Earlier this month, I read Divergent by Veronica Roth because it was on my book list (see previous posts) and because it is becoming a movie in March. I really enjoyed it, although not as much as The Hunger Games, but enough to be intrigued to finish the trilogy.
I completed both Insurgent and Allegiant within a week! Oh. My. Goodness.
The distopian society that Roth weaves of how quickly power corrupts people is shockingly accurate. I was amazed by the many ways that evil seeps in and out of humanity, just in our very nature. One question that I had about this series was what the role of religion might play in it. Surely religion has had its fair share of corruptness in our real world, but it can also provide a message of hope. Roth vaguely referenced religion in the various factions, but never as anything that people hold as a form of truth or identity. In this society, where did religion go? Why was it not part of the structures, especially if creating a holistic community was the end goal?
Where The Hunger Games emphasized hope, the Divergent series emphasized forgiveness. The message of forgiveness was incredibly powerful and thought provoking. Roth engages how to forgive, why people forgive, what's possible to forgive, etc. It became an interesting theme that was well woven up until the surprising ending. I won't give away any more information than necessary, but that ending (although painful) was very well done.
Ratings:
Insurgent: B+
Allegiant: B
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