Yes, I just finished reading the first novel in this
series. Just in time for the upcoming
movie release later this month too. I
did enjoy reading the book, but mostly, I enjoy the reflection it has given me
comparing my own personality and choices to those of the characters.
So which faction would I be?
Amity = peace seeking and kind
Candor = truthful
at all costs
Dauntless = fearless and brave
Erudite = always knowledge
seeking
Abnegation = selfless
Each
faction believes that focusing on just their one great quality is all it takes
to achieve “perfection” in life. While
each quality sounds great in its own way, what happens when we leave off any of
the other qualities? Apparently, it is
too “dangerous” to display a mixture of these qualities.
Is it dangerous to seek peace and kindness while trying to
be as truthful as you can without being too candid and hurting others’ feelings
while striving to be brave and fearless enough to fight for those who cannot
fight for themselves while seeking after knowledge that will help make the
world a better place while striving to be selfless enough to sacrifice your own
happiness to help those less fortunate?
In Tris’s world, it is dangerous to exhibit some or all of
these characteristics because you would be too difficult to control. Is this society and world really that
different than our own today? If someone
thinks differently than us, are we accepting of the differences or does our
society try to squash those differing opinions and force its own opinions on
others? What happens when one “faction”
of like thinking people tries to force all the other “factions” into submission? I think we could easily look back in history
and see exactly what happens. In the
novel, one faction’s lack of the qualities of peacemaking, kindness,
truthfulness, and selflessness led to that faction seeking to control all the
others to gain power. I think that may
have happened a time or two in real life, don’t you?
So what are your thoughts on this book?
I just downloaded this to my kindle! I need to get through this week of work and then I'm going to start it too. I have been very "on the fence" about reading it because of the reviews I read. Everybody says that the first two books are fantastic and that the third is a waste of time and ruins the first two. There is no way I can read one and two and not three, but I worry that I am setting myself up for disapppintment.
ReplyDeleteI'm excited about the movie too!
I hope you do read it as I definitely thought it was a good read. I hadn't heard that about the third book, but I do think you will be "invested" after reading the first and must at least read the second as the first ends abruptly and the second picks right up where the first stops. There's one way to insure you'll have success selling a second novel, huh? I doubt I will not be able to read book three either. Of course, I can't say that the third Hunger Games book was my favorite either, but I had to read it. I just didn't like the way it ended...I was never a Peeta fan. Hehe!
DeleteI am going to have to read this. Some of the mama's in Addi's gymnastics class were talking about this book too!
ReplyDeleteI really liked this series. I too am Divergent and can't wait to see the movie.
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