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''Divergent'' is the
debut novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to p ...
of
American novelist This is a list of novelists from the United States, listed with titles of a major work for each. This is not intended to be a list of every American (born U.S. citizen, naturalized citizen, or long-time resident alien) who has published a novel. ...
Veronica Roth Veronica Anne Roth (born August 19, 1988) is an American novelist and short story writer, known for her bestselling ''Divergent'' trilogy which has sold more than 35 million copies worldwide. Personal life Veronica Roth was born on August 19, ...
, published by
HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News Cor ...
Children's Books in 2011. The novel is the first of the
Divergent trilogy ''Divergent'' is a series of young adult science fiction adventure novels by American novelist Veronica Roth set in a post-apocalyptic dystopian Chicago. The trilogy consists of '' Divergent'' (2011), '' Insurgent'' (2012) and '' Allegiant'' (20 ...
, a series of
young adult A young adult is generally a person in the years following adolescence. Definitions and opinions on what qualifies as a young adult vary, with works such as Erik Erikson's stages of human development significantly influencing the definition of ...
dystopian novel Utopian and dystopian fiction are genres of speculative fiction that explore social and political structures. Utopian fiction portrays a setting that agrees with the author's ethos, having various attributes of another reality intended to appeal to ...
s set in a Divergent Universe. The novel ''Divergent'' features a
post-apocalyptic Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which the Earth's (or another planet's) civilization is collapsing or has collapsed. The apocalypse event may be climatic, such as runaway climate change; astro ...
version of
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
and follows Beatrice "Tris" Prior as she explores her identity within a society that defines its citizens by their social and personality-related affiliation with five factions, which removes the threat of anyone exercising independent will and re-threatening the population's safety. Underlying the action and dystopian focused main plot is a romantic subplot between Tris and one of her instructors in the Dauntless faction, nicknamed Four. The novel has been compared to other
young adult book Young adult fiction (YA) is a category of fiction written for readers from 12 to 18 years of age. While the genre is primarily targeted at adolescents, approximately half of YA readers are adults. The subject matter and genres of YA correlate ...
s such as ''
The Hunger Games ''The Hunger Games'' is a series of young adult dystopian novels written by American author Suzanne Collins. The first three novels are part of a trilogy following teenage protagonist Katniss Everdeen, and the fourth book is a prequel set ...
'' and ''
The Maze Runner ''The Maze Runner'' is a 2009 young adult dystopian science fiction novel written by American author James Dashner and the first book released in ''The Maze Runner'' series. The novel was published on October 6, 2009, by Delacorte Press, an ...
'' because of its similar themes and
target audience A target audience is the intended audience or readership of a publication, advertisement, or other message catered specifically to said intended audience. In marketing and advertising, it is a particular group of consumer within the predetermined ...
. In particular, the novel explores the themes common to young adult fiction, such as adult authority and the transition from childhood to maturity, as well as such broader motifs as the place of violence and
social structure In the social sciences, social structure is the aggregate of patterned social arrangements in society that are both emergent from and determinant of the actions of individuals. Likewise, society is believed to be grouped into structurally rel ...
s within a post-apocalyptic society. Its major
plot device A plot device or plot mechanism is any narrative technique, technique in a narrative used to move the Plot (narrative), plot forward. A clichéd plot device may annoy the reader and a contrived or arbitrary device may confuse the reader, causing ...
, the division of society into personality types, is one used in other science fiction works. Beyond its
literary Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to ...
context, Roth's open declaration of her religion as a
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
has brought commentary from Christian communities both endorsing and challenging the novel. Roth wrote ''Divergent'' while working on a Creative Writing degree at
Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...
, and it was quickly purchased for publication alongside the subsequent books in the trilogy (completed in October 2013).
Summit Entertainment Summit Entertainment is an American film production and distribution company. It is a label of Lionsgate Films, owned by Lionsgate Entertainment and is headquartered in Santa Monica, California. History Independent era (1991–2012) Summit E ...
purchased the
media rights Broadcasting rights (often also called media rights) are rights which a broadcasting organization negotiates with a commercial concern - such as a sports governing body or film distributor - in order to show that company's products on television o ...
to the book in 2011 and subsequently produced a film adaptation titled '' Divergent'' which was released March 21, 2014. The film, a success amongst audiences, generated $288,747,895 at the
box office A box office or ticket office is a place where ticket (admission), tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a Wicket gate, wicke ...
despite mixed reviews from
critic A critic is a person who communicates an assessment and an opinion of various forms of creative works such as art, literature, music, cinema, theater, fashion, architecture, and food. Critics may also take as their subject social or governmen ...
s.


Background and setting

The novel is Roth's
debut novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to p ...
and was published a little over a year after Roth graduated with a
bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
from the Creative Writing program at
Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...
. Roth wrote the novel during her senior year winter break and sold movie rights to the novel before she had graduated. She had been working on the series from Four's point of view but decided that he was not the character she wanted for her series. Four years later, she decided to pick up the novel from a different point of view. Roth wrote the series from Beatrice's point of view. The novel is set in a post-apocalyptic
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
. Roth indicated that she did not originally intend to use Chicago as the setting:


Plot

In post-apocalyptic
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
, survivors are divided into five factions: ''Abnegation'', the selfless; ''Amity'', the peaceful; ''Candor'', the honest; ''Dauntless'', the brave; and ''Erudite'', the intelligent. All 16-year-olds are tested to determine the faction that suits them best, but they select their own faction at the Choosing Ceremony. Those who do not complete initiation become "Factionless" and live on the streets as outcasts. The main character, 16-year-old
Beatrice Prior This is a list of major and minor characters in the Divergent trilogy, ''Divergent'' book trilogy and its subsequent film adaptation, ''The Divergent Series''. Main characters Tris Prior Beatrice "Tris" Prior is the viewpoint character in ' ...
, cannot choose before she takes the test. Her inconclusive test results (Abnegation, Dauntless, and Erudite) mark her as "Divergent," and the test administrator, Tori, warns her never to tell anyone. Agonizing over her future, Beatrice decides to leave Abnegation, her blood, and to join Dauntless. Her brother Caleb chooses Erudite. The new Dauntless initiates jump onto a moving train to Dauntless headquarters and are instructed to jump onto the roof. Most make it, but one initiate falls to her death, and another is too afraid to jump. When they are later ordered to jump into the compound entrance, Beatrice jumps first. Reaching the bottom, she tells the instructor, Four, that her name is Tris. Four explains that unlike the other factions, which accept all successful initiates, only the top ten Dauntless initiates will stay, and the rest become Factionless. Tris befriends several fellow initiates like Christina, Will, and Al but comes into conflict with others like Peter, Drew, and Molly. In the first stage of initiation, they are trained in guns, knives, and hand-to-hand combat. Despite her lack of physical strength, Tris finishes in sixth place. A relationship emerges between Tris and Four, and Tris is pummeled by Peter in a fight. After the first-stage rankings are announced, the second-place Peter stabs the first-place Edward in the eye. Edward leaves to become Factionless, followed by his girlfriend Myra, which allows Peter to take Edward's place as the first-place initiate. On Visiting Day, Tris's mother tells Tris to stay strong but not to bring too much attention to herself during training. Erudite stirs dissent against the city's Abnegation leadership and accuses its leader, Marcus, of abusing his son. The rumors are fueled by the fact that Marcus's son, as well as Tris and Caleb, have all left Abnegation, which is also alleged to be hoarding supplies. The initiates enter the second stage and face
hallucinations A hallucination is a perception in the absence of an external stimulus that has the qualities of a real perception. Hallucinations are vivid, substantial, and are perceived to be located in external objective space. Hallucination is a combinatio ...
based on their deepest fears. Tris's Divergent abilities give her an advantage and earn her the top rank. Peter, Drew, and Al attack Tris; threaten
sexual assault Sexual assault is an act in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence, which ...
; and nearly throw her to her death, but Four intervenes. Al begs Tris's forgiveness, but she rejects him, and he later dies by suicide. The final stage gathers the initiates' fears into a simulated "fear landscape" to test their acquired skills. Tris and Four grow closer, and he lets her into his own fear landscape. She discovers that he has only four fears, hence his nickname. In Four's final fear, Tris also learns that he is Marcus's son Tobias and that the claims of abuse were true. Four uncovers Erudite's plans to use Dauntless to stage an attack on Abnegation. Tris overcomes her fear landscape, and the Dauntless initiates are injected with a "tracking" serum. Tris shares her feelings for Tobias and is later ranked first at the initiation ceremony. The serum transforms the Dauntless into hypnotized soldiers to attack Abnegation. Tris and Tobias's Divergent abilities allow them to remain unaffected by the serum and escape to the Abnegation compound. Tris is shot, and they are captured. The Erudite leader Jeanine Matthews, the mastermind of the attack, injects Tobias with an experimental serum that overrides his Divergence. Under Jeanine's control, Tobias oversees the attack from the Dauntless control room. Tris is almost drowned in a tank but is rescued by her mother, who reveals that she is also Divergent before she is killed while she helps Tris escape. Tris is forced to kill Will, who attacks her under the influence of the simulation. She finds her and Tobias's fathers and explains the truth behind the attack. They fight their way to Dauntless headquarters, where Tris's father sacrifices himself. Tris is attacked by the mind-controlled Tobias. Unable to kill him, Tris surrenders, which causes Tobias to break free of the serum's control. They shut down the Erudite simulation and free the Dauntless. They rejoin the initiates and board a train to the Amity sector to find the Abnegation survivors.


Style

Many reviewers stated that the novel's writing style offers a distinctive, terse prose that creates a fast-paced reading experience. Susan Dominus, writing in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', described the style as "brisk pacing, lavish flights of imagination and writing that occasionally startles with fine detail." Abby Nolan, from ''
The American Prospect ''The American Prospect'' is a daily online and bimonthly print American political and public policy magazine dedicated to American modern liberalism and progressivism. Based in Washington, D.C., ''The American Prospect'' says it "is devoted to ...
'', noted that ''Divergent'' follows the structural and stylistic patterns of ''The Hunger Games'' and ''Blood Red Road''.


Themes


Identity

As in other children's and
young adult fiction Young adult fiction (YA) is a category of fiction written for readers from 12 to 18 years of age. While the genre is primarily targeted at adolescents, approximately half of YA readers are adults. The subject matter and genres of YA correlate ...
, the novel probes placement of authority and identity within the youths' relationship to parents and other social forces. The critic Antero Garcia describes the thematic similarity between the dystopian novels as an interest in the "grasp of power between youth and adult authority" and compared the novel to '' Unwind'' by
Neal Shusterman Neal Shusterman (born November 12, 1962) is an American writer of young-adult fiction. He won the 2015 National Book Award for Young People's Literature for his book ''Challenger Deep'' and his novel, ''Scythe'', was a 2017 '' Michael L. Prin ...
. In ''The New York Times'', Susan Dominus stated that ''Divergent'' "explores a more common adolescent anxiety--the painful realization that coming into one's own sometimes means leaving family behind ideologically and physically." ''The Voice of Youth Advocates'' agreed and wrote that ''Divergent'' shows the pressure of "having to choose between following in your parents' footsteps or doing something new." The critic Antero Garcia compared the thematic interest in the characters being "forced into limiting constraints of identity and labor associated with their identity" to similar interest in forced identities and labor in the dystopian children's novels '' Matched'' by Allyson Braithwaite Condie and ''
The Maze Runner ''The Maze Runner'' is a 2009 young adult dystopian science fiction novel written by American author James Dashner and the first book released in ''The Maze Runner'' series. The novel was published on October 6, 2009, by Delacorte Press, an ...
'' by
James Dashner James Smith Dashner (born November 26, 1972) is an American writer known for speculative fiction. Many of his books are primarily aimed at children or young adults. He is best known for ''The Maze Runner'' series and the young adult fantasy seri ...
.


Social structure and knowledge

The government division of a population into fragmented communities is a frequent device in young adult and children's fiction. YA classics such as
Lois Lowry Lois Ann Lowry (; née Hammersberg; March 20, 1937) is an American writer. She is the author of several books for children and young adults, including ''The Giver Quartet,'' ''Number the Stars'', and ''Rabble Starkey.'' She is known for writing a ...
's ''
The Giver ''The Giver'' is a 1993 American young adult dystopian novel written by Lois Lowry, set in a society which at first appears to be utopian but is revealed to be dystopian as the story progresses. In the novel, the society has taken away pain ...
'',
Monica Hughes Monica Hughes (November 3, 1925 – March 7, 2003) was an English-Canadian author of books for children and young adults, especially science fiction. She also wrote adventure and historical novels set in Canada, and the text for some children's ...
’s '' The Dream Catcher'', and Zilpha Snyder’s Green Sky Trilogy use that device to different ends. In her masters' thesis, Ashley Ann Haynes describes fractioning of societies in ''Divergent'' as a supporting comparison with ''
Hunger Games ''The Hunger Games'' is a series of young adult dystopian novels written by American author Suzanne Collins. The first three novels are part of a trilogy following teenage protagonist Katniss Everdeen, and the fourth book is a prequel set 6 ...
''. Unlike the latter, however, all can choose which faction to join if they follow the rules and pass the tests. Divergent adds a new layer of complexity with its creation of an illusion of democracy for participants in its fractioned society, with the factions controlled by outside forces. The basis of the social structure in ''Divergent'' is that each faction fulfils a role in society. Those who cannot contribute to society are cast aside to become "factionless" and are deprived of access to an identity and resources. In a journal article, Andrea Burgos-Mascarell compared the factionless to illegal immigrants, who do not have access to certain public services either. Both are marginalised from society because they are unable to contribute to it. Some reviews criticized the lack of depth and realism of the social structures in the novel. ''
Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...
'' called the social structure a "preposterous premise." ''
Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...
'' called the structure a "simplistic, color-coded world
hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
stretches credibility on occasion." In a review for the
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
's student newspaper ''Royal Purple News'', Abrielle Backhaus notes how the "entire system seems insubstantial" and asks
rhetorically Rhetoric () is the Art (skill), art of persuasion, which along with grammar and logic (or dialectic), is one of the Trivium, three ancient arts of discourse. Rhetoric aims to study the techniques writers or speakers utilize to inform, persuad ...
, "How could it be possible for any individual, with his or her infinite emotions and experiences, to be condensed to one single quality to tolerate for the rest of their lives and to choose at the mere age of 16?" In an interview, Roth described the social structure to have expanded from her initial conception, and she added Candor to fill "a gap in the reasoning behind the world that needed to be filled." The social structure most affects the novel's themes by socially dividing different knowledge types that characters can access. In her book chapter exploring how literacy in different knowledge types affects the series, Alice Curry described the factions and the character indoctrination in those factions as deliberately creating knowledge gaps between initiates to different factions. Because of the initiation process, the characters become illiterate in the knowledge that is valued by the other factions. Tris's "divergence" allows her to be successful because she can become literate in a broad set of knowledges and information types and so she becomes more admirable to the reader. Curry argues that Jeanine's leadership in Erudite represents an academic
ivory tower An ivory tower is a metaphorical place—or an atmosphere—where people are happily cut off from the rest of the world in favor of their own pursuits, usually mental and esoteric ones. From the 19th century, it has been used to designate an e ...
that alienates other types of knowledge and so the book critiques academic learning in favor of the broader knowledge that is embodied by Tris. Curry compares the novel to
Julie Bertagna Julie Bertagna (born 1962) is a Scottish people, Scottish author who has written real life and science fiction novels for children and young adults. Her books have been shortlisted for several literature awards, including the Carnegie Medal (li ...
's 2002 ''
Exodus Exodus or the Exodus may refer to: Religion * Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible * The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan Historical events * Ex ...
'', describing both as using spaces and landscapes in which knowledge is learned, to critique "crumbling knowledge institutions," like academic spaces that "dissemble" knowledge instead of facilitating deeper holistic knowledge literacies that create "understanding."


Violence and fear

Like ''
The Hunger Games ''The Hunger Games'' is a series of young adult dystopian novels written by American author Suzanne Collins. The first three novels are part of a trilogy following teenage protagonist Katniss Everdeen, and the fourth book is a prequel set ...
'', ''Divergent'' depicts considerable violence for a young adult novel. The ''
Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...
'' review emphasized that stylistic choice, called it "edgy," and described the initiation rituals that Tris endures "as spellbinding as they are violent equiringsadistic tests of strength and courage." However, as Susan Dominus pointed out, the novel does not keep the violence at the forefront of reader experience. She wrote in ''The New York Times'', "Terrible things happen to the people Tris loves, yet the characters absorb these events with disquieting ease. Here, somehow, the novel's flights from reality distance the reader from the emotional impact that might come in a more affecting realistic (or even fantasy) novel." When describing her inspiration for the Dauntless training their initiates by exposing them to their fears, Roth, in an interview for the website "PopSugar," said that she was influenced by many sources, but the most important was her "Psych 101 my first year of college
here Here is an adverb that means "in, on, or at this place". It may also refer to: Software * Here Technologies, a mapping company * Here WeGo (formerly Here Maps), a mobile app and map website by Here Technologies, Here Television * Here TV (form ...
I learned about exposure therapy, which is when they treat people with fear, like for anxiety. It exposes them repeatedly to what they're afraid of, and gradually you become less afraid of it, or have a healthy level of fear, and I thought of the Dauntless then, because they're conditioning perfectly normal people to get over perfectly rational fears." Daniel Kraus's ''
Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...
'' review of the novel described the intense psychological pressure as like "akin to joining the
marines Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...
" but also providing the "built-in tension" that makes the novel a compelling read.


Christianity

Though the novel does not maintain an overtly-Christian thematic interest, some readers place the novel's themes within that context because of Roth's professed religiosity. In the
postscript PostScript (PS) is a page description language in the electronic publishing and desktop publishing realm. It is a dynamically typed, concatenative programming language. It was created at Adobe Systems by John Warnock, Charles Geschke, Doug Br ...
"Acknowledgements," Roth emphasized her Christian faith: "Thank you, God, for your Son and for blessing me beyond comprehension." For some reviewers, this element of Roth's lifestyle is important to the novel's impact. For example, when reviewing the novel for the Christian ministry "Break Point," Sherry Early described Roth as "a Christian" and the novel setting as " post-feminist, maybe even Christian." She also said that though the novel is "not overtly Christian," it follows a "Christian point of view" because it "fight against the restrictions placed upon her by a controlling and totalitarian state" and because "Tris must also explore the cracks and imperfections within her own psyche." K. B. Hoyle also acknowledges that the novel would have a "Christian message" in reviewing it for the Evangelical book review organization
The Gospel Coalition The Gospel Coalition, or TGC, is a union of evangelical and Reformed churches. History It was founded in 2005 by theologian D. A. Carson and pastor Tim Keller. TGC describe their mission as being “deeply committed to renewing our faith ...
. However, Hoyle criticized the novel for using profane terminology and for never "clarify ngwhat the practices are supposed to mean." Reviewers outside the Christian community have also noticed the Christian context of the novel. In a review of the book and the first movie, David Edelstein observed the book's treatment of intellectuals as following a tendency in Christian culture to question
genetic modification Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including t ...
and the
majority A majority, also called a simple majority or absolute majority to distinguish it from #Related terms, related terms, is more than half of the total.Dictionary definitions of ''majority'' aMerriam-Webster He wrote, "The novelist, Veronica Roth, reserves her loathing for the 'Erudites', who spend their days in intellectual pursuit" and that the trend of
intellectualism Intellectualism is the mental perspective that emphasizes the use, the development, and the exercise of the intellect; and also identifies the life of the mind of the intellectual person. (Definition) In the field of philosophy, the term ''inte ...
(thinking without feeling) "makes people apt to seize power and impose
Maoist Maoism, officially called Mao Zedong Thought by the Chinese Communist Party, is a variety of Marxism–Leninism that Mao Zedong developed to realise a socialist revolution in the agricultural, pre-industrial society of the Republic of Ch ...
-like uniformity on entire populations — on pain of death."


Reception

''Divergent'' has received mostly positive reviews. In a review in ''The New York Times'', Susan Dominus wrote that it was "rich in plot and imaginative details" but also that compared to other such books in the same genre as the ''Hunger Games'' trilogy, it did "not exactly distinguish itself." In a review for ''Entertainment Weekly'', Breia Brissey said that it was "flimsier and less nuanced" than ''The Hunger Games'' but was good and gave it a B+ rating. Similarly, critiquing the "simplistic, color-coded world," ''Booklist'' reviewer Daniel Kraus still positively concluded that the novel was full of "gutsy action and romance" and called it a "spin on ''
Brave New World ''Brave New World'' is a dystopian novel by English author Aldous Huxley, written in 1931 and published in 1932. Largely set in a futuristic World State, whose citizens are environmentally engineered into an intelligence-based social hierarch ...
''." ''Kirkus'' said that it was "built with careful details and intriguing scope."
Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.
commented on the book's "deep messages about identity and controlling societies" and on the "unstoppable plot that's remarkably original." It was rated 5 out of 5 stars and given an age 13+ rating. The book debuted at number six on ''The New York Times'' Children's Chapter Books Best Seller list on May 22, 2011, and remained on the list for 11 weeks. It also spent 39 weeks on the Children's Paperback list in 2012, reaching number one. The Times changed its Children's Best Seller lists in December 2012, eliminating the Children's Paperback list and recognizing "middle grade" and "young adult" books separately; ''Divergent'' continued its run on the new Young Adult Best Seller list. The novel stayed on the list for 47 weeks until November 3, 2013. According to ''Publishers Weekly'', the combined three volumes of the Divergent series sold over 6.7 million copies in 2013 (three million hardcovers, 1.7 million paperbacks, and just under two million e-books). In the lead-up to the release of the film adaptation, Roth's novel topped ''USA Today''s Best-Selling Books list in January 2014. ''Divergent'' won Favorite book of 2011 in the Goodreads Readers Choice Awards, and won the senior category of the 2014
Young Reader's Choice Award The Young Reader's Choice Award is an award program of the Pacific Northwest Library Association (PNLA) which was inaugurated in 1940 by Harry Hartman, a well-known Seattle based bookseller. It is the oldest "children's choice" award in the U.S. an ...
. It was also number one in the Teens' Top Ten Vote, sponsored by
YALSA The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), established in 1957, is a division of the American Library Association. YALSA is a national association of librarians, library workers and advocates whose mission is to expand the capacity of l ...
.


Film adaptation

Summit Entertainment Summit Entertainment is an American film production and distribution company. It is a label of Lionsgate Films, owned by Lionsgate Entertainment and is headquartered in Santa Monica, California. History Independent era (1991–2012) Summit E ...
bought the rights to film an adaptation of the novel in 2011. Summit recruited
Neil Burger Neil Norman Burger (born November 22, 1963) is an American filmmaker. He is known for the fake-documentary ''Interview with the Assassin'' (2002), the period drama '' The Illusionist'' (2006), '' Limitless'' (2011), and the sci-fi action film '' ...
to direct. Initially, Summit gave the film a budget of $40 million, but
Lionsgate Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, doing business as Lionsgate, is a Canadian-American entertainment company. It was formed by Frank Giustra on July 10, 1997, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently headquartered ...
later increased it to $80 million, which was finally changed to $85 million because of the success of ''
The Hunger Games ''The Hunger Games'' is a series of young adult dystopian novels written by American author Suzanne Collins. The first three novels are part of a trilogy following teenage protagonist Katniss Everdeen, and the fourth book is a prequel set ...
''.
Shailene Woodley Shailene Diann Woodley (born November 15, 1991) is an American actress. Born in San Bernardino, California, Woodley was raised in Simi Valley, and started modeling at the age of four and began acting professionally in minor television roles. She ...
was chosen to star as Beatrice "Tris" Prior. The role of Tobias "Four" Eaton eventually went to
Theo James Theo is a given name and a hypocorism. Greek origin Many names beginning with the root "Theo-" derive from the Ancient Greek word ''theos'' (''θεός''), which means god, for example: *Feminine names: Thea, Theodora, Theodosia, Theophania, ...
after an extensive search.
Kate Winslet Kate Elizabeth Winslet (; born 5 October 1975) is an English actress. Known for her work in independent films, particularly period dramas, and for her portrayals of headstrong and complicated women, she has received numerous accolades, incl ...
was signed as Jeanine Matthews. Also recruited into the cast were
Maggie Q Margaret Denise Quigley (Vietnamese: Lý Mỹ Kỳ; born May 22, 1979), professionally known as Maggie Q, is an American actress, activist, and model. She began her professional career in Hong Kong, with starring roles in the action films ''Gen- ...
as Tori,
Zoe Kravitz Zoe (also ZOE, Zoë, Zoé, etc.) can refer to: *ζωή (''zōḗ''), the Ancient Greek word for "life" People * Zoe (name), including list of persons and fictional characters with the name Film and television * Zoe (film), ''Zoe'' (film) * ZO ...
as Christina,
Ansel Elgort Ansel Elgort (born March 14, 1994) is an American actor and singer. He began his acting career with a supporting role in the horror film ''Carrie'' (2013) and gained wider recognition for starring as a teenage cancer patient in the romantic dr ...
as Caleb,
Miles Teller Miles Teller (born February 20, 1987) is an American actor. He played a jazz drummer in '' Whiplash'' and a supporting pilot in '' Top Gun: Maverick''. Teller made his feature film debut in 2010 and gained recognition for his starring role in ...
as Peter,
Ashley Judd Ashley Judd (born Ashley Tyler Ciminella; April 19, 1968) is an American actress. She grew up in a family of performing artists: she is the daughter of the late country music singer Naomi Judd and the half-sister of country music singer Wynonna ...
as Natalie Prior,
Tony Goldwyn Anthony Howard Goldwyn (born May 20, 1960) is an American actor, singer, producer, director, and political activist. He made his debut appearing as Darren in the slasher film '' Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives'' (1986), and had his breakthr ...
as Andrew Prior, and
Jai Courtney Jai Courtney (; born 15 March 1986) is an Australian actor. He started his career with small roles in films and television series before being cast as Charlie in the action film ''Jack Reacher'' (2012). He has gone on to star in ''A Good Day to ...
as Eric. Filming began in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
on April 16, 2013, and concluded on July 16, with nearly all filming taking place in Chicago. The film was released March 21, 2014 and earned $150,947,895 in North America and $137,228,004 in other areas, for a worldwide total of $288,175,899. The critic aggregating sites
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
and
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
both gave the films mixed reviews. However, the audience surveyor
CinemaScore CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data. Background Ed Mintz founded Ci ...
showed that audiences were very receptive to the film.


Notes


References


Further reading


"Summit Signs Scribe for 'Divergent' Adaptation (Exclusive)"
Pamela McClintock. ''The Hollywood Reporter''. June 8, 2011.

(review). Meghan Cox Gurdon. ''The Wall Street Journal''. May 14, 2011.
"Book review: Divergent"
Debbie Phillips. ''Ballina Shire Advocate''. July 14, 2011.
"Divergent – A Fun Book To Kill Your Boredom!"
Sneha Banerjee. ''BookWritten''. April 8, 2020.


External links

{{Divergent (series) 2011 American novels Action novels 2011 science fiction novels American novels adapted into films American science fiction novels American young adult novels Divergent trilogy Dystopian novels Novels set in Chicago Science fiction novels adapted into films 2011 debut novels Religion in science fiction Katherine Tegen Books books