Divergent

Veronica Roth

May 2011 · Divergent Series Book 1 · Sold by Harper Collins

About this eBook

This first book in Veronica Roth's #1 New York Times bestselling Divergent series of books is the novel the inspired the major motion picture starring Shailene Woodley, Theo James, and Kate Winslet. This dystopian series set in a futuristic Chicago has captured the hearts of millions of teen and adult readers.

Perfect for fans of the Hunger Games and Maze Runner series, Divergent and its sequels, Insurgent and Allegiant, are the gripping story of a dystopian world transformed by courage, self-sacrifice, and love. Fans of the Divergent movie will find the book packed with just as much emotional depth and exhilarating action as the film, all told in beautiful, rich language.

One choice can transform you. Beatrice Prior's society is divided into five factions—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). Beatrice must choose between staying with her Abnegation family and transferring factions.

Her choice will shock her community and herself. But the newly christened Tris also has a secret, one she's determined to keep hidden, because in this world, what makes you different makes you dangerous.

And don't miss The Fates Divide, Veronica Roth's powerful sequel to the bestselling Carve the Mark!

Ratings and reviews

Fortunately, I watched the movies first, and though the premise was flawed, the action was interesting enough to make me want to read the books before the next movie comes out. It was a mistake. The main conflict pointless (if you can choose your faction, why does it matter if you fit into more than one?) and the characters don't drive the plot. All development in the story is deus ex machina that people react to, rather than acting with their own agency. On top of that, writing is clunky and awkward.

How was this book considered to be one of the best teen books this year? It was dreadful. I have no trouble in believing the world, but the writing and the events just seem childish. The plot is slow as gravy in the beginning, yet utterly predictable. I knew near exactly what was going to happen at nearly every turn of the book. It was that poorly written. Couple that with the ending that is ridiculously sped up, and you're left with an unsatisfying book. Stick to the Hunger Games if you're a teen!

This book is terrible. I could not even finish it. The synopsis of the trilogy on Wikipedia was even worse than I feared. The fact that they are going to make 3--actually, let's be honest, they'll split the last book into at least 2--movies makes my skin crawl. One of these days we'll move on from dystopian young adult fiction to a new young adult genre that will start off with one good series and then 1,000 terrible copycats, and I advise you just wait for that.

About the author

Veronica Roth is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant, Four: A Divergent Collection, and Carve the Mark. Ms. Roth and her husband live in Chicago. You can visit her online at www.veronicarothbooks.com.