Divergent
Divergent, by Veronica Roth, is an exciting, and sensational novel about a 16 year old girl named Beatrice Prior who lives in a future version of Chicago, in a time after the city had become destroyed and where there are five distinct factions that make up society. Each faction thinks one virtue is best: Dauntless value bravery and think it is keen, Erudite love knowledge, Abnegation is pro-self-sacrifice, Amity cherishes friendship, and Candor always tells the truth. Although Beatrice grew up in the Abnegation faction, she is now 16 so she has to decide for herself what faction she wants to belong to for the rest of her life. When she takes her test to show her what faction to join, her results show she is a Divergent, meaning she doesn’t fit solely into one faction. Although she leaves her family, Beatrice chooses Dauntless. After going through training and initiation tests and challenges, Beatrice finds out that one of the factions is trying to over throw the government, therefore they brain-wash the Dauntless faction. Since Beatrice is divergent, the brainwashing doesn’t affect her so she is able to help save the city and rescue members of their society. She meets one other person, named Four, in her faction who is also a Divergent. Together, they pretend to fit in with the rest of the Dauntless, until they get caught and have to fight the government on their own.
I think that this book is a great book for children to read in upper grade levels and it is a well written book because of the characters, setting, plot, and even point of view. First, the characters of this book are entirely made up and are capable of doing things that humans today are not capable of, however, they are very relatable and believable. Beatrice and her brother have similar values as many people today do, such as honoring and caring for their family, yet at the same time trying to figure out their own identity. Also, the story is set in the city that used to be Chicago. The author uses small characteristics throughout the novel that make the setting very believable and help the reader picture and imagine what it must have looked like. For example, the author states that Lake Michigan has turned into swamp land, and the Ferris wheel that Beatrice and Four climb is the same Ferris wheel that is on Navy Pier in Chicago today. Also, the “big bean” that Beatrice and Caleb meet to talk, is actually the Bean Artwork that is placed in Millennium Park in Chicago. However, the city has changed in the novel. The author describes a tall fence that surrounds and secludes the entire city, as well as "a patchwork of new, clean buildings and old, crumbling ones" (Roth, p. 54). These connections and descriptions make the setting believable and adds depth to the story. Also, the plot of the story is very suspenseful and has a lot of action. Many of the chapters end leaving the reader looking for an answer or wanting to find out what is going to happen next. For example, the chapter when Beatrice takes her placement test ends just before she is told her results. The book flows nicely and has a rapid pace and a lot of excitement. Lastly, the book is told from the point of view of Beatrice. It is written in first person, present tense, which enhances the plot and the excitement of the story because the reader can see exactly what is happening to Beatrice as soon as it happens. For example, the story reads “I open my eyes and walk to the front of the observation room…" (Roth, p. 189). This puts us in the mind of Beatrice and provides an exciting reading experience. I think that this book would be good to read with 11th or 12th grade students because it is quite long, has some complex themes, and contains some controversial content such as bullying, kissing, and violence. |