I know, I know, this is one of those popular series that don't really need another review on the internet.

Everyone's been on the Divergent bandwagon, and two movies have already been released, but it wasn't until a couple weeks ago did I start to read the series after my coworker kept on raving about it, telling me to read the damn thing.

Who hasn't read or even heard about the series yet? Gone are the days of wizards (sob) and vampires (thank god), and have since then been replaced by the dystopian genre.

But I did promise myself (and for this blog) to talk about the books I have been reading. And instead of talking about this like my other reviews, why don't I just go straight into what I think about all three books? (Warning: spoilers for those who haven't read them yet). I'll be talking about them in general, and not sequentially. They may be all over the place.

First off, I like Roth's writing. It's easy to read, no big words that try too hard and nobody understands, and the characters speak like any other teen would *cough* John Green *cough*. You could be someone who loves to read, or just happily familiarizing yourself with the trend that's why you picked up the book, and it still wouldn't be such a bore coz you understand half the shit the characters are trying to say. Kudos to you, Roth.

That being said, there seemed to be a lot of fan service in terms of Tris and Four's relationship. Like, wow, that escalated quickly. Seriously. Not even a little flirting? Stolen glances, secret memos, playing hard-to-get? There were hints but it didn't really give me that *giddy* feeling of a budding new romance. It was just bleh. Then they wouldn't stop eating each other's faces.

And I know that the book is PG-13, but she still included a sex scene. A lame one at that. Bitin. If you're bold enough to hint it, go all the way. Pun intended.

I liked Christina's character. I can see myself in her sometimes. Reckless, being blunt more than what the situation calls for, holding grudges. I liked how Roth built her character. Although after watching the first movie, I can't help but picture her as Zoe Kravitz. But Kravitz is short and Christina's supposed to be tall. I can't seem to stretch her in my imagination.

The whole genetic reasoning as the cause of all this didn't sell for me. It was a little bit far-fetched to be the cause of a human experiment, let alone be a solution to problems across a whole country. But hey, what do I know about dystopian America? I live in Canada.

In terms of suspense, it wasn't really that much of a page-turner for me. I was able to put the book down. It holds my interest long enough that I keep reading it when I have nothing to do, but it doesn't make me seek out the rest of the story. I found myself playing Candy Crush Soda instead of reading it on the train sometimes.

But as much as there were characters all over the place, the author somehow manages to build each one of them enough to gain some significance in the story, without really taking the essence away from the protagonists. It wasn't all about Tris and Four. Yes, in the first two books, it was Tris talking, but the myriad of characters were still introduced and explained in detail. It didn't make me confuzzled, so that was good.

Did I cry at the end? It made me a bit glassy-eyed, but I didn't love Tris enough to mourn her death (spoiler!) She's still Shailene Woodley in my mind, and I see her as just another actress. I'm unattached, even to Tris. I don't know why, but I just didn't connect with her, no matter how good her character buildup was. Sorry.

I haven't watched the second movie, but I heard it wasn't that great. I've seen the first one, and it would have been perfect, seeing as they've stuck to every aspect of the movie as much as possible, but the ENDING ruined it for me. Why did she have to throw a knife at Jeannine? That wasn't in the book! Not that I'm being a book purist, but that was just unnecessary! Hollywood being Hollywood again!

I liked the first book best. The second bored me a little bit, and the third only got interesting (for me) on the last few chapters.

I love Maggie Q and I'm so pleased she was cast as Tori. And watching the movie made me want to get another tattoo.


The gist: 7/10

Overall, the series was just okay, but with excellent character buildup. I prefer Hunger Games better, and of course, Steelheart, when it comes to dystopian. I've had the books sitting on my dresser  for a year begging to be read, until I finally gave in. I'm not disappointed, but I'm not raving like a fangirl either.