Movie Mondays: Divergent

Movie Mondays: On Mondays, I will review a book series or novel that has been made into a movie. I will then answer the question that everyone asks: which is better, the movie or the book? Here is this week’s offering:

Book: Divergent by Veronica Roth | Movie: Divergent (2014)

Which did I read/see first? the BOOK

Book Cover | Movie Poster

The Book:

Series: Divergent
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic, Romance, Action
Point of View: First Person

Thoughts:

I read Divergent right as it was becoming big. I had read the Hunger Games and was enjoying the dystopian trend that seemed to follow after it so this seemed like an obvious choice to read.

I think a lot of people expect this book to be a rip-off of the Hunger Games but it’s important to know that it isn’t. Sure, there are some similarities but you find similarities in all Dystopian fiction–it’s what defines the genre. They both share corrupt governments (what dystopian book doesn’t?) and have strong female leads who don’t mind kicking some ass when push comes to shove. But I think that is where the similarities end and each book has a completely different feel to it as each book has a different message.

As a first book, I really enjoyed Divergent. While it started slow and I wasn’t totally in love with Tris initially, this book really picks up fast and Tris really grew on me. I would consider her one of my favourite heroines in dystopian young adult fiction.

I also loved the sexual tension between Tris and Four. I especially like that their relationship doesn’t take the main focus–so it makes those little moments between them that much more awesome.

Conclusion:

Overall, it’s a great start to a great series. It has a lot going on so once it gets going, it never really stops. Dystopian fans will really enjoy this one!

Rating: 4/5
Series Review: Full series review here!–Coming Soon

Similar Reads: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games Trilogy #1); Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi (Under the Never Sky Trilogy #1) and Delirium by Lauren Oliver (Delirium Trilogy #1)

The Movie:

I’ve been anticipating this movie for a really long time so I had to go and see it opening weekend. And I have to say, the wait was worth it!

I will be the first to admit that I don’t remember all the little details of Divergent (though I am currently reading Allegiant so I had a pretty good refresher prior *no pun on Tris name intended*) but I do remember the main points of the novel. My friend, who recently read the book and saw it with me, said that they didn’t change things all that much and it was pretty true to the story. There was just one scene that I definitely know wasn’t in the books but knowing what I know about the story in the next two books, I think it was a smart decision on the screenwriters parts.

Casting is always a big deal for me (and I’m sure most other book fans) and I really liked the casting in this movie–though not always. I remember watching Shailene Woodley in The Secret Life of the American Teenager and anyone who has watched the show know that it is the ultimate guilty pleasure TV show with mediocre acting–but to be fair to the actors on the show, I think it is the writing. So I was a little worried when she was cast but since then she has done a lot of other acting projects since and I don’t mind her acting. After watching the movie, I think she was a great choice–as was the rest of the cast. I felt like they captured the characters extremely well so I really felt like the book was coming to life in front of me.

The movie really reflected the slower pace of the book but once it got going, it never really stopped. It went by super fast and I really enjoyed it overall and I think other fans of the book will too.

So, which is better: the book or the movie?

In this case, the winner is TIE. I really enjoyed the movie but I really do love the novel. I think the movie does a great job of capturing the book and fans will enjoy it so I can’t knock it down!

Do you agree? Leave a comment below!

Synopsis for Divergent (from Goodreads):
In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue–Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is–she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are–and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she’s chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she’s kept hidden from everyone because she’s been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Trailer: