The Divergent Series

Divergent, Insurgent, and Allegiant are the titles of the three books in the Divergent series by Veronica Roth. Published in 2011, 2012, and 2013 respectively, the books follow Tris and her relationship with Tobias in post-apocalyptic Chicago, Illinois. The city was divided into factions, the Amity, the Abnegation, the Erudite, the Candor, and the Dauntless, which citizens choose between (though usually they pick what they are told they have an aptitude for after an aptitude test) at a Choosing ceromony at 15 or 16 years of age, and if the faction of choice does not work out, they become a part of the Factionless (which appears to be a group of homeless forced to beg for food and live in run down buildings or on the streets). Tris leaves behind her former faction, the Abnegation, for the Dauntless, launching her into a journey where she meets Tobias and finds herself fighting for the faction she left behind. In each book, Tris's part as a revolutionary and a fighter for a better world for herself and the ones she loves progresses, and she finds herself fighting against a dictatorship and eventually against the scientists who were letting the inhabitants of the city kill each other and harm each other in the name of science. Tris gives her life in the end to protect the ones she loves and to give them the right to choose their own destinies for themselves.

Originally, I had intended just to blog about one of these books, but found myself flying through them so quickly, that I'd finished them all in time to blog about all three. These science fiction novels are action packed the whole way through, sprinkled - or well, doused -  with the love story between Tris and Tobias. At times the love story seems heavy-handed, sappy, and a touch silly; the ability of kissing to calm anger and grief so quickly either speaks to the fickleness of teens or the cynical nature of yours truly. But considering the intended audience and the action packed plot, it's an offense that is easy to forgive. A theme that lasts throughout the series is the ability to make choices and how our choices are what truly shape who we are more than where we come from, the name of our faction, the clothes we wear, or even our genetic makeup. This theme is a worthwhile lesson for all audiences, not just young adults (as well as PG enough for younger readers, although at times things seem to steam up, with one tiny allusion to sex that isn't entirely obvious), and these books were so much fun and so exciting to read that I'd suggest them to almost anyone, even a reluctant reader. Furthermore, there's a Divergent movie with more to come, which is always fun for readers of the books!

-Charlie Hittle