“Two years before Beatrice Prior makes her choice, the sixteen-year-old son of Abnegation’s faction leader does the same. Tobias’s transfer to Dauntless is his chance to begin again. Newly renamed ‘Four’ he discovers that initiation is only the beginning… Four must claim his place in the Dauntless hierarchy. And his decision will affect future initiates as well as uncover secrets that could threaten his own future – and the future of the entire faction system. Two years later, Four is poised to act but the course is still unclear. The first new initiate who jumps into the net might change all that. With her, the way to righting their world might become clear. With her it might become possible to be Tobias once again.”
What is the book about?
Two years before Beatrice Prior makes her choice, sixteen-year-old Tobias Eaton does the same. Tobias transfers to Dauntless in order to escape the father who he has always feared and to be able to start a new, better life. With a new name, new faction and new life, he realises that initiation is only the beginning. Four must claim his place with the Dauntless and prove he belongs. His choice has the power to not only threaten his own future, but to affect the lived of future initiates as well. Four has the ability to make things better for everyone, or sit back and watch as the future of the entire faction system change. Two years late, Four is ready to act but the way to go is still unclear and he is not yet sure what to do to fix it. Then the first new initiate jumps…and everything changes. With her the way to changing the world to become a better place might become possible. With her it might be possible for Four to become Tobias once again.
What were your initial thoughts on the book?
When I first saw the book, I was very confused. I was unsure whether it was another book or a short story, I wasn’t even sure if it was on the past, present or future, then only thing that I was confident about was that it had something to do with Four but I didn’t know what. When I found out what it was after reading the blurb I was very curious to learn about Four’s life before he even met Tris and even before he got his nickname and was just Tobias. I learnt a bit about him from reading Allegiant but there was still a lot I wanted to know. At the beginning of the book there was a short introduction that I found very interesting. In it, Veronica Roth explained that she had actually started writing Divergent from Tobias’s perspective and it compelled me to read the book as I wanted to discover why she had been so interested in his life and why he was the character she had primarily chosen to narrate the story.
Who was your favourite character and why?
My favourite character was definitely Four because of the new perspective I got on his life. I liked learning about his past and how everything in his life was before he met Tris. I got to see how everything affected him and what made him feel the need to leave the faction he was destined for. It really showed me how brave he was even before joining Dauntless. The book showed me a lot about his life and I learnt how even though he suffered, everything that happened during his childhood made him stronger and contributed to the person he was in the end of the series. Despite the book not being written from her point of view, I also to see Tris in a new light which is why she was also a favourite character of mine. I got to see Tris through someone else's eyes and this helped me really see how brave and selfless she is and how other people see her. Four and Tris are both really brave, selfless and wonderful people and I really enjoyed reading about them.
What was your favourite part of the book and why?
It was very hard for me to choose a favourite part of the book as it is more of a combination of short stories, so instead of picking a part I have decided to choose a favourite story. My favourite story in the book was the Traitor. This was because it happens when Four has already met Tris and overlaps with the events in Divergent. I really liked it because it showed how things happened from Four's point of view and what it was like for him to feel like a faction traitor. It was weird at first to go back to the start of the whole adventure and to me it felt a bit like time travel, going back to a place where everything is so much better and not everything is full of suffering, loss and betrayal – though the whole definition of a traitor is betraying something, or someone. I liked being there with Four when he chose to show Tris who he really was and seeing how tough it was for him. This story also told me that he knew a huge secret that had the potential to save, or destroy, everything and it showed me how much Four was really hiding and how it was for him to have the ability to save everyone. This story helped me learn a lot about Four and his relationship with Tris and the reason he reached out to her and shared his secrets with her.
What was your overall impression of the book?
Overall, the book was amazing – I loved everything about it. One thing that I really liked was learning about the past and seeing how Four was before he became Dauntless and the only name he went by was Tobias. It was very interesting to know how his initiation was different to Tris's and why things changed. I also liked the book as I got to learn why Four needed up as an instructor instead of as the leader, even though he was ranked first in his group of initiates. I was also explained – in more detail – how his nickname was chosen. It had always confused me as I knew that Tris only got to learn her fears until the end, so it was strange for Four to wait so long to get his name, but it was all explained very well. The book answered a lot of questions I had on Four and I really liked finally knowing more about him. Another thing I liked about the book was seeing some parts from Divergent from Four's point of view. I always love getting a fresh perspective and knowing what it is like for someone else because there are always different sides of a story and I am always curious to see how different people react in different situations. Everyone has a different reaction and people see things that make them have an opinion that might explain something that the narrator doesn't understand, or sometimes that small opinion might change the whole plot. I also liked seeing how Tris and Four's lives overlapped and what it was like for Four to meet someone that he would spend a lot of his life protecting. I really loved the book and reading all those parts of Four's life that led to Divergent and seeing how it all began.
Would you recommend this book?
I think that this book is perfect for readers who enjoyed Divergent and want to learn more about Tobias. I also recommend it for anyone who had not read yet read Divergent (particularly over the age of 14) as it is a great book to read, however I recommend reading the Divergent trilogy beforehand as Four will be more understandable if you have read the three books.
Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict)
A short informing book full of action and mystery from the past.
Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego
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