Why people don't respect the "young adult" genre

Rating: 3/10 (7 November 2014)

Since we apparently needed to continue the theme of young adult dystopian adventure, they adapted the first book in the Divergent series to film. So, how does it measure up?
Divergent takes place in a bleak, strictly regimented future where everyone is born into certain "factions" based primarily on their personality traits. Those may include intelligence, selflessness, fearlessness, justness and kindness. At a coming of age ceremony the young members of this society are given a test that dictates what faction they belong in—however, they able to choose the one they want no matter their results. Our teen protagonist Tris (Shailene Woodley) was born into the selfless faction, and is shocked to learn that the results of her personality test are inconclusive—therefore she is "divergent", and cannot fit into society. However she chooses to join the fearless faction and with the help of some friends begins a covert overthrow of the government so this faction business can be done away with.
Before I get into anything I'll say I've not read the books, so I do not know how this compares to the source material, nor if they did anything "wrong" in the film. This movie felt forced. It felt like it just really, really wanted to be The Hunger Games. But unfortunately none of the characters, plot, or fictitious government were very good. I spent the entire movie thinking that the concept of their factions was so flimsy it was ridiculous. Mainly because the personality traits—kind, just, intelligent, selfless, and brave are NOT at all contradictory. I find it flat out impossible to believe that any person could possibly fit into just one faction. Not only that, but what the hell is the point of the test if you can choose your faction regardless of what the test says? It would at least make more sense if people must stay in the faction they're born into like a caste system, or just that one MUST go into the faction their test dictates. I didn't find any of the characters particularly likable, and the acting really fell flat. I was very aware I was watching a movie, and was never engaged or excited by anything that happened.
All in all this movie was a poorly acted and poorly executed mess that left me checking the time every few minutes. It's based on a storyline and characters that make no logical sense, and who try to be poignant but just come off sounding juvenile and foolish. Definitely not worth the time it takes to watch it.