Set in a dystopian post-apocalyptic Chicago isolated from the rest of the world, Divergent by Veronica Roth follows the story of Beatrice Prior, a young Abnegation girl on her journey to adulthood. In this future, society has split into five main factions depending on one’s core personality traits, Dauntless the brave, Abnegation the selfless, Amity the kindhearted, Erudite the clever, and Candor the truthful, each having wildly different views on the world and how it must be run. Upon reaching the age of 16, Beatrice and all other teenagers must take an aptitude test to determine which faction they best fit, and later pick one to reside. However, Beatrice’s results come back unique, she is Divergent, fitting into multiple factions. She must make a difficult decision to stay or leave, and as she moves through the many coming weeks and months, she discovers the true dangers of being Divergent and the dark reality of the world in which she lives.
Overall, this is a good book, but not anything too special. It was memorable and thought-invoking, but the plot line was just not strong enough to make it onto my favorites list. From afar, it is just another science fiction coming-of-age story. Looking closer, it brings up interesting questions about society, class, human experimentation, and the manipulation of the mind. Looking at the way society has evolved with these technological capabilities, it makes you think about a common ethical issue in science brought up by many books and movies, such as Jurassic Park, if we can do something, should we? This novel is a prime example of why science must have limits, or we will inevitably go too far, to a point of no return. Time and time again, we see the results that come from this, and they are never good.
Ultimately, it is a good read that makes you stop and actually think about the issues brought up and relate them to the real world, something many books lack the ability to do today. If you enjoyed The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, this book would be a great addition to your collection. Additionally, watching the film adaptation would be a good way to delve further into and truly understand the world that Roth created.
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