The Divergent series by Veronica Roth

The Divergent series revolve around Beatrice Prior, who was born in a dystopian society in Chicago. The city is divided into five factions - Abnegation, Erudite, Amity, Candor and Dauntless. Each faction represents an idea or a principal - Amity is all about generosity, Erudite is about being smart, Abnegation is based on the act of giving and being selfless, Candor is all about honesty, while Dauntless is all about being fearless. The faction system governed the way people lived and worked, while the society thrived under the notion that the system is what kept harmony among people. It’s a trilogy consisting of three books - Divergent, Insurgent and Allegiant. I remember picking up the series after getting reviews from many of my friends, talking about how the books explore a different and unique sci-fi genre of writing. When Beatrice and her brother Caleb Prior turn 16, they endure tests to determine which faction they would choose in the choosing ceremony. Her tests were inconclusive, and she realises she’s Divergent - someone who exhibits characteristics of all the factions in existence. Divergents were seen as a threat to the society - as someone who would disrupt the balance and peace among the faction system created by the city’s founders. Hiding her test results, she chooses Dauntless - wishing to explore more, being fearless and escape the abnegation principles that shackled her till now.

The trilogy beautifully curates her life in Dauntless, and her relationship with Tobias Eaton aka Four. Stripping off her inherent Abnegation, and all the while concealing her Divergent identity, she fights her fears - fighting through conspiracies, friendship, lies and betrayals as a teenager. From uncovering a conspiracy against the faction system, rallying with other factions against Jeanine Mathews, fighting for every divergent in the society, learning about the origin of the faction system, to preventing a war being wrecked upon their hometown - I’ve lived through all these adventures with the characters. It was impossible to not enjoy reading the trilogy, and it had inevitably kept me on the edge of the seat throughout. And as Four says ‘Fear doesn’t shut you down, it wakes you up’ to Tris, I dwelled on how the emotion of fear makes us loose out on experiencing various things in life. By facing and overcoming fear, we really do step out of our comfort zones notoriously. The books made me wonder - had such a differentiation of people according to certain attributes existed in real life, how it would turn out to be. Would it really ensure peace? Or would it wreak havoc and increase the psychological divide among people? As I finished the books, I realised Tris was right all along to break down such a system. We all are Divergent at some point in our lives. We show kindness like the Amity, are selfless to help our close and loved ones like the Abnegation, exhibit smartness like the Erudite, are honest sometimes like the Candor, and face our fears like the Dauntless. Though I still wish for a different ending to my Divergent reading journey, Veronica Roth has given us characters whom we’ll look up to, gush over and remember for life!