Way Late to the Party: Thoughts on the Divergent Trilogy

WARNING: I am linking in this entry to an article that totally spoils the end of the Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth, and then I go on to spoil the end of it (along with a major plot point in Flowers In the Attic, the Hunger Games books, The Girl of Fire and Thorns, A Song of Ice and Fire {aka Game of Thrones}, and Serenity ). But, good news! I found the button that creates a “read more,” so don’t click if you don’t want to know.

I have read a lot of YA fiction in my life, probably starting when I was, in theory, too young for it (hello, Forever and Tiger Eyes) and continuing now that I am, in theory, too old for it (Mockingjay made me cry, and I’m okay with admitting that).  I’ve also been a dystopian fiction fan for, like, ever.

So I did read the first Divergent book, Divergent.  I finished it and felt like, while it was a pretty intriguing concept, I probably wasn’t going to track down the sequel:  too much boyfriend, the ending felt rushed, and I’m over the whole Chosen One thing (one of the things I really liked about the Hunger Games books was how little Katniss knew at any given time).

That is all purely about my taste–again, Divergent wasn’t a bad book, just not one that worked for me.

And then I read this.

The Tl;dr version: ROTH KILLS THE MAIN CHARACTER AT THE END OF THE LAST BOOK!

And I have to tell you, now I might go read the rest of the trilogy. Because that, my friends, is a ballsy move.

Yes, I can totally see how, if you’re reading these books, you might feel betrayed by this turn of events. I’m not sure I can ever truly forgive V.C. Andrews for killing Cory (that reads sarcastic as hell, but I am being sincere), and he’s not the main character. I totally get it.

But one thing I have come to appreciate in my 40 years on this planet is an author who will go there, wherever “there” may be. Suzanne Collins just mentally destroying Peeta and Katniss; Rae Carson killing Humberto in The Girl of Fire and Thorns; the Red Wedding in the Song of Ice and Fire books; Wash dying in Serenity … I can even respect the sheer insanity that is the end of the Twilight series. Because I have read so many books where everybody comes out okay, no problem, ’tis only a flesh wound! A little bit of what the hell did I just read?! is a good thing. Horrifying and will probably make me cry, but a good thing.

It says something about me, though, I’m sure. After all, my current favorite joke is, “George RR Martin, Joss Whedon, and Steven Moffatt walk into a bar. Everyone you love dies.”