My Reaction:I'm lumping these two into one post because they're part of a trilogy and there really isn't much to distinguish them as two separate books. This isn't necessarily a bad thing though! Where Divergent ends, Insurgent picks up, making it a seamless transition from one book to the next. It also helped that I didn't have to wait too long after finishing Divergent to start Insurgent, so the story was still fresh in my mind. When I put Divergent on my list of books that I was going to read for this project, I was extremely hesitant and not excited at all to read it. It feels that since the release and rise in popularity of The Hunger Games, dystopian fiction has gained momentum, and the description of Divergent made it sound like a knockoff of The Hunger Games. I gave it a shot anyway, and I was not disappointed at all. In fact, I found that I enjoyed it even more than The Hunger Games. The writing was a little weak in spots, particularly some of the dialogue, but it didn't really detract from the story. One thing about this series that I liked more than The Hunger Games was that there wasn't as much of a focus on the romantic relationships. While there is still a little romance in the books, it doesn't have quite the same importance. The only major dislike I have about the two books is the cliffhangers at the end of each. It wasn't quite so bad after finishing Divergent because I was able to get Insurgent right away, but now I have to wait for the third book to come out to finish the series and answer all the questions that I have. I think it'll be worth the wait though.
About the Book(s):Beatrice Prior lives in a futuristic, dystopian Chicago, where everyone is divided into five different factions. Each faction is dedicated to a particular virtue: Amity are peaceful, Candor are truthful, Abnegation are selfless, Dauntless are brave, and the Erudite are intelligent. Each year, all of the sixteen-year-olds must select which faction they will belong to for the rest of their lives. They can choose the faction they were born into and remain with their families, or pick a different faction and never see their families again. When Beatrice switches factions, she leaves her family behind and changes her name to Tris. As she tries to survive initiation into the new faction, she struggles to figure out where she fits while still learning about herself. When she learns what it means to be Divergent, she is forced to make decisions that could jeopardize her safety, her friends' safety, and even her family's safety. In the sequel, Tris continues to save those she cares about as the factions fall apart around her, while trying to sort through the truths, lies, and secrets that she has uncovered.
On Teaching:
I know that a lot of schools are starting to teach The Hunger Games, and since there are a lot of thematic similarities among the two sets of books, I think the Divergent series could easily be taught instead. Some students might even prefer one to the other. It would be interesting to have two groups of students, half reading The Hunger Games and half reading Divergent, and then have them compare the two societies. The only thing I would caution against is having students read Insurgent before the final book is released. There are going to be a lot of angry and frustrated students if they have to wait to find out what happens!
Book Extras:
Other Books by the Author:
Just Divergent and Insurgent for now, but the third book is due out Fall 2013.
Author's Website:
http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com/
