Veronica Roth’s novel Divergent is an incredible dystopian story about Tris’s (Beatrice), self discovery and the true meaning of courage. The future version of Chicago that Tris has been living in has been peaceful for years. Her society has divided up into five faction to ensure that everyone lives peacefully. The factions are: Candor (honesty is the only way), Abnegation (always being selfless), Dauntless (putting bravery before everything), Amity (living peacefully at all times), and Erudite (continually seeking knowledge). Tris was born into the Abnegation faction of her society. This means that she puts selflessness above everything. However, it has never been an easy task for Tris and at her Choosing ceremony she has to decide if she is Abnegation or Dauntless. This one decision alters the course of her life and perhaps her entire society’s philosophies and well being.
This book is great! I was slightly concerned in the beginning of the book because it was a little slow moving as we learned about the different factions and met Tris. However, this quickly changed once she chose a faction. I loved how Roth developed her characters through the book. Tris started out so meek and unsure of herself and grew into a force to be reckoned with. Not only did she become strong physically but her beliefs of right and wrong became clearer to her even as things grew more complicated. I also loved the drama that comes with the question, does the cute boy hate me or like me? This is such a universal question, whether it be in a contemporary fiction, fantasy, or dystopian novel no one ever seems to know who likes who. Okay, we knew Four liked Tris, but it was fun to watch it play out anyway. I am really excited to see what happens in Insurgent. The ending of Divergent got really crazy really fast and I am sure Insurgent is going to dive right into the action. This is a must read for any YA enthusiast.