Keerthi Yalamanchili ‘17
While dystopian novels are becoming more and more enticing to the young adult population, only a few have been widely accepted and marveled about by critics and teenagers alike – one of which being Divergent, written by the renowned Veronica Roth.
This engaging novel takes place in a futuristic society split into five factions based on virtues – Candor (honesty), Abnegation (selflessness), Dauntless (bravery), Amity (serenity) and Erudite (intellect). Beatrice Prior, one of many teenagers who must decide what faction they believe suits them best, is torn between choosing her family and her identity. Her jaw – dropping choice surprises everyone, and stirs up trouble as the novel goes on. Tris (the reinvented Beatrice) struggles through a difficult initiation process as well as choices that the average teenager makes today, such as romance and friendship. But the similarities end there, for Tris has a secret that can only cause harm to her “perfect” society. As Tris becomes more and more enthralled with this secret, she ends up with the capability to save the world she lives in – but that would mean destroying herself.
Dystopias have been HUGE with society today – and publishers as well as authors have been making use of this interest. There are plenty of futuristic novels out there to choose from – but they all are not as good as some of the ones we have been seeing lately (for example, the Hunger Games). Honestly, there was a point where I was exhausted from the constant search for a book that provided the adrenaline that I have gotten from other previous books. I have now finally realized that the best dystopian novels all have similar qualities – woman empowerment, violence, romance and dependency. Divergent has each and every one of these. Roth, who has cleverly used these traits in each chapter, has made this book irresistible. Her imagination has no limits, as we see through several aspects of Tris’s initiation and the secrets she unravels about the world she lives in. Each character has an amazing story to tell – from childhood memoirs to attributes that only a special few can have all at once. And, the fast paced nature of this whole novel is adrenaline pumping and pushes the reader’s heart into full gear. What gets better than this?
Oh, and to answer your question (if I haven’t already), it really is that good.