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I had high hopes for this series and binge read all three within a week or so. I can't say I'm super disappointed, but I'm not happy. I'm just... Meh.
The universe is fascinating. Spoilers, obviously.
So what I really liked was how the entire city the story takes place in is a social experiment/genetic healing center. It's completely cut off from the rest of society, from history, from everything. The city is basically its own little world with a hidden observer. People have told me this is basically Maze Runner, but I haven't read it yet, so it's new to me.
What I also really like is WHY they're all trapped in the city. Genetic healing. It's revealed in the third book that in the past, people used genetic alteration tools to snip out "undesirable" personality traits. This lead to basically a collapse in human social functionality. That's WHY most people, when they take the sorting hat district test, have an aptitude for only one faction. It's basically sorting people into genetic groups. It's interesting. Then along comes Tris, the divergent, who has an aptitude for at least 3 factions. Like a normal human being with intact, human personality traits. She's genetically healed. She's the goal of the experiment.
Buuuttt there's also a lot of stuff that I don't like.
If the established universe is so technologically advanced, why do they have to use a knife to draw blood and bleed on their chosen faction? This is a place that is WELL beyond genetic editing. And what's with all the needles? Does Veronica Roth have a thing for them? Maybe it's just me. It seems unnecessarily barbaric for such an advanced society and doesn't add to the story imo.
I also dislike how long it took for the plot to get moving. The entire first book is just Tris choosing her faction and training. It didn't need to be three books, honestly. It could have all fit into one and worked just fine (and saved me hours).
Finally, there's the problem that pretty much everyone points out: it is a mashup of all these other, more interesting stories. Society is actually an experiment overseen by a hidden government? Maze Runner. There's a "big brother" entity intimidating you into obeying them, and if you think or feel differently than what the entity approves of, you are killed? 1984. Society is divided up into different factions based on personality? Harry Potter. Strong, stoic female protagonist leads a rebellion against a sadistic and ruthless government? Hunger Games. There's probably more, but those are just what comes to mind right now.
If you have a lot of time on your hands and like futuristic dystopias, I'd say give at least the first book a read. I had to force myself to get through the last two books rather than just looking up a synopsis online because there was sooo much fucking filler.
This post ran long. Sorry
Forums Literature Divergent series
Oh.... well, I really liked them. It's been a while since I read them though.
I liked the fighting part and the -thing- that happens with the one guy that's really sad...
I liked the fighting part and the -thing- that happens with the one guy that's really sad...
I only saw the movies but I have the first book. I thought they were pretty good, but I understand what you mean about some of the elements not being original enough or not necessarily making much sense. That's why I couldn't really get into The Hunger Games, cause that series basically stripped Battle Royale's bones clean. lol
The thing that frustrated me the most with that series was the switch up in the last book. All of the books were from her POV and then all of a sudden book 3 we're gonna go back and forth? idk. I didn't like it.
I liked the idea behind the series. I liked the different factions. I liked a lot about the books, but I like consistency and she just didn't deliver. haha
I liked the idea behind the series. I liked the different factions. I liked a lot about the books, but I like consistency and she just didn't deliver. haha
Please ping! I get distracted easily. 
@Mousy: That's a pet peeve of mine, too. I read another series where all the books were first person, past tense, but the last book was present tense and for just one single section, not even a full chapter, it switched to the villain's POV because something had to be explained while the main character was unconscious. I just thought, 'That wouldn't have happened if you'd kept it third person like all the rest!' It made no sense. That's just dumb. I have a friend talking about doing a POV-switching novel and I'm just like...it's your book, but I recommend strongly against it. lol!
Such as in the case of Twilight, twas the coming of the film that lured my curiosity to this series.
WARNING MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!
I found the idea of a human genetic modification Holocaust while a little (very little) Dark Angel-esque, the social policies of each faction (including the factionless) and the political controversies of factions vs. freedom and over those considered "Genetically Damaged" unique and intriguing.
The development of the characters and the build-up of all these mysterious elements to the experiment, the core of the plot was strong and compelling...until the climax of 'Allegiant' the final installment in the main trilogy.
Roth has said that Tris's so-called "sacrifice" was an act of maturity, that established that she had grown up and understood herself but I did not read it that way at all.
From my perspective, Tris went from a strong-willed, determined individual to depressed and giving up on herself, on finding her identity in the chaos of the genetic war.
Her dying words as she seems her mother holds out her hand to take her into the afterlife: "Am I done now?" sums this up.
Her so-called 'sacrifice' from my perspective was more of a surrender, a selfish need to escape her divergence which she'd progressively become more lost in, in the discrimination and deception of it as opposed to the excuse she fed herself, that she was honoring her parents by giving herself for Caleb.
In fact, in doing so, she didn't save him at all, she branded him with a legacy as a betrayer for life by taking away his chance for redemption, to be remembered as a hero.
So that pissed me off pretty royally.
The one thing I did like about Tris's death, was that Four braved the zip line for her, to scatter her ashes. I was actually pretty proud of him then the way Roth says she's proud of Tris's "Sacrifice" :P.
Roth kind of wrote herself into a trap when she decided to kill off the protagonist whose perspective the narrative is written in because the duel perspectives with Four in 'Allegiant' kind of gives away that the second perspective was set up because Tris dies and would need a replacement to take over naturally where her perspective ends.
As pointed out we also have that random perspective switch when Tris is knocked unconscious in 'Insurgent'.
Then there is Four's reconciliation with his mother. That she fell to her knees and halted the war with a snap of her fingers as soon as his ultimatum passed his lips was far too simple a solution that felt forced and as though Roth were rushing to make a deadline. It reminded me of how I kind of rushed the stopping points of my drafts for the fiction writing class, I took a few years ago on the nights before they were due. I just didn't buy that load of crap.
The films so far are even worse, they leave out vital aspects of the story and go AU in areas such as Jeanine living to hear the Edith Prior message and being killed by Evelyn instead of Tori in 'Insurgent'.
Ugh, I got way to into this and am starving myself here. Need food!
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Having you as a Voltie would be awesome.