One Sentence Summary
Divergent/Insurgent by Veronica Roth is a dystopian novel featuring themes of self-discovery, identity and loyalty.
Genre
The book is a young adult, science fiction, and dystopian novel.
Main Topic of the Book
The main topic of the book is the struggle of a young girl in a world that is divided into factions based on virtues.
Key Ideas
- Self-Discovery: The main theme of the book is the process of self-discovery of the protagonist, Tris Prior. She discovers her natural talents and her true purpose in the world.
- Identity: Tris faces numerous challenges in her quest to find her true identity as she struggles to keep her own identity in the face of the dominant faction-based society.
- Loyalty: Tris learns that loyalty comes with a steep price and is challenged to decide what is more important to her, her own beliefs or her loyalty to the faction she comes from.
Main Parts of the Book and a Short Summary
Divergent: In the first book of this dystopian series, Tris is a 16-year-old girl living in Chicago in a world divided into five factions based on virtues. On her Choosing Day Ceremony, Tris decides to leave her family behind and join Dauntless, the faction of brave and daring. After a series of tests, she is deemed a ‘Divergent’: someone who is not limited by the boundaries of the factions. With her new identity, Tris reveals secrets about the government and fights to save her family and the future of the society.
Insurgent: In the second installment of the series, Tris and her friends search for allies in a conflict between the two warring factions: Erudite and Dauntless. Tris must face difficult challenges from within her own faction as a ruthless revolution looms. Things become even more complicated when the Erudite discover her Divergence. In the end, she is forced to make an ultimate sacrifice to save the city.
Key Takeaways
- Self-discovery is an integral part of identity building.
- Loyalty and personal convictions come with a price.
- Having the courage to make difficult decisions and stand by them is essential for protecting one’s identity and values.
- A person’s identity and values are essential for protecting the future of any society.
Author’s Background and Qualifications
Veronica Roth is an American author best known for her bestselling Divergent trilogy, of which Divergent and Insurgent are the first two books. She has a BA in creative writing and a MA in religion from Northwestern University. She has also practiced creative writing teaching, as well as creative writing workshops.
Target Audience
The target audience for this book is young adults with an interest in science fiction and dystopian novels.
Publisher and First Publication Date
The publisher of the book is Katherine Tegen Books (an imprint of HarperCollins) and its first publication date is May 3rd 2011.