Module 8 - Divergent

Divergent by Virginia Roth

Summary

This story takes place in a future dystopian Chicago. Society is divided into five factions: Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). When a child reaches their sixteenth birthday, they must choose which faction fits them. They will belong to this faction for the rest of their lives and if they choose a faction that is different from their family it is possible that they will never see them again.  Beatrice completes the testing to show which faction she favors and finds that she has an unusual characteristic, she does not fit into one faction, but several.  In fact, the tester warns her to tell no one that she is Divergent, it could be very dangerous.  Beatrice surprises everyone, including herself, when she selects Dauntless.  She begins the initiation process and finds that she has enemies in her own faction.  She survives initiation only to find that she must somehow help the society foil an insurgency without anyone knowing that she is Divergent.

Roth , V. (2011). Divergent . (Vol. 1). New York : Kathrine Tegon Books

My Impression

I loved this book.  It took a little time to really get into it; however, when I finished it I wanted to immediately start reading the second book in the series.  Roth has done an impressive job creating a dystopian society.  This society works on the surface; however, there is trouble brewing.  The author develops the characters in such a way that we enter into Tris's world as her cheerleader.  We want her to succeed, and we want her detractors to suffer consequences.

Reviews

Cliques writ large take over in the first of a projected dystopian trilogy.

The remnant population of post-apocalyptic Chicago intended to cure civilization’s failures by structuring society into five “factions,” each dedicated to inculcating a specific virtue. When Tris, secretly a forbidden “Divergent,” has to choose her official faction in her 16th year, she rejects her selfless Abnegation upbringing for the Dauntless, admiring their reckless bravery. But the vicious initiation process reveals that her new tribe has fallen from its original ideals, and that same rot seems to be spreading… Aside from the preposterous premise, this gritty, paranoid world is built with careful details and intriguing scope. The plot clips along at an addictive pace, with steady jolts of brutal violence and swoony romance. Despite the constant assurance that Tris is courageous, clever and kind, her own first-person narration displays a blank personality. No matter; all the “good” characters adore her and the “bad” are spiteful and jealous. Fans snared by the ratcheting suspense will be unable to resist speculating on their own factional allegiance; a few may go on to ponder the questions of loyalty and identity beneath the façade of thrilling adventure.

Guaranteed to fly off the shelves. (Science fiction. 14 & up)

Divergent. (2011, April 5). Kirkus Reviews, Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/veronica-roth/divergent/

Suggestions for Use in Libraries

• Compare/contrast to other dystopian novels (i.e. Hunger Games)
• Book talk - novels with strong female characters
• Book talk - dystopian novels