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Divergent Paperback – January 1, 2012
| Veronica Roth (Author) Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author |
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In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, 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 alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating 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 unrest and growing conflict that threaten 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 YA scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.
A Q&A with Author Veronica RothQ: 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.
- Print length487 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherKatherine Tegen Books
- Publication dateJanuary 1, 2012
- Grade level10 - 12
- Reading age15 years and up
- Dimensions1.5 x 5.75 x 8 inches
- ISBN-100062024035
- ISBN-13978-0062024039
- Lexile measureHL700L
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“You’ll be up all night with Divergent, a brainy thrill-ride of a novel.” (BookPage)
From the Back Cover
Paperback features over fifty pages of bonus materials, including a sneak peek of Insurgent, an author Q&A, a discussion guide, a Divergent playlist, faction manifestos, and more!
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, 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 alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating 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 unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.
Veronica Roth is the New York Times bestselling author of Divergent, the first in a trilogy of dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.
About the Author
Veronica Roth is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant, and several stories written in the world of Divergent. Now a full-time writer, Ms. Roth and her husband live near Chicago.
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Product details
- Publisher : Katherine Tegen Books (January 1, 2012)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 487 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0062024035
- ISBN-13 : 978-0062024039
- Reading age : 15 years and up
- Lexile measure : HL700L
- Grade level : 10 - 12
- Item Weight : 14.1 ounces
- Dimensions : 1.5 x 5.75 x 8 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #452,015 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Veronica Roth is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Divergent series and Carve the Mark. She was born in a Chicago suburb, and studied creative writing at Northwestern University. She and her husband and dog currently live in Chicago.
You can find Veronica on Instagram (@vrothbooks), Facebook, or at her website (veronicarothbooks.com), or sign up for her newsletter to get book news and exclusive content here! eepurl.com/dcqzr1
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in girls yet.
not vain they didn't believe in looking into a mirror , only had one mirror every three months she was able to get her long blond locks trim and put in a bun, didn't tske out of bun , every month one time for 15 minutes that is it then mom would lock up the minor behind a sliding door they dont eat meat and they eat plant base diet minimum seasoning for taste yhe only yhing i could relat to is the seasoning plsnt based food , except for they would eat catfish flounder snapper tuna casserole , there's so much i could tell you we had chores like tris did with her brother celeb , but so much more although in the real world yes they government is some what like it but not as in the book but i feel its not to far from reality because of everything going on in the world today is possible i mean very possible for humanity.
By Cherie .A. Grieco on January 4, 2022
not vain they didn't believe in looking into a mirror , only had one mirror every three months she was able to get her long blond locks trim and put in a bun, didn't tske out of bun , every month one time for 15 minutes that is it then mom would lock up the minor behind a sliding door they dont eat meat and they eat plant base diet minimum seasoning for taste yhe only yhing i could relat to is the seasoning plsnt based food , except for they would eat catfish flounder snapper tuna casserole , there's so much i could tell you we had chores like tris did with her brother celeb , but so much more although in the real world yes they government is some what like it but not as in the book but i feel its not to far from reality because of everything going on in the world today is possible i mean very possible for humanity.
Now, it's one of my top 5 all time favorite series!!
Veronica Roth was totally surprising as a first time author and wrote so vividly that years later, I can talk about the book and picture the whole world that she created. I'll admit that it was a little slow starting, but it didn't take long to catch up/on... And then I was hooked.
I absolutely adore the lead characters - you get to see their flaws, their strengths, the way they see their world. I loved "feeling" the doubt and the resolute determination to not succumb to weakness. Even as an adult, I could relate to so many different aspects of these characters. I could understand where certain ideas came from, how a character could equate their options at hand, see the debates. Without spoiling anything, it was such a pleasant surprise that characters were not instantly disliked or favored by the main character, yet the reasoning behind her emotions were explained and completely relevant.
Technically, it's YA but I genuinely feel like it's one of those rare stories with such incredible characters that it transcends age limits and is easily relate-able to any given person... Or at least, any person who's ever had questions about who they were and how they fit in, anyone who's had self-doubt, anyone who had to fight their self-proclaimed weakness...Just get through the first chapter and you won't be able to put this series down!
When dystopia is done right there is nothing like it in the world. All of the contemporary, paranormal, historical, even epic fantasies will never measure up to how I feel when I get lost in these worlds. It is my all time favorite genre. So why has it taken me so long to finally read Divergent? I'm always afraid, almost doubly so when it comes to books that are surrounded by a lot of hype, what if this is one that disappoints me? Is it just going to be like all the rest?
--The other factions celebrate birthdays, but we don't. It would be self-indulgent.
The dystopian Chicago world that Veronica Roth has created is definitely unique, unlike any others I've read so far. It was interesting to learn a bit about the 5 different factions, a few more so than the others at this point, and also see how they interacted in a mixed setting like the high school in the beginning of the book. The way they all carry themselves and behave are so vastly different. I was fascinated by it all and it had me thinking, in the beginning, when I just had those brief first impressions, what faction would I choose? It felt like there was a bit of a benefit with each one, though I'm not sure I'd have survived Candor. 100% honesty at all times? I'm not one for lying and dishonesty but sometimes letting someone off easy instead of brutal honesty just feels better. Yeah I would not survive Candor. But the rest initially seemed to be groups I'd enjoy being around. That idea didn't stick around for long.
--"Just because we're in the same faction doesn't mean we get along."
As with books of this nature there are going to be characters you love and characters you all out despise. This book has both types in spades. And then there were those that flipped a switch on me before I finished, both in good ways and bad ones. It wound up making me cautious and start to doubt who I trust and who I don't. I adore Tris, she kicks some major ass. She's definitely one of my favorite female heroines. So strong and so smart. In a lot of ways this girl comes off as being full of confidence but underneath that there's a bit of fear and vulnerability even a bit of doubt within herself that helps her feel more real and more likable. And Four had me intrigued before I even opened the book. I mean if you've heard about this series then you've heard the girls are crazy about Four. I can see why. It's a very slow process learning about this guy and what's underneath the tough guy that everyone sees him as. He's definitely a mystery. Still don't know everything about him but he's already been placed up there with all my other book boyfriends. I can't wait to dive into Insurgent and find out what's next for these two.
--"A kiss is not something you do in public."
I am a romantic at heart and I love a good love story like the next person. But what I love about Divergent, so far at least, is that any sort of romance is really just sort of a side story and it's not the main focus of the book. All the kissing of the boys and the swoons and the fluttering of the heart are all awesome, but when I read dystopia I want creative worlds and conflicts and action and uprisings, rebellions. I want everything to fall apart and I want to be stressing out wondering how in the hell these people are going to come back from everything that's happened. I want all the things! And this book is full of all that, or at least beginnings of them in some cases. Jumping off moving trains and rooftops. Wars between factions. Shootings. Death. Friendships. Betrayals. It has it all and it was amazing. I am irrevocably in love with this series so far and you can bet once I type the last word in this review I'm picking up Insurgent, which is sitting right next to me, and you better not even think about disturbing me!
Top reviews from other countries
The induction creates the values and behaviours necessary to reinforce group mentality. Those who do not succeed, or conform, are factionless. This is portrayed as a fate worse than death, as they live outside the bounds of a civilised society. Again a little like Brave New World, a place outside of the compound filled with savages.
It is interesting that the author has chosen 16 years of age as the time of choice. An age in the UK where students finish compulsory education. A stage which they are also still pliable and open to new ideas and influences.
Like most YA novels it is written in the first person from Beatrice’s point of view and it is though her interactions that we learn about the rest of the characters. We learn a lot about Peter through his shocking behaviour and the way he treats Beatrice. Equally we love and respect Four for his ability as a leader and his care and respect for Beatrice. Four’s role is also contrasted with Eric and we discover that Four is the more able despite Eric’s seniority and obvious resentment.
This book is a great example of groups, motifs and team dynamics and how these are woven together. The first person narrative, like the Hunger Games, is relational and exposes the other characters through their words and actions. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series.
<b>Insurgent</b>
Divergent ends with Tris thinking of life beyond a faction, yet insurgent is so much more than this. She still clings to Dauntless as her faction of choice, but she also has to recognise that she is divergent with all the risks associated with this.
We discover much more about the other factions in this book, starting with Amity, where they flee to first. Erudite by their nature hold the knowledge of all the faction as well as a secret they would prefer to see destroyed than fall into the wrong hands. It is this secret that drives the story forward as individuals set aside their factions to work together. The reader also sees the strain this puts on Tris and Tobias’s relationship as he works with this father and is reconciled to his mother.
The divergent are much more important in this book than the previous one and we learn that there are more members of this group than Tris may have imagined. They are certainly a target for the Erudite and their Dauntless allies. From a political perspective they are the people who think across party lines. This can also be seen in the way Dauntless splits with some siding with Erudite, most notably Eric and those who don’t. Even peace loving, neutral Amity suffers a crisis amongst its members with some needing to fight rather than stay neutral.
As the title suggests there is more fighting, violence and torture in this book, but I love the ending. The idea that the divergent are the future and that factions were only a temporary solution to restore order from chaos. I look forward to reading the next book.
Its an interesting angle to take, maybe a bit limited in scope but in the case of this novel it does help show the crossover of these traits and the effect it has on the particular individuals in the book.
The protagonist is in my opinion rather annoying, I can't put my finger on why she annoys me, I think it has something to do with the fact she believes she's oh so special.... But that's just me. I also have a bit of a problem with the fact that the bad guys *spoiler* are supposed to be the guys who favour intelligence, yet in this case are scared of growth.... A counter to intelligence, again in my opinion.....
Anyway, good book, worth the read if you got time and want a nice easy read.
It is written in a very simple style, almost as though the narrator is speaking aloud. This does mean that Divergent will be a very accessible novel to read, even for those who maybe haven't yet acquired stellar reading skills.
Divergent is the first book of a trilogy - presumably, all following the adventures of unlikely heroine, Beatrice Prior - or Tris. It is set among the poisoned ruins of a rusty post-apocalyptic world. The city she inhabits - apparently Chicago - is full of dilapidated railways and skyscrapers and is surrounded by mud and marshes rather than lakes. At various points Tris wonders whether these lakes and surrounding countryside could be reclaimed, but this is not within the scope of this ferociously-paced debut novel.
At 16, this girl, still with the body of a child, is poised to make the first adult decisions of her life. The trouble is, that some of these may mean that she will have to say goodbye to her family and everything she has known, for good. Then, during her assessment, intended to determine where her future, she finds herself with another problem. She is a Divergent. And that means she could be killed if this is ever found out.....
This is a future world where humanity is divided up into five castes, or rather, factions - well six actually, as there is a subgroup of dispossessed and unemployable individuals who are factionless. Tris starts out as a demure Abegnate, who are conditioned always to put the needs for others before their own. Then there are the honest Candors, the intelligentsia, known as Erudite, the peace-making Amity and finally the thrill-seeking Dauntless, who value courage.
Each Faction is designed to instil conditioned virtues intended to correct the human evils responsible for war and social discord. Now only Abegnators may be in positions in power, because being devoid of ego, they are least likely to be corrupted by it.
Sounds like a good system and not really dystopic at all. But the worm of human evil within the apple is beginning to turn within some Factions.
Though long, this novel does not seen to flesh out the details of this future social order, nor what lead to it, nearly as much as readers such as myself might have wished for. What it does do, and with great efficiency, is to create a compulsive page-turner as this Tris negotiates the brutal combat training involved in her initiation into the warrior caste and then the traumatic mind simulations, designed to confront the initiates with their deepest fears to they can overcome these. It is all very dog-eat-dog as this is a process of ruthless elimination and is far removed from the Abegnation way of life as could be imagined.
Divergence includes a love interest too, who may or may not have secrets of his own to protect. The relationships does seem rather complicated by the fact that he is supposed to be one of her mentors.
Tris ruminates at times whether or not the training truly fosters truly courage in its candidates or whether her initiation isn't more to do with bullying. She certainly seems to end up becoming capable of acts of cruel violence herself, which may not endear hr as a heroine to some. Overall, this is a precipitously savage tale and heads do roll, especially at the end. Still - thus is supposed to be a dystopia and our heroine may have a destiny beyond what she already knows. Either way that may not much bother the adrenaline-fuelled kids who may lap this up, though.
Most young people will be confronted with the question on how far to accept or deny what they have grown up with, and maybe risking rejection from the culture that has fostered them so far, which us maybe why novels such as these address so well these angsts. It will be interesting to see how Tris's understanding of the world she lives in develops from here - if she can survive long enough to do so.
Divergent probably breaks a lot of the accepted rules on pacing, and possibly even with regard to 'info dumping' but it woks because the author and readers are at play in a fantasy world, where a lot of words are required to set each new scene and stage. Also, the book is part one in a trilogy so the story arc will span right across the three which creates additional time to dally. That said, there is still a proper story with a beginning, middle and end, although it is clear the further instalments of the trilogy cannot be read as stand alone books.
I almost don't know what I want to say about it, except I found myself caught up in the world and really enjoying it. I cared less for the more dramatic parts as some of them read in a choreographed way and were a little telling but, for me, so much of the strength of this story lies in the rich detail of an imagined world that I will forgive almost anything else. The city becomes a character in its own right - a place I'd visit if it weren't quite so dangerous to be there.
The blossoming romance between the main characters was very sweet, and I hope they make their way through the following two books unscathed. I stumbled across a couple of things I didn't like, or that seemed unlikely - such as when Tris switched to calling Four by his real name with little second thought. This should have been more difficult for her (as it was for me) and I also found Tris borderline unlikeable at times. She acted both as a selfish child, and therefore a possibly believable naive sixteen-year-old but she also conformed to that richly mined trope of the orphaned (if not dead, parents for this trope are removed from the child by some other means) child in an adult world whom adults defer to for leadership decisions. A lot of the characters in the story are stereotypes, or tropes, but there are two further books to further define them and round them out, so I am happy for now.
I am happy to be able to move straight on to book two in the Trilogy (Insurgent) and learn some more about the world, and maybe even get some of my unanswered questions taken care of.
I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley from the publisher in return for an honest review.













