My Review

Divergent was a great book, it has now became one of my favorties because I love action packed books, that draw your attention and make you want to read it all in one day! Doesn't everyone?? Divergent is one of these books! The ending isn't bad at all in my opinion, it makes me want to read the second book, which is good for the author because it will make her more money! Veronica Roth created a whole new society, an unstoppable plot that I thought was very original. The dystopian theme has interested me from Hunger games to Divergent. The cliffhanger ending makes you addicted to reading more. Through all the heartbreaks and dangerous secrets, I really got attached to the characters in the book, I had to remind myself it's just a book after reading how Tris' mother died. The setting was perfect, Chicago is my favorite city so it was thrilling to hear Roth's idea of it in another time. The lovey dovey stuff does get a little old in the last chapter, some say that the whole book was ruined by it. I really don't think it was ruined, it added more to the roller coaster of emotions of this book! This book has a little bit of everything, action, love, science, and more. I definently reccomend this book, I think that anyone who decides to read it won't regret it!

 Even though the movie won't be half as good as the book, I still look forward to seeing it!

 

Click to see 2014 Divergent Cast Members

 

 

Fan made Trailer ^

 

 

Chapter 39

The shot doesn't come, he is Divergent, he can fight the simulation, that's what Divergents do! Their is a fault in Jeanine's serum. He steps forward and hugs Tris, he escaped the simulation because he heard her voice. They study the control room, monitors are focused on different parts of the compound, one on Marcus, Peter, and Caleb, surrounded by guards. Quickly Tobias presses the screen a few times and all the soldiers click off. Some soldiers on the screen sink to their knees, some scream, some run. Tris and Tobias grab the data out of the computer which is a shiny floppy disk, I don't undertsand how Jeanine created this incredible, furturistic, brainwashing simulation, and it's all on a floppy disk??? like what!!! but anyways they take the disk and leave, passing the body of Tris' father. She pukes at the sight and pulls herself away, nothing can stop Tris! Once they reach Caleb, Marcus and Peter, Marcus embraces Tobias. Tobias freezes as Tris tells Marcus to step away, threatening to shoot him! They then all make their way towards the tracks and get a ride to Amity. On the train, Tobias tells Tris he loves her!! The author also throws in at then end of the book that Marcus eyes the program Tris holds in her pocket, which makes me think he will be in the next book. The story ends with Tris realizing what she truly is, divergent, she will never belong to one faction.

"I am no longer Tris, the selfless, or Tris, the brave. I suppose that now, I must become more than either." -Tris

Everyone said they hated the ending of this book, but I really didn't think it was too bad, it leaves you wanting more like all good Authors should, to make you want to read the next book!

Chapter 38

Tobias commands Tris to drop her weapon, he's going to murder her!! She drops her weapon and runs at him, twisting his wrist so that he drops his gun. It's weird how Tobias taught her to fight and now she is using that against him, well not really him, brain dead him. Tobias attacks Tris, and she points his gun at him. She begs him to come out of the simulation, "please see me, Tobias please!" No use, he scowls at her. She can't kill him, she won't, it's like one of her simulations where she had to shoot her family. For a second I think she's going to shoot him, to save the city! But her simulation ended in her killing herself,  not her family, and this is how her life is going to really end as well, saving her loved ones. She gives the gun to Tobias and he pushes the barrel into her forehead and clicks the bullet into it's chamber. Will this be the end for Tris? of course not, there is another chapter.

Tris' final last thoughts, maybe???? "Can I be forgiven for all I've done to get here? I don't know. I don't know. Please."   

Chapter 37

Caleb, Marcus, and her father come with Tris. They catch a train to the Dauntless compound, (the others struggle to jump on the train like Tris her first time). They then have to jump onto and off of the roof which they also struggle with, they probably think Tris is pretty badass by now. They get to the Pit safely, until they walk into the light. Someone shoots at them, Tris creeps along side the light to surprise the attacker, Peter!! Peter is awake, but why? She punches him to the ground, with a gun to his head, she questions him. He tells her that the Dauntless leaders evaluated his records and removed him form the simulation. I think they were planning on making him a leader as well, a mini Eric. Tris shoots his arm, and he tells her that she has to take him with her or else he won't tell her the information she needs. I wouldn't trust him! He tells them to go to the glass building, eighth floor. Tris' dad is a little surprised  by all of this, probably because he just watched his tattoo covered daughter shoot someone, but now is not the time to be concerned, they have a city to save! Assending the stairs, Tris has to kill a few guards, except one who nods her on, he is Divergent. This is where they separate, Tris and her father continue the journey to the control room leaving the rest safe in a hallway. The elevator they took opens to two guards, armed. Tris' father runs down the right hallway without one word, they shoot him. Tris has to continue one, even though she has lost both her parents. She reaches the control room and of course their is a brainwashed zombie guard there, TOBIAS!!!!!!!!!

"Every second I waste means another Abnegation dead and another Dauntless made into a murderer, I've realized that. Now it's your turn." -Tris to her father

Chapter 36

She reaches the building where the rest of her family lies. She tells them the bad news, she catches them up on what's happening as they stitch her arm up. Caleb also caught Tris up, he researched the simulation and found out what Jeanine was trying to do, he dropped out of initiation and became faction less, well he became Abnegation which I bet his father loved. The room is filled with other Abnegations taking shelter, one of them, evil Marcus. They all come up with a plan. They are going to wake the soldiers up. They must find the computers that controls the program and destroy it. Tris remembers what Jeanine was talking about on the phone, the control room is where it's at! They decide to split up, anyone who can fire a gun and isn't afraid of heights, comes with Tris, the others continue on to seek safety with Amity. I think this is a great plan but I don't see the need for Marcus to come along and neither does Tris!

"I guess I am what I've always been. Not Dauntless, not Abnegation, not faction less, Divergent." -Tris

Chapter 35

Tris awakes to find one of her worst fears to come alive, she is in a glass tank filling with water, this time she can't break it. A camera is in the corner of the tank. She sobs, helplessly, she screams trying to break the glass. She decides she is going to die a brave death, she is not a coward. She stares at the camera, she wants them to see how brave she is. She makes herself forget she's dying, she thinks happy thoughts, she lets the water take her. The suffocating is painful but she stays calm... now she seems fearless! The glass suddenly cracks and her mother is holding a gun on the outside, with two dead Dauntless guards at her feet, her Dauntless is showing!! They run together, killing Dauntless guards on the way, which is probably hard for Tris to see, knowing these were her members, innocent people, just brainwashed. Natalie, Tris' mother found her by watching the trains ever since the attack, always intending to save her. Tris' father and brother are safe in a basement of a building.. Did Natalie tell them she left to go save Tris? Natalie then explains to Tris that she was Divergent herself! She was born Dauntless and on choosing day she chose Abnegation, to save herself from being killed if the Dauntless discovered what she was. Natalie explains that Divergents are threats to leaders because every faction conditions its members to think act a certain way, for the Dauntless it's hard for them to obey this. They can't be confined to one way of thinking which scares the leaders. They will always be trouble.

When the Dauntless guards find them, Natalie tells Tris to go to her father and brother. She tells Tris to be brave and sprints into the street without another thought, creating a distraction for the guards. She sacrificed herself for Tris, this was brave and selfless. The guards shoot Natalie and Tris is hysterical, but she gets back up and keeps running... her mother did NOT just die for nothing.
She reaches the building where the rest of her family lies. She tells them the bad news, she catches them up on what's happening as they stitch her arm up. Caleb also caught Tris up, he researched the simulation and found out what Jeanine was trying to do, he dropped out of initiation and became faction less, well he became Abnegation which I bet his father loved. The room is filled with other Abnegations taking shelter, one of them, Marcus. They all come up with a plan. They are going to wake the soldiers up. They must find the computers that controls the program and destroy it. Tris remembers what Jeanine was talking about on the phone, the control room is where it's at! They decide to split up, anyone who can fire a gun and isn't afraid of heights, comes with Tris, the others continue on to seek safety with Amity.

"Sometimes it isn't fighting that's brave, it's facing the death you know is coming." -Tris

Chapter 34

Four and Tris are led to Abnegation headquarters. Entering an office, Jeanine is at the desk talking on the phone saying something about how something needs to be guarded because it's the most important part. She gets off the phone and starts to talk about how she knew her serum was immune to Divergents, but she made a new batch to TEST. I immediately think that she won't kill Tris and Four, she will make them join her army, that's what all bad guys do anyways! I was wrong, she decides to test the batch on Four because she needs to see if it works on Divergents. She needs to control Divergents because once the Erudite and the Dauntless leaders take over the government, the Abnegation will need to be controlled, which are mostly Divergents. For some reason, most of the Divergents come from Abnegation. I think this is because Abnegation has a little bit of every faction in them, leaving their children to pick different things in the Aptitude test. Those who refuse to accept her leadership will be closely monitored. So that leaves crippled Tris to be killed. Four tells her that he will take her place, but they give him no choice, he then leaps at Jeanine and two guards drag him off, injecting the serum within him. It comes into affect, and he no longer knows Tris, he thinks she's an enemy, he tries to choke her. For a second I think that Jeanine is going to let him, that would be Tris' last memory, being killed by someone she loves the most in her life. The guards pull him off of Tris and send him to the control room. Tris is then dragged to her execution room, B13. 

Four on his dad, "At least his evil didn't involve the widespread manipulation of an entire faction and the systematic murder of every policitcal leader we have."

Chapter 33

After Tris decides to take her dumb nap, she awakes to mindless soldiers marching out the dorm. Becoming smart again, Tris follows them, imitating their movement. They all grab weapons and head to the train tracks. Tris is the only one awake because she is Divergent, she must find the other Divergents, no, she must find her family. Getting into the train, Tris spots Four. She still has hope that he is Divergent like her! Turns out he is awake as well :) There is hope! The train takes them to the Abnegation sector, they march through at the same rhythm, except for the officers who are also awake A few Dauntless soldiers kill a few Abnegation leaders, Tris has to keep walking which I think was probably on of the most brave acts she has had to do this book. She had to watch her fellow Dauntless, who didn't even know what they were doing, kill a innocent leader, and keep walking, and one of those Dauntless was Tori. They are shooting all the Abnegation leaders, so at this point, I assumed that Tris' father was shot. At one point, Tris hears Eric talking to a female voice about how the soldiers can see and hear, but they just process it in a different way. They recieve commands from our computer sin the transmitters injected and carry out then seamlessly. They are basically walking, talking computers, controlled by one person.

Eric approaches Four, thinking he is also braindead. "The legendary Four. No one's going to remember that I came in second now, are they?" He is about to shoot him when Tris raises her own weapon at Eric! "You won't shoot me," says Eric. No she won't murder him, but she shoots his foot and they run down an alley. Halfway down the alley, Tris is shot in the shoulder by a Dauntless soldier, Eric tells them to surrender their weapons... how did he get there so fast with one foot and Tris couldn't even get up and run with her hurt shoulder??

"Divergent rebels. Surrender your weapons."-Eric

Chapter 32

Tris discusses jobs with Christina, Tris thinks she wants a job like Fours, while Peter wants to be a Dauntless leader. Could this be history repeating itself? Tris gets first rank but can't take the job, that Peter will take, just like Four and Eric, but this time Tris can't take the job because they will eventually discover what she is. At the banquet, Eric makes a speech (I wonder why Max never makes the speeches, isn't he the head leader here?) he gives congratulations and explains what the Dauntless believes in. He then announces the rankings.

Molly and Drew are cut! KARMA! I wish the same was for Peter. Everyone is so excited and caught up in the moment, Four and Tris kiss in public!!!!! Bad idea, forbidden love!! Tris then suddenly realizes something she should've realized before. Colored serum contains transmitters, transmitters connect mind to simulation, Erudite developed the serum, Eric and Max are working with Erudite! AHHH! Tris can't think straight so she decides to tell Four later, THERE IS NO TIME FOR LATER ANYMORE! Tris even knows how Erudite will get them to fight, but nope she decides to take a nap instead WHAT! and I thought Tris was sooo smart, but then she goes and does this. Your going to regret that nap later Tris!!

"We believe in bravery. We believe in taking action. We believe in freedom from fear and in acquiring the skills to force the bad out of our world so that the good can prosper and thrive. If you also believe in those things, we welcome you." -Eric (ironically!!)

Chapter 31

Eric congratulates Tris, she has completed her final evaluation. Before making her way to the banquet, Tris must be injected with a serum that Eric tells her is a "tracking device" I half believe this and half don't, because Tris is suspicious of it but theres no way she can refuse. Before the banquet, she goes back to Fours room with him. He does't know that he was in her landscape, but she ends up telling him. She tells him her fear of being with someone, he says its all new to him as well, surprising! Four also has a new tattoo of all the factions symbols, I like this idea he has, he wants to have all the traits of the factions. I think he means that if you have all the traits then their wouldn't be any problems, everyone could live together like they do now, in our time. I think the world works better when we focus on every aspect of the factions and get a little bit off task on each one rather then focusing mainly on one aspect. Tris thinks that it can't work this way because one bad thing goes away, and another bad thing replaces it. Four + Seven = <3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"I think we've made a mistake, We've all started to put down the virtues of the other factions in the process of bolstering our own. I don't want to do that. I want to be brave, and selfless, and smart, and kind, and honest." -Four

Chapter 30

Simulation one: Not having control. The ground beneath Tris changes, she is ready to face her fears, literally! Crow's talons dig into her skin, Tris tells herself their is a gun on the ground, then one appears, she picks it up and shoots the birds.

Simulation two: Weakness. She is in a glass tank, it starts to fill with water, she just has to break the glass with her hands. It takes a while but she convinces herself that the glass is ice, it shatters.

Simulation three: Being out of control. She is placed in a roaring ocean, throwing her everywhere against jagged rocks. With a scream of frustration she climbs up on the rocks and takes off running.

Simulation four: Peter killing her. Peter and the other initiates carry torches, she is tied to a stake. They try to set her on fire, cook her alive! She forces rain to fall, saving her just in time.

Simulation five: Scarred man from aptitude test. She is back home in her bedroom, the man pounds on her window. She imagines her mirror as a sliding door. Hiding in the door, she finds a gun, she misses trying to shoot him and more pale mangled bodies bang on the door. The wall behind her is another door, she escapes.

Simulation six: The boy she likes wants to sleep with her. Tobias tries to kiss her, she nervously tries to pull away. She sternly tells him she won't.

Simulation seven: Shooting her family. Jeanine forces a gun in her hand while Tris' family stands before her. She tells her to shoot them in ten seconds or she will shoot Tris. No matter how much Tris' family urges her to, she won't do it. Jeanine shoots her.

At the end of the last simulation I didn't know what would happen to Tris if she died in the simulation, but nothing bad happened to her, she just escaped. All the simulations Tris found a way to realize that it was a simulation and get out quickly, this was clever, but Divergent of her. It scared me knowing that the leaders watched her every move, one of them had to have gotten suspicious! 

"The urgency making my heart race depends on one thing, and one thing only: the threat to my life." -Tris

Chapter 29

Initiation day at the Dauntless is insanity and chaos. Screens are atatched to the walls of the patches, so others can watch theinitiates go through their fear landscapes. The room for the final test is large, a line of judges is sit in front of a screen. Eric and Max are two of them. The order initiates will go in is the order of your rankings, backwards. Tris will go last, maybe this is a good thing because she will know what she has to do to beat them. All Tris needs to do is remember that she has the power to manipulate simulations and she will be fine, she watches a few initiates go through ans soon enough, it's her turn.

"I imagine that the serum is liquid adrenaline rushing through my veins, making me strong." -Tris

Chapter 28

A lot happens in this chapter! Tris needs to get away, she catches a train to the Erudite compound.. this is going to get her into trouble I just know it! She makes her way to the central building, which is a library. A huge portrait of Jeanine is inside (yuck). Caleb spots Tris in the library, he looks different but she probably looks different to him too! 
Heres an idea of what they both probably wear now! ^
They decide to talk outside at the park, which is what is left of the chicago bean... I really like how chicago is the setting of this book, it helps with the visualizing. Caleb is worried about her being in the compound, he talks about how their is somehting weird going on around here. Tris gets angry with Caleb after he admits to kind of sort of believeing the posts Jeanine has written about Abnegation. Tris leaves Caleb by telling him that their faction isn't letting Abnegation in, and that Natalie, their mother! told Tris to tell Caleb to research the simulation serum... he can't argue with his mother! Two Erudite men stop Tris on her way out, and take her to Jeanine's office. Jeanine then questions Tori on why her tests and simulations were not recorded, there was problems with them (Jeanine created the aptitude test). She tells Tris that she is one of two of the people to get an Abnegation result and switch to Dauntless... (well really she is not the second one to since her results were inconclusive) who is the other??? Jeanine explains that the Erudite have an understanding with the Dauntless and that's why she can see her records. Tris responds to all of Jeanines questions by playing dumb. She tells her that she switched because she is Brave (not a lie completely.) She tells Jeanine that she was bored with the Abnegation lifestyle, tired of being scolded all the time, that she doesn't even miss her family! and the hardest lie of all, that she agrees with Jeanines reports. I understand that Tris has to say this, or she will be killed, but now I predict the Jeanine is going to release another article about how she talked to Tris, and it's going to say all the horrible things Tris said about her family and Abnegation!!
Once Tris is escorted back to the Dauntless compound, Eric greets her. I don't know what he's going to do to her, he supports the phrase "Faction before blood" thoroughly. He questions her on being a traitor, on betraying the Dauntless and then he threatens to reconsider her rank or even her friends ranks! Four walks into the room, ready to save the day! He tells Eric that Tris was just embarrased because she tried to kiss him and he rejected her... Eric laughs this off and tells Tris to just not leave the compound again without supervision (phew! good thing Eric is an idiot!!)
After Eric leaves, Four explains that he was trying to protect Tris that morning, he didn't want the initiates knowing him and Tris were a thing, Tris' ranking would always be called an act of favoritism (awkwarrrrd!). Tris understands and he tells her to meet him back here later that night for some important news. Later that night Christina tells Tris that her and Will kissed, not really that important, everyone already could tell they liked each other!
Tris meets up with Four later in the night and they catch a train somewhere. When it's safe, he tells her about how he was working in the control room one night before initiation and came across some files sent by Erudite, they were what looked like war plans, commands, maps, and supply lists. War on Abnegation, it all makes sense now. Jeanine trying to build up the factions against Abnegation, a call for an overthrow in the government in her paper, and Caleb knowing that something is going on. Erudite had the plan, they just need the Dauntless to fulfill it.

Caleb on Abnegation: "How much do I know? How much did they allow me to know? We weren't allowed to ask questions, Beatrice; we weren't allowed to know things! And here information is free, it's always available."

Chapter 27

The next morning the initiates get to practice Lauren, one of the Dauntless leaders, fear landscape. Tris is still all lovey dovey fromt he night before! Lauren explains that they wil each be assigned only one of her fears, she also explains that the average number of fears is ten t fifteen, the lowest anyone has ever gotten, four. Tris is assigned kidnapping, which won't be comfortable to face but she is confident.
When the simulation starts, a hand clamps around her mouth and around her arms, she is taken to the chasm... again. Tris struggles with the kidnappers, she screams helplessly. I think she thinks it's Peter, Drew and Al coming back for her, she imagines her falling into darkness, like she envisions in her dreams. Lauren's fear has turned into one of her own. Four stops the simulation, I think it's because he knows she is having flash backs, that she lost control and he is trying to help her but I'm wrong. He tells her to get herself together, he calls her pathetic. Tris slaps him right across the cheek, in front of everyone! and tells him to SHUT UP! Four deserves it, what was he thinking? He knows what Tris experienced and how hard it has been to overcome! Maybe he just thought she was stronger, then what she proved, but like he said, not everyone is fearless.

"I knew they would come back for me; I knew they would try again. The first time was not enough." -Tris

Chapter 26

Tris and Tobias walk hand in hand to the Pit, he tells her how he has always had four fears, he keeps going back into the landscape to narrow them down, it never gets better, but no one can be fearless! Maybe with the help of Tris one day he will defeat one of his fears. He also tells her his aptitude test result, Abnegation (Tris was hoping he would be Divergent and so was I!!). He chose Dauntless to get away from his father. He then declined being a leader because he didn't want to see his dad again, and he didn't feel he belonged to the Dauntless, well not how they are now anyway. This is why Tris' mother recognized Tobias! He tells Tris his theory that selflessness and braveness aren't all that different. All your live you've been training to forget youself, so when you're in danger, it becomes your first instinct, he could belong in Abnegation just as easily. I agree with Tobias' theory and I think that he should be a Dauntless leader, he knows what Dauntless should be like and what it shouldn't, I think he should be the head leader though, not under stupid Max! Tobias then tells Tris he likes her...... DUHHH! and then they FIANLLY kiss.

"You can't be fearless, remember? Because you still care about things. About your life." -Four

Another quote

"And when we rise, hand in hand, I realize that if we had both chose differently, we might have ended up doing the same thing, in a safer place, in gray clothes instead of black ones." -Tris

Chapter 25

Tris got a tattoo of Abnegation last night, I respect her for this because Abnegation was once a part of her and she doesn't want to forget it, she doesn't want to forget how far she has came, it's part of her identity. Walking back to her dorm with Will and Christina, she sees Four and decides to follow him. He expected her to follow him.. creepy! He invites her in his fear landscape with him, they can go through it together. Entering the simulation, they are above the train tracks, high on a building top with strong wind... Four is afraid of heights. Tris forces him to jump off with her, he does, scared. Next simulation, walls slam around them, confining them in a room just big enough to accommodate Four, claustrophobia. They crouch together, Tris talks it through with Four, steadying his heartbeat. The walls break, next simulation. A woman stares at a far distance, pointing a gun. He has to kill her, he is afraid of killing people? He shoots her head off, next simulation. Marcus emmerges from the dark. Tris puts two and two together, Marcus had a son named Tobias who joined Dauntless, Tobias is Four, Four was in Abnegation! This makes me happy that Four and Tris came from the same faction, they have some sort of connection! A dozen Marcus' appear, holding belts. They are about to hit Four but Tris rescues him this time, stepping in front and taking the hit. She takes the belt and whips Marcus, the simulation ends. Four fears, that's why they call him Four. Four hugs Tris, she got him through the simulation!

"See if you can figure out why they call me Four" -Four

Chapter 24

Tris awakes to Chrisitna, "It's Al." Immediately I knew that Al had killed himself and I think Tris knew it to as she was running to the Pit. What else would Christina be doing, waking Tris up. Al was troubled, he wasn't that kind of person to torture Tris. I think the training broke him, the pressure to be a Dauntless was too hard. It changed him, but when he snapped back to reality and Tris wouldn't forgive him, I bet he felt like his whole world crashed before him, that there was no hope for him, and this is why I actually do feel bad that Al died. They watch Al's body be hoisted form the bottom of the chasm... they both lose it. The initiates visit the funeral, Tris thinks about her old faction and how commiting suicide would be selfish. Eric makes a speech about how brave Al was for jumping over the chasm, he was one of the bravest Dauntless for jumping, the Dauntless crowd cheers. Tris thinks this speech is wrong... I'm also very confused about the speech. In a earlier chapter, Four introduced the chasm to the initiates and tells them that jumping would NOT be brave, just stupid. I think this really shows how different Eric and Four are, or maybe Four just said this so that no one would be tempted to jump for fame, if he did intend to scare them into not jumping, it worked. Al didn't jump for fame, he jumped to escape. Tris thinks that pride killed Al, the flaw in every Dauntless heart, even her own.

Four later finds Tris, and she goes off talking about how this would never happen in Abnegation.. Four warns her to be careful, that they are particularly watching HER, that he is trying to help her! When he threw the knife and nicked her, it was to show that if she failed, someone would have to take her place. He tells her that she needs to hide her selfless impulses because the leaders want them to act a certain way, to think a certain way, so that you're easy to understand, so you won't pose a threat to them.... I think this is the reason why Divergent is dangerous, it poses a threat to the leaders, that you could overpower them because you know how to work the system. Tris talks to him about how she thinks Al dying is her fault, if she would have forgiven him he would still be here. I don't think ti's Tris' fault, I think a lot of people could have done some other things to keep Al on track as well. After this talk, they hug! and they stay like that for a long time.

"Because you're from Abnegation, and it's when you're acting selflessly that you are at your bravest." -Four

Chapter 23

Tris sleeps in Fours room that night while he sleeps on the floor. Tris wonders who Four really is, when he's not an instructor.... whoever he is, she likes him.

Love is in the air!!!!!!!

Cowering, Tris walks into the dining room, she sits next to Will, Christina, and Uriah comes over. They all ask her what happened and Tris explains. Fours plan works, they all feel sorry for her, they are going to protect her from them. Four leads the initiates to the fear landscape room after breakfast.

This is kind of what I envision the Fear landscape room to be like.

The fear landscape is a simulation that presents you with a series of virtual obstacles with your biggest fears. The difference is that everyone will know it's a simulation this time, everyone will be like the Divergent. Is this a problem because Tris has no advantage? Or good because she can't be detected as Divergent. The number of fears you have in your landscape depends on the number of fears that you actually have. Stage three is basically a combination of one and two, now I know the difference. Three will be physical and emotional = mental. The final test is going through the fear landscape in fornt of a pannel of judges. Stage three is weighted the heaviest, this is not so good for Tris! But considering her high ranking now, I really don't think she could end up factionless. You can get past a obstacle in your landscape by one, calming down (steady heartbeat) or two, finding a way to face your fear. Peter objects, "that's not fair, what if one person has seven fears and the other has twenty." This is one of my favorite parts, Four says, "Do you really want to talk to me about what's fair? I understand why you're worried, Peter. The events of last night certainly proved that you are a miserable coward. So now we all know, that you are afraid of a short, skinny girl from Abnegation." GO FOUR!!!

When they arrive back at the dorm.. Al is there. His face swollen from crying, he asks to talk to Tris. Will and Christina tell him to back off! Al tells Tris that he is so sorry that he doesn't want to hurt her, and that he doesn't know what's wrong with him... Tris says some important words to him, that he definantly deserves, below.

"Stay away from me. Never come near me again. If you do, I swear to God I will kill you. You Coward." -Tris

Chapter 22

Tris awakes to the words "Fear God Alone" not a very important part in the book, but ti kind of gets me thinking about their religious beliefs. Every faction is probably different, but it doesn't seem like the praise God like our world does now, they don't mention God much.. I would think Abnegation would mention him most, but they haven't. Anyways, Four is in the room, telling her about how he deposited Drew in the infirmary while Al and Peter ran. Drew claimed that they were just "trying to scare Tris" I don't think that's what they were trying to do.... It's Peter! he took out someones eye, he despises Tris, they weren't joking, they were actually going to kill her. Tris doesn't want to report it, she doesn't want them to think she is scared even though she is pretty badly wounded. Four gives her some advice, rely on her transfer friends, show them vulnerbility so they won't be jealous. I was very shocked at the fact that Al helped Drew and Peter, even if he was embarassed by Tris, he still was her friend and he did have a thing for her, how could he let this happen to her, let alone help! He must have been a very troubled boy, maybe knocking Tris out of the rankings would save him once again, or maybe Peter and Drew did something to convince him that it would save him, either way it still surprises me. Four also tells her to march into the breakfast room the next morning with her head down, act like a little girl again is basically what he's saying. 

"He wanted you to be the small, quiet girl from Abnegation. H ehurt you because your strength made him feel weak. No other reason." -Four

Chapter 21

It's been four days since Tris talked to Tori. Two articles have been realsed about Abngeation since then, one about what Cara had expressed to Tris and her mother, and the other questioned why Abnegation should fufill the the positions in government. I understand why Abnegation is the government, selfless people are going to do what's best for everyone else, not what's best for them, that is a key factor in a good leader. Tris also had four more simulations in the past four days. One, she was tied to a stake being burnt by Peter, another she was drowning again, in a ocean, another, she watched her family slowly bleed to death (this would be the most gory, frightening, and brain-sticking simulation for me), and another she was held to gunpoint and forced to shoot her family.. if the simulations are as real as they explain them, shooting your family would be impossible to do... but Tris knows it's a simulation. The next day Tris has the same simulation as the last one, she was forced to shoot her family again, this must be the most frightening for her since she experienced it twice. Tris is affected by the simulations, but not as badly as the others. Some of the others can't sleep, they scream and cry in their sleep... especially Al.
A progress report of the second stage rankings is up that day. Tris is the number one slot! Al is last, Peter is second... I know something bad will come from this, Edward got stabbed in the eye and Peter hates Tris... she is going to be killed. Peter is furious, slams Tris against the wall, only a coward bullies a "little girl". Peter then tells the others in front of Tris, that she is just trying to manipulate them! Trying to get them to think she's a little girl so they will underestimate her. Will and Christina start to believe it, well they just need some time to think things through. Al is beyond mad, helpless.
That night, Tris sits in the hallway (I would too, I could not sleep in the same room as Peter knowing he could murder Tris any second!) Uriah finds her and asks her to come celebrate with a few other Dauntless-borns. She does, and she sees Four, they end up holding hands for a second after Four gives her some reassuring words. This is their first actual sign of affection towards eachother!!
Later that night, Tris gets out of bed to get a drink of water. She overhears Eric talking to a lady, talking about spotting the Divergent rebels. It's Erics job to find them! Suddenly a hand clasps around Tris' mouth and she is taken away by three people.... Peter, Drew, Molly??? They dangle her over the chasm railing!! One of the boys gropes her chest, a voice helping them tells them to stop. The voice is Al. Tris thrashes to the ground, someone kicks her in the chest, knocking the wind out of her. Tris hears some shouts and gasps, through her dizzy eyes she can see Drew on the Pit floor, the last thing she knows is that she is being carried out of the Pit by FOUR!!!!!!!! He is

her hero!! Would they have killed her if Four wasn't there to save the day??



"You belong here, you know that?" "You belong with us. It'll be over soon, so just hold on, okay?" -Four

Chapter 20

Tris' first simulation has stuck in her head, she has had nightmares and random fits of terror... I wonder if those visions will always stick in her head, or if she can find the will to forget them somehow. This is why Tris is so hesitant about entering her second simulation. This simulation has Tris in the dark Pit, surrounded by the other initiates and Four. She is in a glass box that starts to fill with water. They laugh, watching her drown.This simulation would probably be more difficult to forget and recover from because it contained people she sees every day, the simulation is so real that I think Tris could even start to believe that the other initiates are there to kill her, I predict that this simulation will make Tris very paranoid about her surroundings.
Tris soon realizes that her screams are of no use, she is in a simulation... I wonder if the other initiates realize the same thing in the simulations, that they are in a simulation. I wonder if it's just Tris that realizes it since she's divergent, or the others just take longer to realize it because they aren't. Tris forces the glass to break, the simulation ends. This is when Four also realizes something, Tris is Divergent!!! He deletes the footage that he is suppose to send to the leaders.... I don't know how the leaders won't notice that their is no footage on Tris, but it's their only option. Four tells Tris that she better learn how to hide her Divergent in simulations or she will end up DEAD in the bottom of the chasm!

What's so dangerous about Tris?? and how is she suppose to know how to not act when no one will tell her why Divergent is dangerous, I would be confused and frustrated if I was Tris, She needs to get answers ASAP, before she does something Divergent in front of the wrong person!!!

Tris does decide to go get some answers, from the only person she trusts right now, Tori. Tori leads her to the back of the tattoo parlor, and asks her about her simulations. Tris asks her what is means to be Divergent and Tori tells her this, "You are someone who is aware, when they are in the simulation, that what they are experiencing is not real. Someone who can manipulate the simulation or even shut it down. Someone who, because you are DAUNTLESS, tends to die." Like Tris wasn't already enduring the pain and risks of being a Dauntless, now she has a even slimmer chance of survival! Tori tells Tris that the Dauntless leaders don't know that she is Divergent yet, and they can't find out, or she WILL be killed. Tris doubts this method at first but Tori tells her that her brother was Divergent, they killed him, the last day of simulations because they found out, he couldn't hide it and he wasn't lucky enough to have Tori and Four looking out for him and deleting his footage, like Tris does. That's all the information Tori knew, Tris and I are still trying to figure out why manipulating the simulations is such a threat.. does it mean that Tris has more power then the leaders, because the leaders can't be Divergent...

 

"How many people know about this? About manipulating the simulations?" -Tris

"Two kinds of people, people who want you dead ot people who have experienced it themselves. Firsthand. Or seconhad, like me." -Tori

 

So we now know which one Tori is, but which one is Four?? He has to have experienced it first or second hand, because he sure doesn't want Tris dead, like he said, if he wanted to hurt Tris, he wouldv'e already done it.

Chapter 19

Tris enters the dorm to find most of the initates reading a paper about Abnegation, written by an Erudite, the evil Jeanine!

This is Jeanine in the movie, and exactly how I pictured her. This is the only cast member that they achieved to portray correctly!!

It suggest that the Abnegation community is abusive and disturbed, that's why so many have transferred, Caleb and Tris were an example in the paper. This was Molly's revenge, telling the paper false accusations regarding Tris' father. The paper also calls Abnegation's ideals corrupt, that they should not be the lead in our government. Tris has had enough and attacks Molly, Will has to pull her off. I understand Tris' fury, thats her father they are telling lies about, trying  to peruse the other factions, calling for an overthrow in the government! Once she is calmed down, Tris and Christina decide to go get a tattoo, of the Dauntless symbol.

On the way there, they see Four. He is a little drunk and he comes running over to Tris once he sees her! He wants her to hang out with him, but he says that she's "not allowed to see him like this." He also tells her that she looks good! Now I know Four's true feelings for Tris, from what I have heard about alcohol, it makes you say things that you wouldn't have the guts to say when you are sober.

"I have never been carried around by a large boy, or laughed until my stomach hurt at the dinner table, or listened to the clamor of a hundred people all tlaking at once. Peace is restrained; this is free." -Tris

Chapter 18

The second stage of initiation begins with all the initiates sitting in a hallway, even the Dauntless-born. Four calls each initiate one by one into the room. When Tris' turn comes, she notices the room is very similar to the aptitude test room. A reclining metal chair, and a familar machine. She sits as Four explains the simulation, it teahes you to control your emotions in the midst of a frightening situation. A orange tinted liquid is injected into Tris' neck, a more advanced version of the aptitude simulation. Four has wires to witness Tris's simulation which is sent by her brain, to a computer on the other side of the room, pretty fancy stuff. The serum stimulates amygdala, the part of the brain which processes negative emotions like fear and induces them into a hallucination. You stay in the hallucination until you calm down, slow your heart rate and control your breathing. Four tells Tris to be brave, the first time is always the hardest. Is he suppose to be telling her this stuff? is that cheating? He seems to be helping her out a lot lately.

Tris stands in a field of dry grass and a bile-colored sky is above her. A crow lands on her shoulder, digging it's talons into her. She tries to hit the crow but it will not budge. A flock storms toward her, surrounding and pecking at her. She screams and cries, they keep pecking, they come out of her mouth!  She starts to think that she's dying, she screams for help. She remembers what Four told her and starts to slow down her breathing, somehow... If I had a crow coming out of my mouth, slow breathing would be the last thing I could do. She relaxes each muscle and opens her eyes in the room again, still hysterical. Four tries to calm Tris down by walking her back to the dormitory. She questions Four as to why she had to overcome the simulation, and he explains that overcoming cowardice is not easy, she needs to learn that. Tris thinks she spent a half hour in the simulation, but she really spent three minutes. The others didn't even come close to that time so I bet they felt like they were in the simulation for days! Four tells her she will get better, she will have to do it again tomorrow. He also confirms her suspicions on the old Dauntless. He says that it wasn't always this way, six years ago Max and the other leaders changed the training methods to make them more competitive and brutal, to test people's strength, Eric is their protege. The training didn't work on Four! Four represents how Dauntless should be, and that's why he refused to take the leadership job in the Dauntless compound, he didn't agree with what Max was going for. The training worked on Eric though, and Eric is going to keep trying to enforce it because that's what he was trained to do! How did Max change the training in the first place, wasn't there someone to tell him that was wrong?

"Becoming fearless isn't the point. That's impossible. It's learning how to control your fear, and how to be from it, that's the point." -Four

Chapter 17

Tris sits in an unknown hallway, escaping the dormitory, I don't blame her, I don't know if I could ever go back there after what had happened. Uriah, one of the Dauntless born initiates stops to talk to her. He asks ehr how she is after what happened, then invites her to join him and the others to a little initiation ritual. The other Dauntless-borns don't really accept her right away, but Uriah makes them... I wonder why he is so much nicer then the other Dauntless-borns, maybe he has a crush in Tris. They make their way to the tracks. On the train, Tris meets Shauna, who was in Four's initiate class. He has told Shauna about Tris, good things. Jumping out of the train, they jog next to some members. They are on Michigan Avenue.

 Then they reach the Hancock building, piling into an elevator, They go to the one hundredth floor and climb onto the ceiling with a ladder. Attached to a pole on top of the tower is a thick steel cabel, stretching out of sight, through a cluster of buildings. Below the pole is a pile of black slings. The members go first, acting like pros, then Tris goes first for the initiates, she is nervous but she refuses to back down. She's released and she feels like a bird! 

This is what she Tris reminded me of ^. Tris loves the adrenaline and she feels like her body is charge with electricity. I would be pretty nervous, but I think that would be such an incredible thing to do. At the end, Dauntless members cheer for her as they catch her. Tris loves the Dauntless lifestyle and in this chapter she makes me think that she is really meant to be a Dauntless, she already feels like one of them.

"What floor?" -Lynn

"One-Hundred" -Tris

"How would you know that?" -Lynn

"We're in a one-hundred-story abandoned building with some Dauntless, Why don't you know that?" -Tris

Chapter 16

Returning to the dormitory, Tris finds Al. She questioned him as to why he will not go see his parents. He tells her that he doesn't want to dissapoint them since he isn't doing well. Al's dad and mom have always wanted him to come to Dauntless, they admire the Dauntless. They tell him to stay in Candor because that's what they're suppose to say, but they really want him to be a Dauntless. This is starnge because usually families try to convince their child to stay in their faction because that's what their family grew up on and that's what they chose, but maybe Al's parents never had the guts to join Dauntless or soon discovered that they made a mistake by choosing Candor and couldn't correct the mistake.

This is not why Al chose Dauntless though, he does think it's important to protect people, to stand up for people, like what Tris did for him. He thinks that's what the Dauntless should be doing, not hurting people for no reason. This made me think about Four and how I believe that this is what he thinks Dauntless is too, not what Eric believes it is, which it is like right now. If Tris was trained more on Four's morals and not Eric'a then she probably wouldn't have wanted to punch Molly and Cara! Maybe it will be better once initiation is over, Tris thinks. I want to believe this as well, but I know it won't because that would not make a very interesting story! Then Al tries to make the move on Tris! She shrugs him off, embarrassed. She wants to tell him that she hasn't been raised to see affection like this. Al, also embarrassed, apologizes. Awkwardly, she leaves. At dinner that night, the awkwardness continues when Christina brings up the aptitude test that they aren't suppose to talk about! She asks Tris about hers and can tell when Tris lies about the dog part, because Candor's can detect lying! She tells them her results where Abnegation, and they believe her. With a sight of relief, she continues back to the dorm to where the ranks are posted for stage one!! Four is there explaining how the ranks are determined. You are ranked after the first round of fights which depends on skill level, which is determined by points. You gain and lose points depending on the person you fight, no reward for preying on the weak that is cowardice (PETER!!!!!!!!). Stage two is more heavily weighed than stage one because it is more closely tied to overcoming cowardice. It's extremely difficult to rank high at the end of initiation if you rank low in stage one.

              Here are the rankings. Tris is surprised, a good surprised. Al could end up factionless, Christina is also good surprised because she is ahead of Molly who beat her. Molly's rank was lowered once Tris, who was of a low skill level beat her. She tells Tris something that scares me, she tells her that she is going to pay for this! Peter is calm.. an uneasy calm. I have a feeling those two and probably Drew are going to create some trouble. Christina, Will, and Tris decide to go celebrate as Al refuses and goes to bed. That night, Tris falls asleep thinking about her family, mostly about her mom. A scream disturbs her peace. Once the lights are turned on, Edward lies on the ground in a pool of blood with a knife stabbed into his eye. Tris comforts him, she becomes hysterical, even suppressing a laugh. Drew and Peter are nowhere to be found. This shows how crazy the situation is, that Tris almost started laughing. I can't imagine the gore and the sight of the knife in Edwards eye. I'm sure that image will stick with the initiates for awhile, I would request to sleep somewhere else after that. I would be too paranoid to sleep in the same room as the other initiates, that could be you next. Tris scrubs the floor all night, no one sleeps much that night. Chrisitina and Tris contemplate telling a leader but soon realize they would not do a thing about it.

The initiates have the next day off. Will and Tris discuss the Dauntless manifesto, "We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another." Tris thinks that Dauntless was formed with good intentions and goals, it has just strayed far form them. I agree with her. Erudite is the same way, they used to pursue knowledge for the sake of doing good, now they pursue with greedy hearts. Edward and Myra end up quitting, Edwards departure saved Al from being cut.... I wonder if Al had anything to do with the incident after being upset after the rankings came out. Two Dauntless-born also got cut. Now there are seven initiates, I wonder how many will be left, after stage 2.


"Sometimes crying or laughing are the only options left, and laughing feels better right now." -Tris

.

Chapter 15

Visiting Day! Eric greets the initiates in the morning, giving them some advice, don't seem too attached faction before blood, attachment with your family means that you are suggesting you aren't entirely pleased with your faction you chose.... I disagree, if you are attached it's probably because your family I don't know... raised you??? They should be free to be as attached to their family as they want! Eric stops Tris on the way out and compliments her on yesterday's fighting. Before entering the Pit, Tris double checks herself to see if her parent's will approve, but then she remembers it doesn't matter, she doesn't care, this is who she is now! Tris sees her mother, they greet eachother with a big hug (rare for Abnegation). Her mom asks how she is "her gift to Beatrice" She then explains to Beatrice that her father has been selfish lately! he didn't come because he had to "be at work" right.... She also tells Tris that she can't visit Caleb because the Erudite have prohibited the Abnegation from visiting the compound.... can't the Abnegation overrule this since they are the government? Tris' mother then meets Four, who she thinks is handsome :). He tells her that Tris has been doing well. Four looks familiar to Tris' mother, Natalie. Natalie and Tris then meet Al's parents, who can't find Al anywhere :(. Natalie and Tris also meet Will's family. His sister, Cara, is very rude. She insults Abnegation and thinks that the Abnegation keep the food that they say they give to the factionless, they hoard it for their own faction. Tris then threatens to break Cara's nose! this probably frightens her mom very much because at home, Tris couldn't even speak at the dinner table, let alone threaten!! Natalie takes Tris away, leads her down a few hallways that she seems familar with! She then questions Tris on her fights, ranking, test results. Tris decides to tell her tthat they were incoclusive and her mother is not surprised. She tells Tris too stay in the middle of the pack, to not draw attention to her! she wants to keep Tris safe. She tells her to never say the word Divergent! The last piece of advice she gives her is to tell Caleb to research the simulation serum? She leaves her with "Have a piece of cake for me, the chocolate is delicious, I love you, you know." Tris figures it out before me, her mom is DAUNTLESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


"If Eric thinks I did something right, I must have done it wrong." -Tris (Boo Eric!!!)

Chapter 14

It's the day before Visiting Day!!! Tris doesn't know fi it would be worse to see or to not see her parents. As she is trying on her old clothes, she can't fit into them any more, she is muscular!   Entering the dormitory in a towel, Peter, Molly, and Drew are there. Tris walks to her bunk ignoring them, but then Peter creeps up behind her, starting to tease her on her size. He blocks the way out with his arm, Molly and Drew behind him. Molly says some pretty ugly things about Tris, she has to get out of there. she ducks under Peter's arm but he grabs her towel and leaves her butt naked, running out of the dorm. She doesn't sob, she wants to get even.
Once she is in the training room, she finds out her fight is Molly, good enough. I had a feeling Tris would be ready to demolish one of them once the episode in the for happened. Christina beats Al (purposly loses), Edward beats Peter (yes!), Now it's time for Tris to beat Molly to the ground! She thinks about what Molly said to her in the dorm, "Look at her, she's like a child." This gives Tris motivation and Tris sweep kicks her to the ground! She kicks and kicks Molly, not stopping even as Molly gasps for air. Four has to pull her back from teh fight and tell her to stop! Tris doesn't even feel a pinge of guilt. I knew she had it in her, she has the heart but she just needed to use her talents like Four told her to do!

"I think of visiting day like I think of the world ending: Nothing after it matters."

This is a confusing quote, but I interpert it as, the world is everything.. but once it ends nothing after it matters, because the world ended and because the world was everything! So for visiting day, everything building up to it means everything, but once it's done and over with, it's nothing, it doesn't matter.

Chapter 13

Next morning at training, it's target practice. Four demonstrates how to throw a knife. Tris decides to practice the technique before using a knife like everyone else, she is very smart, like her brother! Her first throw, hits the target. Al is the last initiate who hasn't hit a target yet, Eric gets upset. He forces Al to go get his knife while everyone else is throwing theirs. Al refuses, saying he is sacred to get stabbed by an airborne knife (crazy of him right??) this time Eric doesn't let this slide, like he did at the chasm. He forces Al to then stand in front of the target as Four throws knives at him. Before the first knife is thrown, Tris tells them to stop! Eruc tells her to take his place then, she willingly does. I belive this is a form of bravery (Dauntless) she could be killed, and an act of selflessness (Abngeation) she stood up for Al. If she flinches, Al would take her place. Every knife thrown, she doesn't flinch or get hit, until the last one, it knicks her ear. She knows that Four did this on purpose. Eric dismisses the group and compliments Tris.... it's hard to tell when Eric is going to be offended by a situation or proud. Once everyone leaves, Tris shouts at Four. He tells her that she should thank him, that he is tired of waiting for her to catch on. She questions him, tells him he is sadistic. He leaves her with, "If I wanted to hurt you, don't you think I would have already?" As well as Tris, I'm confused as to what he means by this, he can't actually like her??? he is so old and he is basically her teacher!! Maybe he just means that he sees a lot of potential in her, I guess we will find out!


"Any idiot can stand in front of a target. It doesn't prove anything except that you're bullying us. Which, as I recall, is a sign of cowardice." -Tris

Another one of my favorite parts ^^^ but I expected Eric to then throw her into the chasm after she had embarassed him like that!!

Chapter 12

It's been two days since Tris' fight with Peter, she beat Myra, a small initiate easily. (This kind of makes me wonder why Myra chose Dauntless.) Tris is about to go to sleep when flashlights wae the whole dormitory up, Eric screams for everybody to get up, Dauntless surrounding him. He tells them they have five minutes to meet by the tracks, for another field trip. At the tracks, every grabs a paintball gun... Eric is so violent I half expected them to be real guns. Once they get on the train, Four explains that they are playing capture the flag! Each team will be even, Four is one captain and Eric the other. Eric picks Edward, Peter, Molly, Al, and Myra is left so he takes her as well. Four takes the rest, picking Tris first! This makes her angry at first thinking that he is making fun of her, but really it's part of his strategy, she knows it. Four's team is faster the Erics. Eric has all the strong, bulky kids. Speed wins capture the flag, everyone has known that since they were a kid. Four's team gets off first, deciding to hide the flag at navy pier (well future abandoned navy pier). Buildings end just before the marsh and a jut of land strips out onto the marsh, with the ferris wheel on it.

 The team talked about how crazy it was that people rode the ferris wheel for fun, I thought this was funny because they jump off trains and give each other black eyes for fun! The team reaches the carousel and argues a strategy, while this is happening, Tris decides to climb the ferris wheel. If she gets high enough, she can find out the other teams strategy. As she climbs, Four decides to join her. They talk as they climb higher and Tris gets a little nauseous, not from the height, but form FOUR! <3..... They reach a platform and Four explains that he is afraid of heights! He explains how he ignores his fear, he acts in spite of fear. They climb higher, and see the other teams flag. They then start climbing down, to put their strategy into action. One of the bars break and Tris almost dies, Four saves her by moving the wheel so she is carried to the ground. They tell their team the plan and put it into action, charging the other side. Christina reaches the flag just before Tris does, taking the glory since Tris came up with the plan. On the train on the ay back, Tris befriends Marlene and Uriah, who compliment her on her plan.

"If my entire life is like this, loud laughter and bold action and the kind of exhaustion you feel after a hard but satisfying day, I will be content." -Tris

I felt this chapter needed two quotes since I couldn't decide which one I liked better!

"Eric is more ruthless than Four, but Four is smarter." -Tris


This is one of my favorite parts/quote in the book because I think intelligence will always come out on top! To be ruthless and for it to have some sort of affect, you must have power, and I think you can only achieve power with intelligence.. in most cases. Who would want a stupid president? This is why Four will always beat Eric!

Chapter 11

Christina wakes Tris up in the morning, sore and tired, Tris is patched with bruises. Christina gets her breakfast and helps her tie her shoes, what a good friend... I think they all need someone to talk about initiation and their worries, they no longer have their family so I believe that everyone always needs someone to be there for them, or else they will explode! They reach the train tracks (going on a field trip) and jump on with pain. They pass " a sea of crumbling, abandoned buildings." Chrisitna asks Tris what she thinks is "out there." She means past the farms, what they are guarding the city from. This imediately reminded me of Hunger games, what is outside of the Hunger game's districts'? Everyone wants to know what these futuristic books mean by their community's being seperated from some other land!

 They didn't have guards guarding the fence until five years ago. Getting off the train, they observe the chain linked fence with barbed wire at the top. They follow Four into the gate, he tells them that if they don't rank in the top five by the end of initiation, you will probably end up here, a fence guard. That job would be terrible,

   This would be you for the rest of your Dauntless life! Peter asks Four what rank he is, Four tells them first. He then asks why he didn't choose a government job and Four says, because he didn't want one. Some jobs Dauntless can choose consist of: guarding the fence, working for the security of the city, working in the Dauntless compound drawing tattoos or making weapons or even fighting for entertainment, working as a Dauntless leader. Entering the gate, Tris spots some Amity, one of them is Robert. They talk a little about their new homes. Four then tells her to not talk to the other factions. He also gives her some advice about her fighting, but she asks him why he left her only fight. He replies, "It wasn't something I wanted to watch." I think by this he means that the fight was pathetic, I think he is trying to motivate Tris, there has to be something inside of her ready to get out and fight, she has a lot of heart, she just has to build up her strength and skills.

"I am worried that yu have a knack for making unwise decisions." -Four

Chapter 10

Tris wakes up to Stiff spray painted across her mattress. Her first threat from Peter, she ignores him. Why is he targeting Tris now? she hasn't threatened r done anything to him... I would think that he would target someone his own size or gender! Today Tris has to fight Peter.. not fair, but just like age doesn't matter, I'm guessing gender doesn't either... everyone is equal. If I had to fight him I would be ready to knock him out for being such a jerk. Molly and Edward fight, Molly loses of course, and Tris and Peter go next. He starts talking smack, Tris lunges at him but he catches her and throws her to the ground. Tris fights to the end, but Peter knocks her unconscious, the last thing Tris sees is Four leaving the room. She awakes in bed with her friends watching over her, taking care of her in the nurses room. Al tells her about how he let Drew beat him in the fight, (I wonder if Eric caught on?) Tris tells him that he's "not a coward for not wanting to hurt people." They then contemplate if their families are going to visit them on Visiting Day, the day that families can visit their kids in initiation. Most transfer's families don't visit. Al thinks it would just make it ahrder to see his family. Tris doesn't think her family will even come, but I disagree, I think her parents will come because it would selfish if they didn't, and Tris' mom before the ceremony told Tris that she would love her no matter what! she might just have to drag Dad along with her. Tris goes back to the dorms and falls asleep with these tear-jerking thoughts.

"The only thing worse than letting Peter put me in the hospital would be letting him put me there overnight." -Tris

Chapter 9

It's fighting day, Tris gets a bye today, but Christina has to fight the tank, Molly. Christina talks about how Peter, Drew, and Molly have all been inseperable since birth, she hates them. Peter is pure evil, has always been a liar in the Candor community, but no one ever would think he is one because no one is suppose to lie in Candor. This makes me wonder what they do to those who don't follow the rules of their Faction? throw them out? is their a prison?? Drew is Peter's sidekick and Molly is also evil! Will and Al fight first, they go at it for quite sometime, making eachother bleed and bruise. They wait for Four or Eric to call the fight off but they never do, Eric says it ends when one of them can no longer continue... does this mean death? Four argues with Eric, someone can concede. Eric argues back that those are the old rules. Four says that "A brave man acknowledges the strength of others." Eric says, "A brave man never surrenders." I agree with Four of course, Eric is an idiot!! It takes a lot of bravery to surrender to someone, swallow their pride, which I can tell Eric has never done such a thing. Tris says she feels like she's waching two kinds of Dauntless, the honorable and the ruthless. Maybe the two could combine so that the intiates would understand what Dauntless really is, and not be confused by what their leaders are trying to teach them. Eric has the overall authority though, which seems so weird to me because he is younger then Four! It would be like a Freshman bossing around a Senior, strange but age doesn't matter in the Dauntless community. Al soon finishes the fight with one punch to the jaw.  Four carries Will out leaving Eric with the rest. Molly and Christina fight next, a good long fight ends in christina begging for mercy. She tells her to stop, that she's done! Eric is upset by this and grabs Christina, he tells the rest to follow. I knew Eric would be upset by this considering his ruthless idea he stated during Will and Al's fight. Where is Four to save the day??? Eric leads them to the chasm, tells Christina to climb over the railing, he tells her if she can hang over the chasm for five minutes, that he will forget her cowardice and if she can't, he won't let her continue initiation. What a physco!!!!!!! The narrow metal railing is soaked with the spray of the river. Determined, Chrisitina is fine for the firts minute and a half, but then her back is striked by the river water and her face strikes the barrier, she hangs by her fingertips and can't get a better grip because the railing is so wet!! Four minutes, Al and Tris cheer her on, Tris contemplates saving her but knows she will experience the same fate. Selfish, but that doens't matter anymore because she is Dauntless. Five minutes is up, Eric tells her to get up by herself, Al says no (GO AL!!!) and he helps her up, along with a little help from Tris. It seems that Al is Dauntless, winning that fight, but he is also very selfless, for what he did for Christina.

"I guess I haven't really had a friend, period. It's impossible to have a real friendship when no one feels like they can accept help or even talk about themselves. That won't happen here. I already know more about Christina than I ever knew about Susan, and it's only been two days. -Tris (okay now she is just making Abnegation sound miserable, like prison. I can't imagine how many rules are established there, and it makes me understand why they are the government, but do they put people in jail for not following the rules? or would that be selfish?)

Chapter 8

At training, Four explains the initiation process. 3 stages which will rank and measure you are your progress, providing preparation.

1. Primarily physical
2. Primarily emotional
3. Primarily mental

Emotional and mental seem like the same thing, or connected in some way. Yawning, Peter asks a stupid question during training and Four flips the gun in his hand, presses the barrel to Peter's forehead, and clicks a bullet in place. "Wake up. You are holding a loaded gun you idiot. Act like it." This scares Peter. (Not important, but one of my favorite parts!) Four shows the how to shoot a gun.The initiates all practice, once Tris gets it down she feels powerful! The initiates take a lunch break and Tris sits with Al, Will and Christina. They talk about their factions, and how grossed out Tris is by watching Edward and Myra kiss. Christina tells Tris that her "Abnegation is showing." I understand why she is so disgusted... it's gross to see couples PDAing in the hallways of NS everyday too, but I don't understand why her faction is so against it. Their faction does seem very stiff, it seems like they weren't even aloud to laugh a lot because after Will makes fun of her for being so shocked by the kiss, she laughs and says "It feels good to laugh again." You must have to be really careful if you lived in Abnegation, you could never know when you are being selfish. After lunch, Four leads them to a huge room with punching bags. He teaches them how to fight, which teaches your body how to respond to threats and challenges you will need to "survive life as a Dauntless." Is life as a Dauntless always going to be as threatening as it is in initiation, could you still end up faction less?? I wonder if Tris would have picked Dauntless if she knew how much aggression and fighting was involved. Four demonstrates punches and the initiates practice. He tells Tris that she will need to use her knees and elbows more since she doesn't have much muscle. On the way to dinner, Tris and Christina talk about how intimidting Four is, but Tris isn't afraid of him.. (hmmmmm!) Christina then takes Tris to the clothing place, she replaces her ugly, gigantic, grey clothes with a new back dress! She puts some makeup on her and Tris actually feels like she is breaking the rules! Even wearing somehting noticeable is frowned upon in Abnegation! Leaving her Abnegation identity behind gives her hope, she wants to be a new person and break her old habits that her parents worked so hard to create! Next they go to the tattoo parlor where Tris sees Tori again, the one who gave her the aptitude test! Tris wants to ask her questions, but Tori thinks that it will be to dangerous, so Tris decides to get a tattoo on her collar bone, leading to her heart. Three birds marking a path towards her heart, one for each family member she left behind.

What I pictured the tattoo like, minus two birds, plus on the collarbone.

"We believe that preparation eradicates cowardice, which we define as the failure to act in the midst of fear."