CDBC: Divergence, the final discussion

TJ1979

Ok, has everyone finished all 3 Divergence books?

1) What did you think about the trilogy as a whole?

2) How do you feel about the ending?

3) What about what happened to Tris?

4) After reading all of the books, which faction would you choose? What would you have chosen at 16?

5) What else?

TJ1979

Bueller?

TJ1979

Yes! Plus, these are just kids. Like they are going to outsmart and overthrow an entire government. Plus, they seem to have very little regard for human life considering how far they are willing to go to save a town they nearly died trying to escape.

freezorburn

Sorry, DS was being a tyrant last night so by the time I finally got him down to sleep I was in no condition to be online.

1) What did you think about the trilogy as a whole?

So, all my questions from the 1st book are pretty much answered in the 3rd. But I think it could have been stronger if the author had fleshed out the lie of the foundations of their society, from the outstart. A lot of the basic premise just didn't work for me, and I found little details kept on pulling me out of the story. It's as if she didn't think it all through from the beginning and then just used the 3rd book to patch up the holes. Also I had to keep going back to remember who was originally from what faction and who was related to whom. But, maybe I'm just dense.

Also I found it very disorienting to switch between narrators in the 3rd book. But once Tris told Caleb she was going to go into the weapons lab in his place, I knew she was done for -- why else make Tobias a storyteller?

And, the hackneyed writing style was just too much at times. But somehow the pages kept on turning and it was a mostly harmless entertaining escape.

2) How do you feel about the ending?
Bloodshed and serums aside, it seemed like it was a bit too easy for them to change this idea of GDs being inferior to GPs. Especially once she made reference to the larger context of other cities and and outlying areas. At a certain point I just stopped caring what happened to the society inside Chicago, so the resolution of having something new take its place worked for me.

3) What about what happened to Tris?
Pretty bold move to kill off your main character. At least she got to reconcile the conflicts in her most important relationships and her suicide mission was successful. Now I'm curious to see if she also dies when they make the movie.

4) After reading all of the books, which faction would you choose? What would you have chosen at 16?
I would probably have chosen dauntless but sooner or later would have ended up factionless.

5) What else?

I wondered if Peter really could change even after resetting his memory, if genetics was believed to be such a strong determinant of behavior. Perhaps with the changes in society he just doesn't get the opportunity to be as awful as he was?

Anyone else think it was odd that they had computers but no telephones in this society? And even then, telecom seemed to be nonexistent? So, they had computers to control security systems, but the different faction leaders still had to meet in person to talk to each other? How did they even set up meetings, send a runner?