Within “Divergent’s” dystopian world, written by Veronica Roth, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to a particular virtue; Erudite (the intelligent), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Candor (the honest), and Amity (the peaceful). Every year on an appointed day all sixteen year olds must select the faction which they will belong to for the rest of their life.
The book follows Beatrice Prior, a sixteen year old whose family belongs to Abnegation. While taking the aptitude test, her results show that she has a capacity for multiple factions; Abnegation, Dauntless and Erudite. This then makes her Divergent, a rare quality that threatens the society’s control over their people. In this world being Divergent can get you killed, so she must keep her true importance hidden.
As the story continues Beatrice must overcome tremendous betrayals, great family loss and a military plan that threatens the seemingly perfect Peace of her world, while learning a secret that may ruin her or perhaps be the salvation to those she cares about most.
“Divergent” is the first book of the trilogy, then followed by “Insurgent” and “Allegiant.” It’s a thrilling, fast-paced tale filled with bravery, some romance, and the importance of committing to your beliefs. It also demonstrates a problem many teens are facing of following in their parent’s footsteps or choosing their own path. Nearly impossible to put down, “Divergent” is a great read, comparable to books like “The Hunger Games” and other apocalyptic stories comprised of similar theme and target audience.
The book has also been produced in to a movie with the same title, planned to hit theaters in March 2014.