Imagine having to choose between your family and your identity. Imagine if your one choice

could truly change your life forever. Imagine facing some of your greatest fears. Well, this is the

sort of society Beatrice Prior (Tris), a sixteen-year-old lives in.

Written by Veronica Roth, Divergent is a dystopian novel set in a futuristic society where each

year, sixteen-year-olds must choose from one of the five distinct factions; Dauntless (the

brave), Erudite (the intelligent), Abnegation (the selfless), Amity (the friendly), and Candor

(the honest). Every year, all sixteen-year-olds take an aptitude test which tells them for which

faction they are best suited. Our main heroine, Beatrice prior was born into an Abnegation

family yet she has always been a misfit in her faction. While she admires selflessness, she

struggles to maintain an austere life like her parents and her abnegation friends.

On her Aptitude Test day, she realizes that she does not belong to one, but three different

factions. People like her are known as ‘Divergent.’ You might think that she is lucky to be gifted

but in this world, she must conceal it if she wants to stay alive. If you want to know the reason,

then you must definitely read the book.

On Choosing Day (the official ceremony where all the sixteen-year-olds choose their future

faction), Beatrice Prior makes a decision that leaves everyone surprised. Her one choice truly

changes her life forever – she has to leave her beloved ones, put her faction before her blood,

and face her greatest fears. From jumping off moving trains to facing some of her greatest fears

in intense psychological simulations, Tris endures struggles, conflicts, and several physical tests

as she tries to live out the choice she has made. However, her one choice makes her realize that

bravery comes from what Tris calls, “ordinary acts of bravery” – standing for what one believes

in. This is what I love about Tris and the book, Divergent. It undermines some of the key issues

that we, young adults face – making choices, fearing our future and accepting changes.

When asked about her opinion on Divergent, Nicole Norton, a Grade 12 UNIS Hanoi student

said, “Divergent is a book that I would read over and over again, I thought the development of

characters was good, the intensity level was on point and the excitement left me wanting more.

This dystopia left me unable to put the novel down and was satisfying throughout the whole

novel: beginning, middle and end. In order to have a true glimpse of what Divergent is about,

you have to pick up the book and read it yourself.”

Divergent is filled with suspense, drama, action, mind-blowing plot twists, captivating

dialogues, and most importantly, realistic characters. Tris will amaze you by her strength,

intelligence and willpower. I loved reading this book and I strongly recommend you to go to the

library and borrow this book and I really hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did.

The upcoming movie adaptation of the book, “Divergent” will premiere on March 21st

Below is the link to the latest movie trailer:

, 2014.