You can either be only smart or utterly brave or unconditionally kind or brutally honest or simply selfless or nothing. 

At the age of 16, you make a choice. Where do you belong? Do you belong in Dauntless, who home fearlessness, or Erudite, who admire brains, or Candor, who worship honesty, or Amity, who always choose peace, or Abnegation, where you are the last to matter or are you… factionless?

One choice, one faction, one life.

Divergent is the first book in the dystopian trilogy written by American novelist Veronica Roth. The story of Beatrice Prior, a sixteen-year-old girl, leaving her family for freedom, choosing her life in the most ruthless of all factions, is a story of survival, an exploration of human behaviour and a depiction of the power of constriction.

It is the story of a girl trying to belong when she simply cannot. A story of self-exploration, growth, family and love.

Veronica starts this trilogy with the book Divergent, filled with characters who you wish you could befriend, and introduce a world you wish you’d never encounter.

“I have a theory that selflessness and bravery aren’t all that different.”

This book might be fiction, but Veronica’s play with the concept of human behaviours in her dystopian creation explores and demonstrates ideas that are undoubtedly true and a lesson for her reader.s

However, as many trilogies can become, the second and third books of the series, Insurgent followed by Allegiant, aren’t as fast-paced with a consistently strong storyline, but for all the slow points in the middle of the books, Veronica never puts any character down, and the climax of each and every book is definitely worth it.

What makes me write a review for this trilogy, even though it’s been nearly a year since I read it, is how realistic Veronica has developed Beatrice, the main character, to be. She isn’t some protagonist born strong to save the world, but a simple girl who is part of an effort for a rebellion.

Beatrice reminds me of the high school student’s way of thinking which focuses on how “it’s now or never,” as they need to get into that one particular university, that one particular course, that they believe will stick with them all life and lead them into happiness and success. But, what they forget is that life yearns for change, and sometimes when everyone and everything says “no”, all you ‘can’ do is say “yes”.

If you’ve seen the movies and think the books are not going to be great, oh boy you are mistaken. 

If you’ve seen the movies and think they are great, then trust me the books have much more to offer.

But do tell me when you’re done reading, which faction are you in? Or… are you divergent? 

Written By: Padma, 10A