Chapter ∞ - The One Where I Tell It How It Is

Well... we made it! Allow me a moment to congratulate myself. GO ME! WOO!

Okay. Not that I've gotten that out of the way, let's be serious. We should all feel accomplished. If you are reading this, I assume that you are one of my fellow classmates and you too have finished your own blog. If not, GO AWAY! FINISH YOUR OWN! I think we can all agree that during the blogging process, we all got overwhelmed by this thing. It was harder to write about some chapters than others, but we all made it! Mazel tov!

If you read my blog, you most likely noticed that I was pretty critical of this book and that I more often pointed out flaws in the plot and writing style than complementing the novel on the things that it got right. So I'll do both right now!

First off, I have to give credit where credit is due. The author of Divergent, Veronica Roth, completed this entire novel as a college student. That is nuts! I can't imagine producing something so successful during my time in college, so I commend her for that. While the writing style was nothing too outstanding, it was executed well and paired with an intriguing plot. And plus, (that one was for you, Ms. Redmond!) I was impressed by her ability to create an entire new universe in only 487 pages. A wide array of characters, dystopian factions, and an altered version of present-day Chicago combined to form a plausible universe.

Now, it's time for a little bit of criticism. I won't get too carried away, I promise. I will keep name calling to a minimum. First off, I understand that the plot was well written, but at times I believe the romance took too much of a spotlight. I get that a love interest is becoming almost a necessity in today's literature, but the wreck of a relationship that Tris and Four had seemed to detract from the main plot. Not only did the two only know each other for about a month, the way the two interacted screamed "trainwreck". I love Four! I hate Four! I love Tobias! I hate Tobias! I'm just saying. It never works like that. But, call me biased. I wasn't too thrilled about the scenes where Ms. Roth was trying to make me imagine playing tonsil hockey with Four.

Overall, I can see why someone would enjoy this novel. The plot was outside of the norm and the author certainly did a good job of making the action jump right off of the pages. However, the plot holes and excessive romance storyline kind of hindered my opinion of this book. I'd consider reading the second book of the series and then see where it goes from there in regards to reading the third, but I won't necessarily make a point of it. However, I am interested in watching the film in order to compare and contrast the novel with the feature film. I might need someone to cover my eyes during the "Tris and Four" scenes. TAG outing, anyone?

The feels are strong with this one

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On a personal note, I would like to take a moment to thank everyone for an amazing year in TAG. The time I spent with you guys this year was some of the best that I had. The positive atmosphere that is present every day I walk into class is irreplaceable. While I may not be returning to TAG next year, I want to make sure that you know it has nothing to do with the people I see in that classroom. I'll still see you guys in the halls and in other classes. And I'll make sure to comment on all of the groceries you buy, Ms. Redmond!

So, I guess that's all I have. Thank you all for making this year one to remember.

- Rhedt