My Indroduction to YA and Dystopian Fiction

Synopsis

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the YA scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

Review

Anytime anyone picks up a book they are looking for an escape from their own reality, if they say any different then they are lying. They also say write about what you know. Roth manages to place her community in an already established world, a world we as readers can easily recognise. Her talent however is the flare she has in making what would in our world be a community feel like the birth of a new and complete world. It is so easy to loose yourself in a world that is so plausible. So much of this world makes sense and that's why it is such a good read. Each of the factions are described to us in detail in a way that makes us feel as if we already know and understand their ideals. My belief is that they reflect visible aspects of our human nature, parts of us that are undeniable and unchanging. The fact that Tris has all of these traits and cannot be defined by any one alone makes the plot that much more intriguing. Divergent gives you both the characters and the world. It sets up who, where, what, when and why so brilliantly that you the reader have no reason to question its reality. Who are our protagonists ? When does our story take place, over how long a period of time? Where are they from or based, where does the story take our protagonist? What cause are they fighting for? Why are they fighting for that cause? These are the questions every reader subconsciously wants answered every time you open a book and Roth does this with flawless ability in Divergent. As a reader each time you turn a page you are asking the author to create a journey for the characters, you are asking for that journey to be sustainable enough to make you want to turn the pages. The Characters need to start somewhere in order to have reached their final destination. In most trilogies you find that they will follow this simple format, book one will be the starting point, book two will be the obstacles faced during the journey and book three will be the dignified ending to their story. I have found in the past that if an author sets out to write a series of books they can be disjointed, clumsy in the follow on, with bulky last chapters of first books and empty first chapters of the next, trying to conclude too much too soon, I haven't found out yet if Roth wrote these as one story divided into three books or as three separate stories but, I am impressed with the format of her trilogy. You can't wait to see where the characters are taken after some already intense experiences in Divergent. Reading about and getting to know Tris and Four in Divergent has made me a big shipper, they give each other strength without needing physical contact, the sign of clever understanding of what is undoubtedly a complex relationship, with it still feeling easy to interact. It is so easy to become truly invested in this story and these characters. Thank-you Veronica Roth!! P.S. I have seen and love the films also (which I have to say is rare after I have read a book of the same series)

**Disclaimer** I in no way wish to alter or sway anyone else’s view by anything discussed in this post. these are merely my own opinion feel free to agree or disagree as you see fit.

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