Book Review – Divergent by Veronica Roth

I picked up the book Divergent after seeing a preview for the movie that is coming out next year. It looked interesting as the next in line for the Young Adult crowd, following in the footsteps of the Hunger Games and Twilight, so I thought I’d give the book a try.

Beatrice has grown up as part of the selfless and serving faction of people for all of her life, but now that she has turned 16 she is required to take the test to help her know which faction she should commit to join for the rest of her life. In this world, there are 5 factions she can choose from: Abnegation, the selfless faction she grew up in; Dauntless, those know for bravery and daring; Erudite, the intellectuals who love to learn; Candor, those who prize honesty above all else; and Amity, those who value kindness and equality.

However, Beatrice’s test results were inconclusive as she shows aptitude for three of the factions, instead of just one. The tester quietly tells her that she is what is called Divergent and that she should just choose a faction and not tell anyone about her test results, ever. In a split-second decision, Beatrice chooses Dauntless. She changes her name to Tris and decides that she is going to work to be brave. However, Tris soon realizes that there is a much more at stake than just the choice of factions. There is a plot to undermine the entire system that is in place and Tris needs to decide exactly where her loyalties lie.

Complete with a love interest in the person of “Four” who is responsible for her training into Dauntless, this story is one that will be very appealing to the young adult crowd. There is action and drama throughout. The book is written from the perspective of Tris, so there is a lot of inner dialogue and thought processing that goes on throughout the book which certainly appeals to the YA audience. Overall, the plot is solid and well thought out. I was a bit disappointed in the ending as it doesn’t really end, but just takes a lull in the action which will most certainly pick up in the second book of the trilogy.

Click on the book cover above to learn more information about this book.