This post has been in my drafts section for quite some time. I've sat here a thousand times with the intentions of writing the review for this seriously amazing novel (and it's seriously amazing sister novels). However, each time that I begin to write them I just can't bring myself to type anything.
And do you know why?
Because as soon as I sit down here and type my thoughts on this, it's
over. I can no longer hold on to some scrap of belief that it didn't really end or that I never actually finished it. I can no longer hope for some alternative ending or another book filled with explanations and happiness.
Nope, guys, today is the day. It's officially over for me.
A Synopsis of the Story:
This story takes place in future, dystopian, and destroyed Chicago. The society here is broken into five factions: Abnegation, the selfless. Amity, the kind. Erudite, the intelligetn. Candor, the honest. And Dauntless, the brave. On a set day each year, sixteen year olds will be given an aptitude test that will tell them their future and what faction they truly belong in. After the test, they make the decision to either stay with their families, or leave for a new faction. But they can never return if they choose to leave.
Faction before blood.
A (brief) Plot Summary:
Beatrice Prior, our protagonist is born into the faction of her parents, Abnegation, the selfless. She lives in a simple home with her parents and her brother, Caleb. Beatrice has always known that she was not selfless enough to be an Abnegation. She thinks her brother Caleb has a much easier time with it. She has always felt a little out of place among her own faction.
In order to help the sixteen-year-olds with the choosing of a faction that would be a good fit, there is an aptitude test. This test isn't delivered like your traditional ACT/SAT, but rather is a simulation that is injected into the neck or arm of the person taking the test. The serum injected takes over the senses of the individual and gives them a series of choices, so to speak, where the individual must choose based upon what they feel is right. Based upon their choices, they are given the corresponding faction that would suit them. This test is just an idea though and the individuals do not have to follow what is suggested to them.
On the day of the aptitude test, Beatrice's results are inconclusive. They call this Divergent. Being Divergent is dangerous because it means the individual cannot be controlled. If you are Divergent, you are to hide it as best as you can.
Beatrice already knew that she was different. She already knew that she was not Abnegation. So, on choosing day, it is only fitting that she chose not to stay Abnegation. Instead, Beatrice chooses Dauntless and her brother Caleb, chooses Erudite. She then sheds her Abnegation born name and goes by Tris. When she is brought to the Dauntless compound it is explained to her and her fellow initiates that only ten of them will become Dauntless. The rest will become Factionless- similar to homeless. They will have to compete with each other to rank in the top ten. Immediately, Tris befriends three other initiates named Christina, Will, and Al. She also makes an enemy of a boy named Peter.
The initiates are given an instructor who goes by the name of Four. He explains to them that initiation into Dauntless is broken up into three stages; physical, mental, and emotional. Tris is small, so physically she is outmatched by many of the initiates. However, she finishes in sixth for the week by taking down Molly - a large girl with a lot of muscle. After the first week, Peter, a fellow initiate finishes second to Edward. In retaliation, Peter stabs Edward's eye with a butter knife. This is enough to cause Edward and his girlfriend to leave and choose to be Factionless over Dauntless. Also during this time the Erudite faction releases a not so nice report against the Abnegation and attacks the Abnegation leader, Marcus, for being cruel. The report alleges that Marcus' cruelness caused his son Tobias to flee to another faction to escape him. The report also speculates the same about Tris, Caleb, and her family.
The second stage is mental and involves putting the initiates under simulations. It puts the initiates in fearful situations and they are scored on how quickly they can calm themselves down. Since Tris is Divergent, she is able to recognize that she is under the influence of a simulation and doesn't respond to it. At this time her instructor, Four, realizes that she is Divergent and warns her that she had better learn to hide it better if she didn't want to get killed. But because of Tris' Divergence, she can easily calm herself in the simulations and therefore finishes first after that week. A few of her jealous competitors take matters into their own hands, including her friend Al. They attempt to throw her into the chasm (like, white water rafting but without a raft and with death). Four happens upon the scene and saves her. Afterwards, Al begs for Tris' forgiveness but when she shows no sign of wanting to forget what happened to her (SPOILER IN WHITE INK)
he commits suicide by throwing himself into the chasm.
The final stage is called a fear landscape. It takes the individuals fears and puts them in the situations. The individuals are aware they are in a simulation and have to fight it by calming their heart rate or facing the fear. As Tris and Four become closer, Four lets her into his fear landscape which has only four fears. An unheard of low. Which, you guessed it, is why he's called Four. After this, Four trusts Tris and tells her his real name -- Tobias. He is the son of the Abnegation leader who ran away.
On fear landscape day, Tris has seven fears to overcome. Crows, drowning in a tank, drowning in the ocean, being burned by Peter, being kidnapped, having sex with Tobias (really that he only wants her sexually), and being forced to shoot her family. She goes through her landscape quickly and after is injected with a "tracking" serum.
In the middle of the night, Tris is awoken by the sounds of shuffling in the dorm. Everyone is awake and moving around, getting dresses. When she asks what's going on to her friend, Christina, she gets no answer. She is greeted with blank eyes and mechanical movements from everyone. Immediately she senses something is wrong. Quickly, she gets dressed and follows the others trying to match their mechanical movements.
She follows the group onto one of the trains. Here she sees Tobias and slowly makes her way up to him. However, he seems to be under the influence of the serum. Tris internally starts to freak out, but then Tobias grabs her hands. He isn't affected by the serum. Phew!
They get off the train and walk into Abnegation living area where they mechanically begin to round up Abnegation families and execute them without a rhyme or reason. Tris and Tobias keep walking until they are stopped by Eric. Eric is talking with another leader about how the serum works -- it tells them what to do, so they blindly follow orders like puppets. Eric makes fun of how Four (Tobias) was top of the class and now a mindless drone. He then decides no one will miss Four and puts a gun to his head, and that's the final straw for Tris who shoots him in the foot so they can run.
They don't get far before Tris is shot, and Tobias won't leave her. They are taken then to Jeanine Matthews where she orders Tris to be killed and Tobias to be used for further testing. When Tris is taken to her execution, she is put in a glass tank that fills with water. Fitting, since this has been one of her fears. Suddenly, the glass breaks and Tris is held by her mother who is ordering her to run.
As they are escaping, Dauntless discover them and begin firing. They keep running and shooting. Eventually, there are too many Dauntless. Spoilers follow (in white):
Tris' mother sacrifices herself so that Tris can go on and reunite with her father and brother, who are in a safe house with some other refugees. Tris is then confronted by Will, one of her friends, and he is being controlled by the serum. Will has his gun pointed and is ready to fire. Tris instinctively shoots and kills him.
When Tris gets to the safehouse, she finds her brother, Marcus, and her father. She develops a plan to get to Dauntless again and stop the simulation and therefore stop all of the killing. When they get to Dauntless, Tris finds Peter who she shoots in the arm and then forces him to help them find their way through the compound. Along the way (spoiler!)
Tris' father also sacrifices himself so that she can go on and stop the simulation. When Tris finally gets to the control room, she finds Tobias sitting there. However, it isn't really him. He's under a simulation (a strong one) and he attacks her. They fight all the while Tris is trying to get him to snap out of it and remember who she is, however he seems to hate her. She realizes she can't kill him so she turns her gun onto herself and points it at her head. She looks at him and tells him it's going to be okay and that it's alright. Somehow, this gets into Tobias' head and he is freed from the simulation (THANK GOD).
Together, they figure out a way to shut down the simulation and free all the other Dauntless. They then rejoin with what is left of their group and they get on a train to Amity where Marcus says other Abnegation have been taking refuge.
To find out what happens next, you'll have to read Insurgent.
My thoughts on the book as a whole is that it was amazing. It was a great read. I found myself reaching for the book in all of my spare time. I practically flew through it. I loved everything about this book. I seriously can't think of a thing that wasn't great. Veronica Roth seriously made a great one here guys. I think the tell tale signs of if a book is good or not is if you have a BTM (or several). What's a BTM? It's a Book Throwing Moment. A BTM is when you're so angry or so frustrated with the author or the characters that you just want to throw your book in exasperation. I wanted to do that so many times with Tris. She was seriously an infuriating character!
But I loved her anyway. I loved her spirit. I also liked that she was described as someone not gorgeously beautiful, but properly average. And Tris didn't have a problem with that. She wasn't wallowing in self pity because she wasn't drop dead gorgeous. She accepted herself and even found a hunky dude, Tobias. You go, girl!
I honestly would recommend this book to anyone who liked fiction about dystopian societies. It's definitely not for everyone. It's not a mystery. You can almost guess many of the things that are going to happen, but there are also twists you never would have guessed. Like Al, who would have seen that coming? I didn't. I actually cried at that part I was so mad.
Bonus! Movie thoughts!
Have you guys even seen the movie yet? Like, omg. I seriously cannot even explain the excitement I had over seeing this movie. I was so pumped.
But then I watched it. And I'm not saying it wasn't good, because I did enjoy it, but it was just not the same as reading the book. I really didn't agree with someone the things they left out and how they changed some things. However, I still enjoyed watching it and seeing how they brought the characters and the surroundings to life. That's my favorite part of book-to-films. I like seeing what I imagined and seeing what the director of the movie/author imagined. Honestly, that's the greatest. Especially when what you imagines was SPOT ON with what they did for the film.
Can we just talk about Tobias for a moment?
Hello, gawjuss, where ya been all my life?
But seriously. Wouldn't they make just the perfect couple?
Too cute!
Anyway, if you've seen the movie or read the book, how did you feel about it? Comment below!
xx
