On My Bookshelf: Divergent by Veronica Roth

The basic plot from Amazon: One choice can transform you. Beatrice Prior's society is divided into five factions—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). Beatrice must choose between staying with her Abnegation family and transferring factions. Her choice will shock her community and herself. But the newly christened Tris also has a secret, one she's determined to keep hidden, because in this world, what makes you different makes you dangerous.

Why I liked it: I recently picked up a copy of Divergent  for my classroom library and was completely drawn into the dystopian society composed up of five factions: Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). Beatrice doesn't quite fit in with any of the factions, but when she switches factions from Abnegation to Dauntless, she begins to discover that not everything is what it seems. Making it through her training to become Dauntless is just the first of many challenges she will face.


Classroom application: I would recommend this book for seventh grade and up. There is some harsh violence, but it is PG romance-wise and no concerning language. Fans of books like The Giver and the Hunger Games, Matched, and Initiation series will love this one.

During reading, students could participate in a choosing ceremony (minus the ritual of cutting one’s hand with a knife) and write about why they chose the faction that they did. Before this ceremony, you could create an “aptitude test” for students to take to help determine their faction. I’m thinking of something similar to those quizzes in Seventeen and Cosmo that determine what kind of friend or employee you are. As the plot progresses, you could have students design the tattoo(s) they would get after joining Dauntless and write about what these tattoos represent and why students would want to get them.

After reading, students could discuss what it means to be “divergent” and identify examples from the past and in modern society. Beatrice is a strong female protagonist, able to face her fears and calm herself in difficult situations so well that Four admires her. Students could engage in social emotional learning activities to help them develop similar traits and coping skills.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Divergent for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

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