I must admit, I watched the screen adaptation of this book before finally bringing myself to reading it. And though the storyline isn't all that original, after watching the film I've found myself drawn to the story because I can relate to Tris and her desire for adventure by parting from the boring norm of the Abnegation society and joining the ranks of Dauntless. I imagine many young minds can relate, hence the series' success. 
 There's a formula to the average bestselling young adult novels these days, and they always appear to involve a certain sense of community or friendship amongst peers whom all endure a hardship towards a better future, and fall in love along the way. It's relatable, yet fantastical all at once, and I think that's what makes so many people attached to the characters and the worlds within, because a part of them wants just some kind of taste for another world outside of their own where they can gain these strong relationships and experiences. 
 Tris as a main character was somewhat forgettable in terms of narration, her voice being flat and average, not much in terms of individuality or strong descriptive vocabulary when it came to her emotions or the world surrounding her. She is able to bring out a tougher, stronger version of herself, but it's also swallowed by the dull construction of the text as a whole. 
 Throughout I also found myself bothered by her lack of her character's continuity and the repetitive nature of her thoughts from chapter to chapter. She resigns herself to being tough as nails, often judging those who show their weakness before others, but her actions don't always mirror this resignation. In my opinion, this is where the screenplay adaptation was on point, taking this trait of Tris's which was so important to her character as a whole, as well as her relationship with Four, and making her as tough even if it contradicted the book's actions. For example: 
 *	Within the novel, Tris yells at Four for his actions in throwing the knives at her and cutting her. Yet this was fairly early on, when did she gain the sort of relationship with him to be allowed this response to a higher ranking Dauntless? And if she truly were to be tough as nails then she wouldn't react like a child by hollering at someone for a little cut on their ear. 
 *	Similarly, following the first test in the second round of training, Tris is crying and screaming at Four, yet he doesn't judge her, and she doesn't see the parallel between that and Al's first night in the bunks. They're fairly similar, yet within the simulation she's aware that it's not real but still freaks out excessively. It simply seems a bit out of character that she would continue crying about something she knows to be fake, all the way down the hall as Four escorts her from the testing chambers? 
 o	As a comparison, within the film she holds a level head much more often, responding emotionally only to the strongest emotionally impactful experiences, such as when Al tried to kill her and her mother's death, which in my opinion made them even more impactful. The film succeeded in weeding out the less desireable/less needed character traits of Tris's in order to create a stronger character and arc as a whole that had a definitive strength to it and didn't contradict from scene to scene. 
 *	Four finding out about Tris's divergence seems a bit too rapid and to the point. At that point there doesn't seem much reason for him to come straight out with that information then so easily delete the footage. And if it were to work out that way, then perhaps their relationship should develop a bit more rapidly following this point. 
 In conclusion I'd like to mention that although there are a lot of nitpicky comments regarding the book within this terribly constructed review, I actually did quite enjoy the story that it had to offer and the characters within. The hesitant development of Tris and Four's relationship seems fairly natural as compared to many other young adult love stories within these types of novels. I also appreciated that her affection towards Four didn't overshadow everything else that she was going through in terms of her family's troubles and her connection to Dauntless. There is a sort of infatuation and lines regarding a bit of a connection between her and Four, it's not Tris's main focus throughout, which enhances the realism and therefore my connection to the novel.