Divergent (Divergent Trilogy, Book 1)

Beatrice is an well brought up Abnegation girl. And, of course, it is assumed at the Choosing Ceremony that she will choose to remain in her Abnegation faction. However on the appointed day she shocks her family when she chooses to switch factions, leaving her family and everything she has ever known behind. Then begins a brutal initiation process which she doubts at times she will survive.

I will preface this review by disclosing that I usually find YA novels too superficial, and so I don't read them very often. But I like post-apocalyptic and dystopian, so I decided to give this one a try.

If I approach a book like this from the standpoint of a 40+ year-old woman who really loves quirky literary fiction and southern gothic, then a book like this can be a bit of a let down. Very simple characters. Superficial interactions. Straight-forward writing. Not the type of prose I've come to love.

But if I approach it from the 17-year-old I once was, and try to simply lose myself in the "story", the plot, the fragmented city that once was Chicago, then I can see the appeal. In the beginning I found the book was a bit of a letdown, even though I was simply looking for a light read-- something a little mindless. But then I shifted my mind into that teen-mode and tried to be more superficial in my expectations, and found that I could enjoy the story a bit.

Tris (formerly Beatrice) didn't seem very realistic to me. On the one hand, she is portrayed as this very plain, non-extraordinary girl. Then she is portrayed as this extremely brave girl who is terrified of everything, and at the same time fearless. I felt as if she was all over the place. Perhaps this was because she was "divergent" and couldn't really be pigeon-holed, but she just didn't feel very real to me.

Most of the other characters were very one-dimensional and didn't really have any impact on me. Other than Four, whom I actually liked, even though he also didn't make much sense to me, being kind and sensitive and cruel all at the same time.

My final word: In the end, I was left with an "okay" story. It had its moments, and it had potential with an interesting premise, but it was too loosely executed and just didn't pull it all in together. I was left a little bored by the whole thing, but perhaps would have loved it at 17? So this one gets an "eh" and a shrug, and I'm not sure whether or not I will give Insurgent a try. Not right now. Too many great books to read!

Best take away is that poor character development and poor communication between said characters leads to very predictable drama.

I admittedly avoiding reading this series. I couldn't be bothered with another YA dystopian adventure where teenagers save a broken world. The entire context of the plot is too far fetched for me. I work with teens everyday - trust me when I say, if this world (which is our own kind of dystopia) comes to an end, we are screwed. Even our smartest kids are lost without absolute direction.

But, I must confess I enjoyed the book. It's an action packed adventure that has new conflict on every page. Roth weaves an interesting metaphorical tale about human tendencies and carefully constructs an idea that we are all a bit divergent. None of us can truly be all-knowing (Erudite), honest (Candor), selfless (Abnegation), peaceful (Amity), or brave (Dauntless). Yet, we all possesses some of these qualities some of the time. The context of the novel indicates that each of these specialties should be separated, but in truth, they work together seeking a universal truth among a struggled idea. Nice paradox there Ms. Roth (23 years old and rocking a book series and movie contract!).


Beatrice, the protagonist, must choose her faction. She comes from a family of Abnegation and it is expected that most children will remain in their faction with their family; she and her brother Caleb are no exception to this. All sixteen-year-olds undergo a series of tests to justify their faction choice, but for Beatrice, the results are inconclusive - she's divergent. She equally possesses qualities of multiple factions. This is a problem for the "powers that be" because it makes her dangerous, uncontrollable. Basically, she can't be brainwashed by one idea because she entertains many.

Showing great bravery, she chooses to leave her faction and family behind to join Dauntless - a thrill-seeking, brave, adrenaline junkie faction that serves as the protector of their nation. (Isn't that selfless in a way....ay, there's the rub). She meets ruthless other teens that have become a part of Dauntless, and through a series of challenges, reigns supreme amongst the recruits while keep her divergence a secret. Oh, and she falls in love with a boy. Of course she finds a boy - Four. Another intricately written and complex character. Each faction lives their own lives in their own way; borders are not crossed.

However, as we all know, peace can't last forever. An uprising in the Erudite faction over the way the Abnegation faction handles the central government leads to a simulated civil war in which the new Dauntless are controlled through government power. But not Beatrice, she can't be controlled, she's Divergent.


Divergent is the first book in a trilogy by Roth. I'm currently reading Insurgent, book two in the series and I feel comfortable saying I'm going to enjoy it. All I ask Roth is please don't turn Beatrice into a love-sick traditional woman in the end without a believable transformation. Not that I have any objection to this idea (I'm quite traditional myself), but I hate perpetuating the myth of reliance on a man even within traditions. Don't let Beatrice become Katniss Everdeen - that's really all I'm asking.

For more about Veronica Roth, visit her blog at: http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com/p/books.html

“Divergent” is the first novel from Veronica Roth’s “Divergent” series brings to life the author’s fearful vision of the future.
Emertainment Monthly Review
Cyn's Workshop

it was an ok read