"Divergent" by Veronica Roth

In a post-apocalyptic Chicago, people are divided into five factions that dictate their thinking, value system, and behaviour: Abnegation (the selfless), Candor (the honest), Erudite (the intelligent), Amity (the peaceful), and Dauntless (the brave). At an appointed time each year, every sixteen-year-old is forced to choose a faction to devote the rest of their lives to. For Beatrice Prior, a ‘stiff’ from Abnegation who feels like she has never been selfless enough, this is an extremely difficult decision, since her inconclusive aptitude test results mark her as Divergent. Struggling to decide between staying with her family or becoming who she truly is, she makes a choice that surprises even herself.

Will she succeed in the highly competitive Dauntless initiation? And will she manage to hide her divergence, which could mean her death? Find out in the gripping young adult dystopian sci-fi novel Divergent, written by Veronica Roth and published in 2011.

I love dystopias. There is something in the fight for a better world that attracts me. Therefore I was excited to read this novel, especially since it is a pretty popular one, which means that readers love it. And it didn’t disappoint me.

I was gripped from the very beginning and couldn’t help but keep reading. The skillful writing transported me to the world, and I felt as if I was there, in the body of Tris. I felt the Dauntless-like adrenaline rush whenever Tris was taking a risk or in a dangerous situation. I was given the opportunity to live a life that I would never have even if I lived in the Divergent world, since I am not the kind of person who is good at or enjoys physical activity, especially if it means risking my life, so Dauntless would be the last faction I’d choose. I am not sure if I could even survive on my way to the Dauntless compounds. However, Tris (that’s the name Beatrice chose when she joined the Dauntless) did, and I loved following her adventures from a safe place, from the comfort of my own room.

Another thing I loved about this novel was the romance subplot between Tris and Tobias. It was well-written and made sense, unlike the numerous modern quickies full of lust and infatuation. I was shipping them hard. 4 and 6 truly make a perfect 10 ;-)

The novel talks about the struggle between individuality and conformity. Although the societal model in the world of Divergent would be unacceptable in the eyes of most people nowadays, we can see certain patterns of the system in our society, too. Just like people’s identities are reduced to their only faction in Divergent, people in our world are reduced to their jobs. We are often taught that we can choose only one thing to do for the rest of our lives, burying our unique and multidimensional personalities and identifying ourselves with our job names, rather than with who we really are. Moreover, in every group, there is a pressure to conform to a certain way of thinking, just as people in Divergent have to adapt to the beliefs, attitudes, and behavior of their factions. However, in the end, Tris realizes that she is Divergent, not Dauntless, and not a Stiff, and that is what makes her strong. Divergent shows that the person who refuses to be reduced to one group of people but has a mind of their own is the freest and the most capable of improving the world.

I truly enjoyed this book, and Insurgent, the next novel in the trilogy, is next on my reading list. I recommend Divergent for people who like dystopias and are looking for an action-packed and gripping YA novel. If you liked Hunger Games, you’ll probably enjoy Divergent, too.

Update. I have read Insurgent. Here's my review.