For those of you looking for a book like Hunger Games, look no further. I’ve got it.
One of my favorite “paying” jobs is ordering new books. And my favorite Book List or School Library Journal to order from is the one stamped sci-fi/fantasy edition!! I read the youth section from front to back including the Young Adult reviews. And sometimes, the review can hook me and I KNOW that this is the book for me. In this case, I requested the novel immediately. How spontaneous of me!
Decatur Public Library does not own Divergent yet. It is too new and we’re still behind in ordering. At this point, I won’t be able to get copies for Children’s either. I can agree that like Hunger Games, it really does belong in YA. However, like Hunger Games, if it gains a cult following or ends up on the Rebecca Caudill list, we’ll almost surely have to have it in Children’s to keep up with its circulation. And I’ll argue, like I did for Hunger Games that I wouldn’t have a problem recommending it for the right children - children who remind me of myself at the age (6th - 8th). I recommend this novel to advanced readers with a passion for good books, especially sci-fi/fantasy.
Sometime in the future, people decide that world peace can only be achieved by overcoming humankind’s inclination toward evil. Some people blame the aggressive character of humans; some people argue against ignorance; others point to the deceitful nature of human character; and finally two groups stand against either selfishness or cowardice for that evil. The Great Peace is eventually achieved when five factions form, each pursuing the virtue they hold dear. Members of Amity strive for Peace. Members of Candor aim for Truth. Members of Erudite thirst for Knowledge. Members of Dauntless pledge to Bravery. And Members of Abnegation, like our young heroine, Beatrice, deny themselves to seek Selflessness.
For the first sixteen years of her life, Beatrice sought to be selfless. There are no mirrors in her home. She and her family always wear gray and baggy clothing. They eat plain food. They deny themselves luxuries, but give to the factionless. Everything is austere and simple and yet beautiful in the eyes of those who live in the Abnegation section of town. (The town? Chicago by the way. Extra super cool!!)
When a child reaches the age of sixteen, they take an aptitude test to determine their areas of strength and weakness. Usually the test merely confirms that a child is in the faction that fits their beliefs and tendencies. Occasionally the test will determine that a child’s true character would be better served elsewhere. Rarely, a Divergent will surface, but everything is done to hide such a result for a Divergent is a danger to society and thus the Divergent is in danger herself.
A Divergent is a person that excels in more than one area. In Beatrice’s case, she may be selfless in her thinking, but she is also uncharacteristically brave as well as knowledgeable. Beatrice, like other Divergents is very strong-willed and hard to force into a pre-determined mold. Beatrice is warned not to share the aptitude test’s finding with ANYONE which makes choosing her faction for her adult life anxiety-inducing.
She doesn’t feel like she has ever been selfless enough to please her parents and yet she doesn’t want to be a traitor to her current faction. The new world’s motto is “Faction before Blood”. Choosing Abnegation feels like a prison sentence. She would never choose Erudite because their factions tend to be against each other and more so now than ever before. And that leaves Dauntless. Can plain Beatrice become a black-wearing, train-jumping, adrenaline pumping, piercing and tattoo-sporting defender of the world? She will have to try or face the worst of consequences – becoming factionless herself.
I will be recommending this book far and wide! It rocks! I read 300 pages in one night. It is pretty amazing for a first time author to impress me. Welcome Veronica Roth to the ranks of the published. Impatiently awaiting a sequel.
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