Divergent is the first book in the series by Veronica Roth. The book is written about a utopia of sorts. There are 5 factions that make up this city. Each faction values a different trait that they believe is what is important in life and believe that the other faction's traits are what causes uproar, and problems.
Abnegation believes is selflessness. To put others needs ahead of their own. They believe that thinking of yourself and being selfish is the downfall to society. They are the leaders because they put everyone's needs above their own.
Candor believes in honesty. They feel that if you are honest (frankly so even) that you will have nothing to hide because secrets and lies are the downfall to society. They believe dishonesty makes evil possible.
Erudite values intelligence above all else. They feel that the lack of knowledge inevitably leads to lack of understanding and lack of understanding disconnect. Disconnect leads to conflict and the only logical solution to conflict is knowledge.
Dauntless value being brave. They believe that cowardice is to blame for the worlds injustices. They believe that peace is hard-won and that you have to fight for peace.
Amity value peace. To have peace you must trust, be self-sufficient, forgive, and be kind.
Each child is raised in with their parents in their factions. In Tris's case, she grew up in Abnegation. All the children from all the factions attend school together until they turn 16. Each year, all the 16 year olds go though an aptitude test (a simulation) which is to tell them what faction they belong with. 24 hours later they go through the choosing ceremony where each 16 year old must choose a faction. They have the freedom of choice, even if their test says one faction, they can still choose a different one.
Once they choose a faction and the ceremony comes to an end, the initiates (the 16 year old's) must go with their chosen factions to go through initiation, and training. If you don't make initiation then you become factionless. Factionless are considered the scum. Looked down on. No one wants to be Factionless.
Warning spoilers ahead.
Divergent follows the story of a girl, Tris, who must choose her own path in life. She was raised Abnegation but always struggles with being selfless like the Abnegation should be. When she takes her aptitude test, her world turns upside down. She was told that the test wasn't conclusive for her. That this means she is something else all together, Divergent. She is told that being Divergent is dangerous and that she must never tell anyone that she is. Her test instructor erased her test results and reported that she tested Abnegation in order to protect her.
During the choosing ceremony her brother chooses to abandoned their upbringing as Abnegation and choose Erudite. Tris is shocked by this because he seemed to be the most selfless person she ever met. She feels betrayed that he kept this secret form her. But she too abandons Abnegation for Dauntless. She feels that Dauntless is her best bet, where she must belong.
Their father is angered by their choices but of course can't say anything because they are rushed off to be with their chosen factions. Their mother however smiles approvingly and loving to them.
Tris finds that Dauntless is harder than she expected but freeing. She learns to fight, shoot guns, and be brave. During initiation they must face 3 stages, and still only 10 initiates will become members. The rest will become factionless.
Tris finds friends that stick beside her through initiation. They stick up for one another and help each other out. Slowly she changes. She tattoo's herself. The first, 3 birds flying towards her heart. One for each of her family members that she left behind when she left Abnegation. The second tattoo being the Dauntless symbol. The third was done in secret, the symbol of Abnegation, the faction she left behind because she feels it'll always be a part of her.
The other transfer initiates (those from other factions like Tris) have found it hard to leave their families behind. Some cry at night when they think no one can hear. During stage 2 of initiation they must go through simulations to face their fears. This leaves the initiates on edge and touchy. Tris however refuses to break down. She begins to think that there's something wrong with her.
After a week and a half, all factions have visiting day. This is when the initiates Families can come visit them. Most families of those who transferred Factions don't visit because they feel betrayed. Tris is surprised when her mother shows up. Her mother supports her and loves her still. Tris begins to think that her mother wasn't always Abnegation but possibly Dauntless. Her mother tells her that she knows that Tris is Divergent and that she must be careful. She gets the same warning again, that it's dangerous to be Divergent but her mother refuses, like everyone else who knows about it, to tell her more about it. Instead her mother asks Tris to go to her brother in Erudite and have him research the serum used in the aptitude test. When Tris asks why her mother doesn't just go visit him herself, she finds that Erudite will not allow Abnegation into their compound headquarters so it must be Tris that goes.
Only 3 people know that Tris is Divergent. Her mother. The test instructor, who is also the Dauntless tattoo artist. And Four, her Dauntless initiation instructor. All have warned her to be careful and keep the attention off herself.
The time comes for stage 3 of the initiation process. Each initiate must go into the fear landscape and face all their fears. One after another. After which they will be ranked. At the end, they will get their final ranking to find out if they make Dauntless membership or will forever be factionless. Tris faces less fears than others and overcomes them faster. She is congratulated by the Dauntless leaders and Four. She is told that she made membership and all members are getting a tracking advice implanted in them via shot. This is in case they go missing and must be found. At least this is what they are told. Tris nervously agrees, after all this is what shes worked hard for.
During the celebration dinner, ranks are posted. Tris is surprised to find that she ranked over all #1. This means she gets to pick her job within the Dauntless compound, before all the other initiates. This is a good thing because she can pick a job far enough away from the leaders too keep off their radar as a Divergent but also give her a decent job.
That night she wakes up to the sound of shuffling. She finds her friends are getting dressed. When she tries to talk to them she realizes that the whole dorm is dressing with blank stares on their faces. They don't realize when they are doing, like sleepwalkers. Tris follows her instinct and follows suit, trying to match every movement they make in fear of being found out that she is Divergent.
They go into rooms, dress in all black uniform, arm themselves with guns and get on the train. They go into Abnegation compound and end up attacking and killing Abnegation. Tris finds Four wide awake and realizes that he too is Divergent. They make a run for it but end up caught by Divergent soldiers and taken to Jeanine the Erudite leader, who is behind the attack. She had developed the so called trackers that all (but the leaders) of Dauntless had been injected with that day. Turns out they were a device that allowed her to put everyone through a real life simulation and do what she wanted.
Jeanine injects Four with a different device that she created just for Divergent's and put him under her control. He then attacks Tris, almost chocking her to death until Jeanine commands him to stop and had her soldiers take him to the control room to monitor the simulation program.
Tris is knocked out and when she wakes up, she finds herself facing one of her worst fears, but in reality this time. She's in a glass box that is slowly filling with water so that she will drown. She tried to escape but is too weak from blood loss from being shot. Luckily she is saved by her mother who shoots and breaks the glass freeing Tris. They make a run for it. This is when Tris's suspicions of her mother being Dauntless before Abnegation are proven true when she sees her mothers Dauntless tattoo. She also discovers that her mother too is Divergent and the reason she choose to Abnegation, thinking it was the safest.
They try to escape the Dauntless sleepwalking soldiers but they can't lead them back to the group of Abnegation in hiding. Tris's mom tells her to run and get to safety while she distracts the soldiers. Tris ends up watching her mother die. Before she can make it to safety she is stopped by a soldier, Will her friend. She doesn't want to have to shoot him and tries talking him out of shooting her and letting her go but he isn't himself and she has no choice but to shoot and kill him.
She makes it to safety, finding her father, brother, Four's father and many neighbors. She has to deliver the news of her mothers death to her brother and father. After they come up with a plan to split up. A few will go with her to the Dauntless compound and shut down the simulation while the other run to safety to Amity outside the city gates.
With her she takes her brother, fathers and Four's father despite her protests. She leads them to the compound where they have to encounter many Dauntless initiate task's to get in. Jump onto a moving train. Jump off a moving train onto a roof. Jump off the roof from 7 stories high into a hole where a net is waiting to catch them. This is the back way into the compound and the safest.
They encounter many soldiers and have to fight back by shooting them. Tris finds Peter, her arch enemy and fellow initiate made member who tried to kill her, awake and not under the simulation. She shoots him in his shooting arm, rendering him useless and threatening his life if he doesn't tell her where the control room is.
She leaves her brother and Four's father behind to watch over Peter while her and her father goes to shut down the simulation. When they reach the floor the control is on they are met at the elevator by soldiers with guns ready to shoot. They shoot the soldiers down but more are headed their way. Tris's father leads them down a hall away from Tris and she watches him die like she did her mother. But it wasn't for nothing because she makes it to the control room where she finds Four. Four puts a gun to her head and she keep trying to talk him out of the simulation. She knows his brain is stronger because he is Divergent. Just when she thought she was about to die at the hand of the man whom she loves, he drops the gun and wakes up.
Together they shut down the simulation and take the hard drive with them so the simulation can't be turned on again. Four isn't happy to see his father waiting for them with Tris's brother and Peter. Again Tris must tell her brother that they lost a parent. They are orphans now. Together they escape the city and seek Amity for protection and hiding. The simulation may be over but the city is in a uproar now.
Amity allows them a safe house as long as they follow their rules but Tris and Four know that they won't be able to stay long. They will have to return to Dauntless and see what they can do to stop Erudite and their leader Jeanine all together.
Divergent kept me wanting more. It's one of those books that once you pick up, you just can't put it back down because it's addicting. It's full of action with some mystery and a hint of a love story. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.
I am one who feels the need to read the book before I consider watching the movie. And even then movies are never as good as the books. Crossing my fingers that the movie is at least 1/3 of what the book is.
Stay tuned for more Divergent fun...
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