Divergent (Divergent Series #1)

by Veronica Roth, Emma Galvin (Read by)

Overview

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . .or it might destroy her.

Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first installment in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

Performed by Emma Galvin

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062286437
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	06/04/2013
Series:	Divergent
Edition description:	Unabridged
Pages:	10
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 5.80(h) x 1.50(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

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.

Editorial Reviews

★ 10/01/2013
Gr 9 Up—In the dystopian Chicago setting of Roth's novel (Katherine Tegen Bks., 2011), the population is divided into five factions. Upon declaring allegiance to one of them, 16-year-old Beatrice will decide her future. Beatrice and her brother, Caleb, grew up in helpful, unassuming Abnegation, always putting others first. During her aptitude testing, a simulation probes her suitability for Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless, and Erudite. Rather than getting a clear reading of her strengths, Beatrice's result is disturbing and dangerous: she is Divergent. At the choosing ceremony, the teenager impulsively joins Dauntless, the tattooed "hellions" whose value is bravery, and who protect the community. Beatrice, now called Tris, finds she feels brilliantly alive in Dauntless, even during the brutal training. She enjoys seeing her muscles harden, testing her courage, protecting the underdog, and working her way up the ranks of recruits. Making both friends and enemies, she moves through simulations tailored to trigger her Fear Landscape. Gradually, her Divergence shows itself, allowing Tris to see that the faction-dominated world isn't as wonderful as she has been told. The likeable characters, excellent pacing, and blooming romance will have listeners hooked. Emma Galvin's youthful voice has a twinge of huskiness that lends itself to voicing both young men and women. The audiobook will be very popular, so library patrons will have to be careful considering the packaging: a lightweight box and foldout sleeves. You might want to purchase the audio download instead.—Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley School, Fort Worth, TX

School Library Journal - Audio

Divergent clearly has thrills, but it also movingly explores a more common adolescent anxiety—the painful realization that coming into one's own sometimes means leaving family behind, both ideologically and physically.
—The New York Times

Susan Dominus

In this edgy debut (definitely not for the fainthearted), first in a trilogy, promising author Roth tells the riveting and complex story of a teenage girl forced to choose, at age 16, between her routinized, selfless family and the adventurous, unrestrained future she longs for. Beatrice "Tris" Prior lives in crumbling dystopian Chicago, where citizens are divided into five factions—Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite—depending on their beliefs, passions, and loyalties. When Tris forsakes her Abnegation family to become one of the wild, fearless Dauntless, she must confront her deepest fears, learn to trust her fellow initiates, and guard the ominous secret that she is actually a Divergent, with the strengths of multiple factions, and is therefore a target of dangerously controlling leaders. Roth's descriptions of Tris's initiation process are as spellbinding as they are violent, while the tremulous romance between Tris and her protective and demanding instructor, Four, unfurls with heart-stopping tenderness. For those who loved The Hunger Games and are willing to brave the sometimes sadistic tests of strength and courage Tris must endure, the reward is a memorable, unpredictable journey from which it is nearly impossible to turn away. Ages 14–up. (May)

Publishers Weekly

You’ll be up all night with Divergent, a brainy thrill-ride of a novel.

BookPage

In a dystopian future, war-ravaged Chicago is divided into factions, each believing that there is a singular quality that will lead to a perfect society. At sixteen, teens must choose which faction they will join, and they are given a test to see what will be the best fit for them. Beatrice Prior received the results to her aptitude test only to discover that there is no one belief that guides her: she is wise, selfless, and brave. She is a divergent. Beatrice decides to leave her selfless abnegation family and undergo the rigorous and dangerous initiation required to become a dauntless warrior. When the erudite faction manipulates the dauntless into waging a war, only Beatrice and the other divergents will be able to stop them. Divergent is similar to Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games (Scholastic, 2008/VOYA October 2008): a dystopian future society divided into factions, with a young female protagonist who must fight in a war. While Divergent will attract fans of Hunger Games, Roth's nonstop action, excellent voice, and simple yet accessible writing style will draw in many new readers to the genre. The themes are particularly poignant for young adults trying to identify their place in the world—having the choice to follow in your parents' footsteps or do something new. The budding relationship between Beatrice and her trainer will entice those with a taste for romance as well as action. This is a fast-paced and fun read. Reviewer: Devin Burritt

VOYA - Devin Burritt

Beatrice lives in a little community in Chicago. There are many unique decisions to make in her community. At age sixteen individuals have to make their biggest decision, one that determines their future. They must choose to join one of five different factions: Candor-honest, Abnegation-selfless, Dauntless-brave, Amity-peaceful, and Erudite-intelligent. The characters are believable people. The book is very thought out, and once you pick it up you want to know more. Reviewer: Leah Kihn, Teen Reviewer

VOYA - Leah Kihn

Beatrice Prior must make a decision—one that will change the course of her life forever. On Choosing Day each year, 16-year-olds across dystopian Chicago must devote themselves to one of five factions, each committed to the cultivation of a particular virtue. On one hand, Beatrice can remain in Abnegation and live a quiet life with her family; on the other, she can be true to herself and join a rival faction. Regardless of her choice, Beatrice must be careful not to divulge a secret she has been warned to keep—a secret that can unravel society as she knows it. Amidst budding friendships and oft-confusing romance, Beatrice struggles to come to terms with the decisions she has made and their unimaginable consequences. Despite its similarity to other dystopian novels, Divergent's depiction of adolescence rings true. Growing up isn't easy, and growing up with a terrible secret is just plain hard. Reviewer: Alex Ivey

ALAN Review - Alex Ivey

Gr 9 Up—In a future Chicago, the population is divided into five factions—Abnegation, Candor, Dauntless, Erudite, and Amity—each of which believes its opposite is the root of human evil. Sixteen-year-olds are tested for aptitude and must choose whether to remain in their birth faction or select another. They are aided in this selection by a simulation in which their decisions indicate which faction best suits them. Occasionally, though, the simulation indicates multiple choices. These individuals, known as Divergents, are perceived as threats by leaders who want members to behave and think in specific ways. Beatrice Prior is a Divergent, born into the selfless Abnegation faction but fascinated by the outrageous Dauntless. She chooses to become an initiate there and leaves her family behind, little knowing the challenges she will face. Despite her slight build and her meek upbringing, she must demonstrate her courage in physical combat and in simulations designed to present her with her deepest fears. Only 10 initiates will be accepted, and there are those willing to let cruelty take the place of courage. Beatrice comes to realize that another faction plots against Abnegation and that it may take a Divergent to save them. Roth paints her canvas with the same brush as Suzanne Collins. The plot, scenes, and characters are different but the colors are the same and just as rich. Fans of Collins, dystopias, and strong female characters will love this novel.—Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Library, Wisconsin Rapids, WI

School Library Journal

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)

Kirkus Reviews