Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopian
Year of Publication: 2011
Date of Publication: April 25, 2011
Pages: 487
ISBN-10: 0062024027
ISBN-13: 978-0062024022
Summary of Divergent by Veronica Roth
Divergent is a dystopian novel set in a future Chicago where society is divided into five factions, each representing a distinct virtue. At birth people are assigned a temporary faction.
The way the book explains the factions is that the Abnegation faction is for those that are all about selflessness). Amity is for those who put kindness above everything. Erudite is for those who seek knowledge above all else. Candor is for those who place honesty above everything and Dauntless is for those who are all about bravery.
Each year, 16 year old’s from each faction are given a test in order to see which faction they would be best suited for. The day after the test, they must attend a choosing ceremony where they select which faction they would like to permanently belong to. Essentially, they walk up one-by-one and use a knife to make a cut on their hand, sprinkling some of their blood into a bowl that signifies the faction they have chosen.
Beatrice “Tris” Prior is 16 years old and is also expected to make her choice. However when she goes for her test she discovers she is Divergent i.e. someone who does not fit neatly into one faction or who exhibits traits of more than one faction.
Both Tris and her brother, Caleb, decide to leave their old faction and go to new ones. While Tris chooses Dauntless, Caleb chooses Erudite.
As Tris begins her new life in the Dauntless faction, she learns of a conspiracy that threatens to tear society apart.
Writing Style
Veronica Roth tells the story using a first-person narrative. This allows readers feel like they have access to Tris’s perspective and her experiences. The author takes her time with the character development of Tris.
Impact of Divergent
The novel became a bestseller and launched a popular trilogy. It was adapted into a successful film series starring Shailene Woodley as Tris Prior and Theo James as Tobias “Four” Eaton.
When the book first came out, you had a lot of people talk about this book and make comparisons to other trilogies like The Hunger Games, and often times you would find some people who were team The Hunger Games or Team Divergent. At the end of the day, both books were equally successful and enjoyable to read.
