Divergent [Hardcover]

Veronica Roth (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 3, 2011 | Series: Divergent (Book 1)

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A Q&A with Author Veronica Roth

Q: What advice would you offer to young aspiring writers, who long to live a success story like your own?

Roth: One piece of advice I have is: Want something else more than success. Success is a lovely thing, but your desire to say something, your worth, and your identity shouldn’t rely on it, because it’s not guaranteed and it’s not permanent and it’s not sufficient. So work hard, fall in love with the writing—the characters, the story, the words, the themes—and make sure that you are who you are regardless of your life circumstances. That way, when the good things come, they don’t warp you, and when the bad things hit you, you don’t fall apart.

Q: You’re a young author--is it your current adult perspective or not-so-recent teenage perspective that brought about the factions in the development of this story? Do you think that teens or adults are more likely to fit into categories in our current society?

Roth: Other aspects of my identity have more to do with the factions than my age. The faction system reflects my beliefs about human nature—that we can make even something as well-intentioned as virtue into an idol, or an evil thing. And that virtue as an end unto itself is worthless to us. I did spend a large portion of my adolescence trying to be as “good” as possible so that I could prove my worth to the people around me, to myself, to God, to everyone. It’s only now that I’m a little older that I realize I am unable to be truly “good” and that it’s my reasons for striving after virtue that need adjustment more than my behavior. In a sense, Divergent is me writing through that realization—everyone in Beatrice’s society believes that virtue is the end, the answer. I think that’s a little twisted.

I think we all secretly love and hate categories—love to get a firm hold on our identities, but hate to be confined—and I never loved and hated them more than when I was a teenager. That said: Though we hear a lot about high school cliques, I believe that adults categorize each other just as often, just in subtler ways. It is a dangerous tendency of ours. And it begins in adolescence.

Q: If you could add one more faction to the world within Divergent, what would it be?

Roth: I tried to construct the factions so that they spanned a wide range of virtues. Abnegation, for example, includes five of the traditional “seven heavenly virtues:” chastity, temperance, charity, patience, and humility. That said, it would be interesting to have a faction centered on industriousness, in which diligence and hard work are valued most, and laziness is not allowed. They would be in constant motion, and would probably be happy to take over for the factionless. And hard-working people can certainly take their work too far, as all the factions do with their respective virtues. I’m not sure what they would wear, though. Overalls, probably.

Q: What do you think are the advantages, if any, to the society you’ve created in Divergent?

Roth: All the advantages I see only seem like advantages to me because I live in our current society. For example, the members of their society don’t focus on certain things: race, religion, sexual orientation, political affiliation, etc. I mean, a world in which you look different from the majority and no one minds? That sounds good to me. But when I think about it more, I realize that they’re doing the exact same thing we do, but with different criteria by which to distinguish ourselves from others. Instead of your skin color, it’s the color of your shirt that people assess, or the results of your aptitude test. Same problem, different system.

Q: What book are you currently reading and how has it changed you, if at all?

Roth: I recently finished Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma, which I would call “contemporary with a paranormal twist,” or something to that effect. It’s about a girl whose sister has a powerful kind of magnetism within the confines of a particular town, and how their love for each other breaks some things apart and puts other things back together. It was refreshing to read a young adult book that is about sisterhood instead of romance. It’s one of those books that makes you love a character and then hate a character and then love them again—that shows you that people aren’t all good or all bad, but somewhere in between. Imaginary Girls gave me a lot to think about, and the writing was lovely, which I always love to see.

Review

“You’ll be up all night with Divergent, a brainy thrill-ride of a novel.” (BookPage )

“A memorable, unpredictable journey from which it is nearly impossible to turn away.”— (Publishers Weekly (starred review) )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Hardcover: 496 pages
• Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (May 3, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062024027
• ISBN-13: 978-0062024022
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (646 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #557 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #27 in Books > Teens > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction

More About the Author

Veronica Roth is a 22-year-old debut author, and a recent graduate of Northwestern University's Creative Writing program. While a student, she often chose to work on the story that would become Divergent instead of doing her homework. It was a transforming choice. Now a full-time writer, Ms. Roth lives near Chicago.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

122 of 136 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enthralling, Riveting Must Buy Novel!, April 3, 2011

By 

Lee - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Divergent (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

Divergent was definitely a new riveting tale that had me rapidly flipping the pages in a reading frenzy! It starts off with the reader getting to know the lifestyle of Beatrice, a sixteen year old girl, in a dystopian or controlled world, where there are five factions of people: Abnegation who put others before their own needs and where Beatrice is currently from, the Dauntless who are brave and fearless, the Erudite who are studious, the Amity who are peaceful, and the Candor who are honest. Before Choosing Day, where each sixteen year old will decide which faction they wish to devote their life to, is a simulated aptitude test that will tell Beatrice which faction she would fit in most with...but for her life will never be simple. Instead of having just one of these traits as is normal, Beatrice possesses at least three, which makes her a dangerous person for reasons she doesn't understand, and answers are not forthcoming as she has to keep this information to herself or risk being killed.

From there Beatrice has to make her own mark in the world, and ultimately makes a decision that will change the rest of her life. No more does she portray the meek, silent girl with no spirit, but instead forces herself to rise up to the challenges she faces in both the initiation and in her life. For if she lets her guard down, she faces becoming factionless, without friends or family, but what she doesn't expect to find along her new path is what she yearned for all along. To understand who she really is.

Divergent is one novel that had me jumping out of my seat, biting my nails to the quick as I was drawn into Beatrice's world, cheering her on one minute, and wanting to cry with her the next. She does have her moments where she seems a little cold like when she wishes one boy would stop sniveling, and you see why Abnegation didn't suit her. But then the next minute she is putting herself in danger for someone else, and you understand why she has a bit of a split personality. She's been born into a society that believes you can only have one quality, and she has to figure out on her own that being brave dosen't mean that she has to give up being selfless as well. As she fights to stay in the competition, for only ten initiates will be able to call their new faction familiy, I couldn't help but root for her. Beatrice has a lot to learn, but it's through obstacles and the friendship's she makes that she ultimately finds herself. This is one book that I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who loves action, bravery, a little romance, and a ton of adventure. Be forewarned that it will have you sitting on the edge of your seat and eagerly anticipating a sequel!

111 of 140 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Lukewarm Dystopian. . .But Good Story and Adventure., May 7, 2011

By 

Jillian -always aspiring- - See all my reviews

This review is from: Divergent (Hardcover)

In the YA book world, 2011 is definitely shaping up to be the year of the dystopian. With the popularity and acclaim of Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games trilogy, the young adult publishing world seemed to explode with all kinds of ideas for dystopians about oppression and chaos -- and publishers were all the more willing to oblige them due to the proven success of The Hunger Games.

One of the more hyped offerings, Divergent by Veronica Roth, has been gaining more and more pre-publication buzz each day, especially since the news that Summit Entertainment had optioned the book for film adaptation even months before the book's release date. Never mind that a mere peek at the Goodreads page for the book shows a bevy of four- and five-star reviews. Divergent just seemed to need to be read to be believed -- and read I did.

Truthfully, I don't think the quick comparison to The Hunger Games does Divergent any favors except to build hype and expectations among readers. However much it's a great tactic for marketing, I personally don't know if this book should even be referred to as a dystopian since the label hurts more than helps it, giving the idea of one thing to the readers and offering something a little bit different with the story itself.

Let me explain: I have a set idea as to what, for me personally, a dystopian is. YA dystopians seem to have an identity crisis at times (something Vinaya spoke about here) where they're just so intent about illustrating some kind of suffering or shock factor hook that they lose the true meaning of a dystopia: a world that has descended from order to chaos, one where what once were nightmares and dark musings of past times (i.e. usually our own modern days) are now common pieces of society, even to the point where rights or privileges of the people have been abolished and replaced by 'what is deemed right and fair.'

Now, back to the case of Divergent: yes, it certainly has hints of dystopian tenets. . .but strip the layers of the story away and what do you have? Is it really a true dystopian, the kind that makes us fear for our own world because we see the problems and warnings present in our own time and place? Or just an action thriller with dystopian elements? Honestly, Divergent is an adrenaline-kick, shock-factor-enthusiast, and action-centric kind of book first and foremost; the dystopian undercurrent is mostly for show, at least in this beginning installment to the trilogy.

For being labeled a dystopian, the world-building behind the story leaves a lot to be desired. Though we are told that the five factions resulted from a 'great peace' following a devastating war, the nature and state of the world as a whole is a big unknown. Chicago is the focus, front and center, but any reader must wonder, "What about the rest of the United States? And the world itself?" Roth describes her world sparingly, giving only some modern downtown Chicago landmarks scene time to ground her world; one must wonder if the sparseness of setting is a sign of intentional withholding of information or lack of planning and fleshing of the story's world. (Personally, I hope it is the former.)

But all of those concerns of mine started to fade into the background as I continued to read. Though the flaws are many (the length, unfortunately, being one of them), Roth doesn't fail to draw readers into her story and make them feel compelled to keep reading just to see what happens. The first one hundred and fifty pages were a struggle for me, no lie, but then it got easier to accept the book for what it was instead of wishing for more of what I thought it could be. The most discernible problem for me was Beatrice, who was a difficult heroine to grow to like since she started out so judgmental and harsh to the point that she was a bit unrelatable. Then her 'change' seemed to come much too soon, but I was glad for it since she eventually became a bearable (though, at times, still not particularly likable) heroine.

The novel's plot doesn't start to come together under the last one hundred or so pages, but I have to appreciate the character relationships that grow within the story. However much I was ready to ride them off in the beginning, the characters grew on me (sometimes in spite of myself), and I really started to care about what was happening to them and around them. When I start off with questionable feelings towards a book, I don't often change my mind. . .but, with Divergent, I eventually found myself swayed.

In the end, what struck (and stuck with) me most about the novel overall is this: the underlying theme of morals and their importance in the story. The factions themselves are representations of things valued and praised within the Bible: selflessness, bravery, honesty, knowledge, and peace. (I am not taking liberties by assuming Roth used the Bible as inspiration for her world; she herself has not hidden the fact that she is a Christian.) Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised by the moral aspect of the novel, and it gave the story some of the depth I had been craving all along. Let it be known that, at its core, this novel is about choices, priorities, and beliefs. This tendency isn't a flaw in the story, however; rather, I think it helps to enhance and differentiate a book that would otherwise have been lost in similarities to its popular predecessor.

(I will also give Roth credit in this respect: she could have easily had her factions act forever positively in regards to their specific traits, but instead she does not shy away from casting all the factions in gray lights. All the characters are ambiguous figures, mostly neither hero nor villain but rather 'flawed human,' and that in itself is refreshing in a YA landscape of 'goodies and baddies.')

Though this novel contains a rocky and lengthy start that takes away a bit from the impact of the novel as a whole, the story does eventually 'get there' where you're invested (even if only to see where everything is going). It took a while for me to care, but other readers who are more action-oriented than I am may look at this novel with more patience and appreciation. As it is, I'll be reading the sequels to see how the story continues, but I stand by my words that this novel is much more appealing when it is showing off its games of ambiguity and morality than its plays at brutality and violence.

My conclusion: Divergent is a free-for-all book dependent entirely on a reader's specific tastes and expectations. There's just no way to go other than reading it for yourself and deciding your own stance on it. Like it or dislike it, you will definitely be able to admit one thing, at least: it's a book that's going to lead to a lot of interesting discussions among readers.

26 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I had some problems with it., June 24, 2011

By 

Roxana W. "Roxy" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Divergent (Hardcover)

Spoiler Alert.

Divergent, for the most part, was bland and typical. It's set in a futuristic, dystopian Chicago where the city is split up into factions: Abnegation, Dauntless, Erudite, Candor, and Amity. Forget about the last two, they don't really matter. The first, Abnegation, is where our protagonist originates from. When she turns sixteen she gets to choose where she'll go, so she chooses Dauntless. Erudite hates Abnegation and is basically planning a war against them. The book is made up of Beatrice, renamed Tris, trying to figure out whether or not she truly belongs in Dauntless and wondering what's up with the smart and mysterious training instructor that goes by the name of Four.

Now, what I didn't like about this book is that yet again I'm reading a dystopian novel that really fails to focus enough on the dystopian and focuses too much on the two things I mentioned above. You get bits and pieces about the world, the sense that things are corrupt and damaged, but not enough that you really care about it. When reading a dystopian, I feel like the world has to have a huge impact on my emotions, like I should be scared or worried over this kind of environment. Books like 1984, The Giver, and The Hunger Games managed to do that, but this one didn't. The setting could be changed and I would likely not feel the difference.

I also just didn't care for anyone in this book. Tris seems to lack an ability to become attached to anyone, and normally I would say this is due to her coming from Abnegation but then that isn't a good explanation. Abnegation isn't big on displays of affection, but that doesn't mean they lack affection and close relationships. Also, she doesn't find it all that hard to develop feelings for Four, yet she seems pretty detached and impersonal when it comes to her new Dauntless friends and when it comes to her family. In fact, because of how she regarded them I didn't really care when several characters died throughout the book. The author wrote token reactions and then moved on, and I never felt like it was a big deal, I actually just felt like it was all pointless. There were two deaths that I specifically thought were weird. First there was Al's, who really just seemed like a Big Guy that didn't want to hurt people, but then because he's failing training he decides to take it out on Tris by attacking her with a group of people that hated her, and then commits suicide out of guilt. This seemed so out of nowhere. Tris later considers that it was his pride that got to him and made him attack her, but you never get the sense that he's proud or that he even resents her. You get that he's miserable and likely homesick, but not proud or even impulsive enough to do that. I mean he was her friend, and he was nice, and even though he wasn't deeply developed as a character, for him to do those things made no sense. Second, you've got Tris's mom, who looks like she's pretty informed on the corruption of the Erudite faction and is probably going to play a big role in rebelling against them because she's originally from Dauntless. She rescues her daughter, takes out several guards and then basically commits suicide by sacrificing herself so that her daughter can escape... except that I didn't really understand how that was necessary. She created a diversion seemingly for no reason, and maybe I misread, but it seemed to me like they could've tried to both get away to safety. Both of these deaths just seemed so random.

I also think several other things were weird, like the fact that Four tells her after the first time she manipulates a simulation that she better learn how to hide this because that made it obvious that she was a Divergent (which is Super Bad but we don't know why till near the end) and yet during her final simulation she continues to manipulate it and nothing comes of that even though more than one person likely to kill her for it was watching. Maybe I misread something, who knows, but this was my understanding.

The romance was typical for the most part. The kind where the two characters are very exclusive to each other and have such a great connection even though I don't really see why. The guy is totally attractive but he's never been with another girl, and the girl thinks she's so not attractive and not deserving of the guy's affections. It wasn't as heavy with these things as other books have been, but it was still there, and I might not have minded them so much were it not for an event near the end. Four gets mind-controlled, Tris is faced with the issue of killing him or being killed by him, but because he just loves her so much he's able to fight it and they both live! I mean, really? That's so predictable and silly. I can't take a relationship seriously when they're written to overcome huge obstacles just because they're SO in love.

Lastly, there was one thing that really bothered me while reading. So much so that I had to stop and rant out loud a little. Jeanine is introduced to us at some point as being the great villainous leader of the Erudite faction that seeks to control everyone, especially Abnegation. When Four and Tris are caught and taken to her office she's shown to us as being the cold and calculating type, earlier in the book she's described to us as "an attractive woman with watery grey eyes and spectacles" (349 of ARC). Naturally Tris hates her, but there were two instances in this scene where Tris thinks two things that I found completely unnecessary. Let me show you them:

"She wears a blue dress that hugs her body from shoulder to knee, revealing a layer of pudge around her middle." (428)

"She perches on the edge of her desk, her skirt pulling away from her knees, which are crossed with stretch marks." (430)

There's no explanation given for these observations, so the only thing I can assume from this is that since she is the villain, naturally her body has gross things like pudge and stretch marks. It was so unnecessary to write this in, I'm not really sure what the author was thinking.

I doubt I'll read the sequel. If I do, it might be out of morbid curiosity, but the ending of this one fell short and the majority of the book was meh so I won't really be looking forward to that.