Divergent, released in 2011, is the first book in a YA dystopian/science-fiction trilogy by author Veronica Roth. The novel follows sixteen-year-old Beatrice “Tris” Prior, in a world where the population has been sorted into five factions, each based on a major personality trait – Dauntless (bravery), Candor (honesty), Amity (peacefulness), Erudite (intelligence), and Abnegation (selflessness). When they turn sixteen, all citizens go through a test which helps them decide whether to stay with their parents’ faction or transfer to a different faction. Tris received three results instead of one, marking her as divergent. She is forced to hide this from everyone for her own safety.
Beatrice Prior’s world is one governed by rules; there is no place for free thinking, or any hint of rebellion. To be different means to be a danger to society and to the carefully maintained social structures. Narrating Tris’s struggles in this society, Divergent follows the common YA moral of ‘dare to be you.’ The greatest suspension of disbelief occurs when the reader is expected to believe the leaders of this country thought it was a good idea to group people into categories based solely on personality traits.
Veronica Roth is adept at writing compelling and action-packed scenes and fights, and the parts of the book I enjoyed best were the training sequences. However, the violence, while not gory, isn’t glossed over. The romance in the book is is sweet, slow, and fairly tame; it’s only towards the end that it progresses from hints and glances to kissing.*
I don’t consider Divergent an outstanding book, but it’s definitely an entertaining read, and certainly better than similar books in its genre.
*Note: This is not true of the other books in the trilogy.