became such a media circus that I sat in protest not wanting to read another “that type of novel” again. I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed Divergent. The attraction for my students was that the novel mirrored the Hunger Games. It gave them that fix that they needed. The attraction for me was that there was less immediate violence and the engagement of the characters were more pleasing. The main character, Tris, was loveable and I felt that by the end of the book, I knew her well. Because her actions were more predictable than other characters, I was able to focus on her relationship with her family, her boyfriend, and her peers. I am not as excited to read the second novel in the series. My students are encouraging me to read it, but I have my reservations. I feel that I know all there is to know about these characters. What are your thoughts?