“Divergent” wows audience

"Divergent" by Veronica Roth

“Divergent,” a dystopian science fiction novel written by the up -and-coming author Veronica Roth was published May 2011 and spent eleven weeks on the New York Times’ Best-Seller List.

The story takes place in a Chicago society that is divided into five factions. Each faction dedicates itself to a particular virtue – Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amnity (the peaceful) and Erudite (the intelligent). Each year, every 16 year old must make the fateful decision to join the faction they will belong to for the rest of their lives.

If they pick a different faction than the one they were raised in, they will never see their family again. To raise the stakes even higher, if they fail the initiation challenge they must live on the street, factionless, which is the worst crime possible.

Beatrice, the protagonist of the novel, belongs to the Amnity faction. Her entire life, she has given up her seat on the bus for others, stood at the back of the line, worn only gray robes and never looked in a mirror. Yet, she craves more. When she makes a daunting decision to switch to the Dauntless, abandoning her mother, father and brother, she begins the journey of a lifetime.

“Divergent” is an original book that will capture readers from the start. One understands the emotions Beatrice experiences as she tries to find out where she belongs in her world and where her loyalties lie. One finds themselves bound to the pages of the book, hoping to solve the gut-wrenching mysteries.

The novel is written in second person with plenty of details that allow the reader to glimpse Beatrice’s world. The reader is able to follow the simplistic writing and page-turning suspense.

“Divergent” not only engages young adults in reading, but evokes the conflicted emotions they feel when growing up. Without disguising the truth, Veronica Roth takes the reader into a new world. With her upcoming novel, “Insurgent,” to be released May 2012, fans that were left wanting more can continue the series and follow Beatrice in her new adventure.