Divergent by Veronica Roth

[Drunk Monk]

Part and parcel of being a parent is reading what your kid reads. Divergent is part 1 of a NYT bestselling trilogy (part 3 just came out) soon be be a major motion picture. It's highly derivative of Harry Potter and Hunger Games - teens separated into 'factions' like Hogwart's houses, dystopian future where the kids have to fight a lot, misfit neurosis and first kisses. Ahhh, teen lit. Reminds me of that episode of the Simpsons where they collaborate on writing a kid's book. One of us should so do this and make our fortune. Roth writes with mediocre descriptive flair and is very heavy-handed with Tris's inner teen monologue. Her characters are pretty flat - typical bullies, pals, nerds, save for main character Tris, rather unimpressive all in all. T luvs this book, btw, as does many of her classmates. The varsity volleyball team at her school has taken 'Dauntless' as their motto, which is the faction equivalent to Gryffindor in courage but are a gang of goth warriors instead of British wizards.

That being said, it should make a decent movie. Kate Winslet will nail the villainess Jeanine and Maggie Q should make a good Tori. Ashley Judd as Natalie...eh. It'll all hinge on Shailene, who was brilliant in the Descendants, but will be invariably compared to Jen Lawrence and that will be a hard act to follow.

Not sure if I'll bother with Insurgent. The most annoying thing is that Divergent is really just the set up. The battle begins in the final chapters.