Divergent

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Exciting, violent dystopian thriller is original, addictive.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this dystopian teen novel is the first of a planned series. It includes the markers of the genre, including fantasy violence, a fractured society, Big Brother-esque monitoring, as well as romance. The 16-year-old protagonist chooses to live in the "brave" faction, where members routinely try to out-do each other physically and recklessly act like daredevils to prove their fearlessness. The initiation process is brutal and bloody, and kills or seriously injures a few characters. Violence escalates as the end of the book approaches, culminating in a blood bath. The romance is sweet and progresses from lingering looks to a few kissing sessions, but there's no sex and characters express fear of going too far, too fast. Like The Hunger Games heroine Katniss Everdeen, Tris Prior is a strong, generous, and beautifully flawed female protagonist.

  • The author includes historical tidbits about real Chicago landmarks and challenges readers to think about what personal attributes are necessary for a cohesive society to succeed in peace.
  • The lead characters deal with important issues about    identity and controlling societies. They struggle with what it really means to be selfless, brave, smart, and kind.
  • Tris doubts herself sometimes but taps into her bravery and ingrained selflessness to protect others even when she doesn't realize it. Calm Four encourages Tris to use her upbringing's focus on selflessness to be even more courageous. Tris and Four are a good role model for a teen relationship; they treat each other as equals, defend each other (not just him defending her), and work through their problems with open, honest conversations. They also take their time with the romance and don't play games with each other.   
  • Some Dauntless are sadistic and vicious. People routinely have to fight each other -- regardless of size or gender -- and every character is beaten and bloodied at least once. Several characters die: one commits suicide by throwing himself off a ledge into rapids; one falls by accident in the gap between a train and a roof; and others are shot dead during an armed ambush. Two characters are nearly choked to death, and during training, a few characters have to visit the Infirmary due to their injuries. During one physical assault, two guys start groping a girl's chest and make rude comments about her body. In a calculated move, three initiates stab the first-ranked competitor in the eye.
  • Mostly lingering, intense looks, hand holding, and hugs, but toward the end of the book, there's kissing. Inexperienced Tris has a panic attack about Four's possible expectations for sex. In one scene, they kiss passionately (and in bed) after he removes his shirt. They admit they "want" each other, but vaguely agree to wait for "someday." Slightly disturbing jokes are made about Tris' petite size. A couple of guys ask her if she's 16 or really 12.
  • Insults like "idiot," "stupid," "loser," "jerk," "shut up," "freak," and the pejorative nickname for Abnegation members, "Stiff."
  • Not applicable.
  • The Dauntless drink unspecified alcohol at parties, dinner, and in one scene Four is seen looking tipsy.

What's the story?

In the Chicago of the distant future, society has willingly segregated itself into five "factions:" Abnegation (the selfless), Amity (the kind), Candor (the honest), Dauntless (the brave), and Erudite (the intelligent). All 16-year-olds take an aptitude test revealing their true faction and then choose one to join -- regardless of which one they were born into. When Abnegation-born Beatrice Prior's results are inconclusive, her tester informs her she's a "divergent" and should never mention her results to anyone. Believing herself too selfish to be any good in Abnegation, she chooses Dauntless, where she rechristens herself Tris. During the dangerous bloody Dauntless initiation process, she develops feelings for her handsome, mysterious instructor Four, who never fails to challenge her to perform her best, even as others grow jealous of her unexpected skills. And Tris beings to realize being a Divergent has both advantages and disadvantages.


Is it any good?

 

Roth, who wrote the book as a college student, has earned a tremendous amount of first book buzz, and the hype is well-deserved. She uses some devices that fans of dystopian novels will recognize -- a compartmentalized society, a misfit protagonist, dangerous secrets, and a cliffhanger ending -- but still manages to create an unstoppable plot that's remarkably original. Tris is a refreshingly smart and self-possessed 16-year-old protagonist, and readers will fall in love with her leading man right along with her. But the romance, while as swoon-worthy and fluttery as you'd expect from a teen novel, is actually secondary to the book's deep messages about identity and controlling societies. This is an impressive and provoking start to what should be a fascinating series.


Explore, discuss, enjoy

  • Families can talk about why so many books are coming out about teens growing up in dangerous futuristic societies, like Matched or The Hunger Games. Is the dystopian genre becoming overcrowded? What does this book have in common with other books you've read?

  • What did you think of the level of violence here? Does the fantasy setting make it easier to handle -- or are there details that you found disturbing? Is violence in books different than in other media, like movies or television shows? 


This review of Divergent was written by
Teen, 15 years old
July 26, 2011
 
Loved it!!
Really good! This book made me smile from ear to ear, and I am in LOVE with Four... :P The content in nothing that would shock a middle schooler, and the violence wasnt that bad either. Really super good, please read!!
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Teen, 13 years old
June 10, 2011
 
Great for people 13+, something Hunger Games, Matched and Delirium fans will love!
This is an amazing read. I enjoyed every minute of reading it. It's such an original, amazing piece of writing. It's thought provoking and action packed with a little romance mixed in. There are some references to sex, but nothing ever happens. And in one scene when the main character is attacked by a bunch of teenage guys, one touches her inappropriately, but it doesn't go any farther than that. I think anyone who likes Hunger Games, Matched, Delirium or Wither will really love this book. It's a full dose of dystopian genius!
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Teen, 13 years old
July 19, 2011
 
Exciring Thriller.
This book will make ur kids realize that they have a better life than some of these characters in thee book.just know its very violent.
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Teen, 15 years old
August 10, 2011
 
Awesome book for teens and maybe even young adults. Dystopian setting, same genre as Hunger Games, but very original, worth the read :-)
Excellent book! I was absorbed in it and couldn't put it down. My only concerns were the violence and talking about sex as mentioned above, but it isn't something to worry about too much, as it is minor in this book. It's definitely worth the read though.
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Teen, 14 years old
October 25, 2011
 
Captivating Hunger Games copycat is built on original premise.
Divergent was so good its hard to put in words. The characters are relatable and realistic, each one has there own secrets, but also there own desires, which shine throughout the book. The story tells of a girl named Beatrice Prior who lives in the future of Chicago where the population of people is split into five human virtues, each one contradicting the other. The story tells of Beatrice’s decision and her life in her faction. What follows is a whole collection of choices, which is what the book always seems to get back to; choices rule our lives. This book is expertly crafted with writing that has perfect pace that gets into Beatrice’s mind. She seems so real and headstrong. That being said, the novel is violent. Including suicide, cruel punishments, guns and knives being used, a boy is stabbed in the eye with a knife; there are fight scenes that pair up different sizes, genders, and ages. There is bloodshed and people are killed. The book centers on violence but also settles on the fine idea of peace. There are kisses, and Beatrice almost does it with a boy, but they decide that another time would be more appropriate. The characters are drugged to have fake battles with their mind, which kind of mirrors some drugs. There is minor bad language use. Divergent is hard to put down, but at the end the story sags, dragging on the book a little to long, which left me kind of restless. The end is a cliffhanger and will have readers clamoring for more.
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Teen, 13 years old
November 3, 2011
 
BEST BOOK ON EARTH!!!!
I LOVE THIS BOOK! I HAVE READ PROBABLY EVERY BOOK EVER AND THIS TRUMPS THEM ALL TO DUST!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think this will be a little bit more of a favorite with girls than with boys, because of the more prominent romance element. And I am pretty much in love with Tobias. Tris is nearly raped and Tobias was beaten as a child, which is why he transferred to Dauntless. Al commits suicide after Tris refuses to forgive him for being among the group of boys who kidnapped her, although he does try to stop them from "touching" her. Tris and Tobias kiss passionately, but agree that they don't need to rush into sex. I love at the end of the book the author's first thank you is to God and Jesus.
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Teen, 14 years old
September 4, 2011
 
Can't wait for the next book :D
I LOVED this book! Tris is such a strong character, but she's not perfect and that's why i love her. Some parts felt like they went by too fast, but then again it kept the fast-paced plot going. The story (and side plots) were awesome and well-rounded too.
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Teen, 13 years old
June 22, 2011
 
Amazing 12+
It was a great book. I read it after reading a review in Girl's Life magazine, and seeing it was dystopian, i was sold. It was violent, but not too gory. It wasn't overly sexual, only a part in Tris's fear landscape when she reveals her fear of intimacy because she thinks Four expects her to be intimate. Also, while Peter and a few others are trying to kill her like they did the other competitor to get her out of the ranks, one boy who I think was Peter feels her chest and makes a crack about her being incredibly flat-chested. But it doesn't go anywhere farther than that. I loved the book and the entire concept, and loved the book. Can't wait for the sequel
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Teen, 15 years old
January 26, 2012
 
Gets my vote for best new book of 2011
When I read this book for the first time, I was blown away. It takes an original but not too out-there concept, adds an engaging plot and amazing characters, and turns it into an addictive story that I tore through in about 6 hours. It takes the dystopia trend started by The Hunger Games and puts a completely new spin on it. I've yet to meet a person who just flat-out hated this book. Veronica Roth was in college when she wrote it, and it doesn't show. She has the potential to be one of the great YA authors up there with Suzanne Collins, Rick Riordan, and John Green. Tris is a fantastic heroine, and this is one of the only books in which I actually like the love interest. They're both strong-willed, brave, smart, and have great chemistry. Also, there's no love triangle, which gets bonus points in my book.Plus, the book is filled with great scenes. It played out like a movie in my head. Which is a good thing, because it is being made into a movie. The only downside is, the sequel doesn't come out for another 4 months. Otherwise, go check it out, it is definitely worth it.
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Teen, 15 years old
February 23, 2012
 
I wish I were Dauntless too
This is a moving book with a great balance of tension and humor. It made me really examine my own fears and limits. I wish I were as Dauntless as Tris, but I don't know if I could jump off a building... :)
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This review of Divergent was written by
Author:Veronica Roth
Book type:Fiction
Genre:Science Fiction
Publisher:HarperCollins Children's Books
Publication date:May 3, 2011
Number of pages:496
Publisher's recommended age(s):14 - 17

This review of Divergent was written by
 

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