Divergent by Veronica Roth
Divergent popped up on many best of 2011 lists last year. Coming in on the dystopia craze, Roth's novel is better than I expected. I nearly gave up on the genera when Delirium flew across the room in a rage. Also, Divergent and Delirium are so similar sounding that I kept getting them confused. I honestly thought I had read this book over the summer. I had to look back on the blog archives to realize I had not.
The novel clipped along, I finished reading it in two days. It doesn't suffer from the melodramatic bad editing bloat that some YA lit has become. Also, Roth knows how to move the story along and doesn't linger in places where this can occur. I loved that she didn't explain why the book takes places in a post apocalyptic Chicago. She just mentions the Sears Tower and is done with it. The problem with YA lit is that it seems to want to explain why things got to be the way they are. Roth takes a page from Cormac McCarthy, things are bad, the reader can fill in the blank on what happened, and as authors we are here to drive the narrative. The back story is up to the reader. I hope her second book doesn't attempt to explain it. I want her to be fully in command of the novel, not feeling like she has to fill in holes.
My main worry with Divergent, and many of the other YA dystopias is their structure. A formula exists, and was codified with The Giver. It is something like this:
1. Society is broken into regimented groups
2. A rebel is found
3. Rebel breaks down the groups
4. A new society is formed.
I want someone like Roth to break this formula. Shock and surprise me with your characters, push them to be more than just archetypes. I know it is possible, and I know an author want try. I'm crossing my fingers that it will be Roth.
Next up is Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy by John le Carré. I'm not one for spy novels, but I've been bullied into submission by more than one person. I'll read it, but I'm not happy about it.
Divergent popped up on many best of 2011 lists last year. Coming in on the dystopia craze, Roth's novel is better than I expected. I nearly gave up on the genera when Delirium flew across the room in a rage. Also, Divergent and Delirium are so similar sounding that I kept getting them confused. I honestly thought I had read this book over the summer. I had to look back on the blog archives to realize I had not.
The novel clipped along, I finished reading it in two days. It doesn't suffer from the melodramatic bad editing bloat that some YA lit has become. Also, Roth knows how to move the story along and doesn't linger in places where this can occur. I loved that she didn't explain why the book takes places in a post apocalyptic Chicago. She just mentions the Sears Tower and is done with it. The problem with YA lit is that it seems to want to explain why things got to be the way they are. Roth takes a page from Cormac McCarthy, things are bad, the reader can fill in the blank on what happened, and as authors we are here to drive the narrative. The back story is up to the reader. I hope her second book doesn't attempt to explain it. I want her to be fully in command of the novel, not feeling like she has to fill in holes.
My main worry with Divergent, and many of the other YA dystopias is their structure. A formula exists, and was codified with The Giver. It is something like this:
1. Society is broken into regimented groups
2. A rebel is found
3. Rebel breaks down the groups
4. A new society is formed.
I want someone like Roth to break this formula. Shock and surprise me with your characters, push them to be more than just archetypes. I know it is possible, and I know an author want try. I'm crossing my fingers that it will be Roth.
Next up is Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy by John le Carré. I'm not one for spy novels, but I've been bullied into submission by more than one person. I'll read it, but I'm not happy about it.
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