Summer Book List #2: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Dauntless Facto Manifesto: “We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another.”

Favorite part of the story: Every single time Tobias reveals his soft side and hints his attraction towards Tris (yiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. DAFEELSBRO.)

As I read, I couldn’t stop myself from comparing it to the movie. No matter how much I adored the film, it really can’t match up with the book. It just can’t. (But I do agree with the casting though. I imagined the artists as the characters. Kudos to the casting manager!)

In the book, I had a fuller sense of who each character is especially Tris. I discovered how her mind worked and her motivations for everything. I even understood her fears.

There were a few times that she sounded and thought like Katniss to me (when she had nightmares and when she acted tough because the situation asks her to be). She also fell in love a little bit like the THG heroine: unintentionally. They were both cautious about it except Katniss didn’t want to fall in love while Tris was subconsciously afraid of intimacy but was actually open to the subject.

Also, I saw how Tris developed throughout the book and I believe that somehow, she already has a sense of who she is in the end.

Moving onto Tobias. Veronica Roth was right when she said that he was a great character because he has an amazing off-screen life. She was able to craft a character the can live on his own. He had the right mix of “power” and “vulnerability” and either side of him was magnetizing. He was human to me, really and that made him “perfect.”

I also appreciated minor characters more especially Al, Christina, Will and Uriah. Tori and Caleb were portrayed better in the movie for me (because I didn’t like who they really are in the book.) Tori seemed less mysterious and sure of herself in the book (and maybe that’s who she really is). Meanwhile, the real Caleb seemed deceitful and conflicting for me. I couldn’t get a sense of who he is. He’s an actor! He acted all Abnegation-like then he picks Candor… acts cold when Tris comes… sides with his family once the attack happened… acts whimpy and pathetic instead of helping Tris and then I don’t know. (I did feel betrayed by him actually since I was expecting him to have more person in him.) Sorry not sorry, Caleb.

Anyway, story-wise, it was a great concept. Roth used fear in a different style and she did it well. It was also well-written because –duh! It brought a whole new world to life.

I’m looking forward to the next books (though I don’t think I can handle it right now.)