Is the Divergent Series Set to Become the New Teen Hit?

Photo from divergentthemovie.net

Two weeks ago, Insurgent by Veronica Roth was released. The sequel in the Divergent series was well-received and phenomenally written, having the potential to be the newest hit in young adult literature. The series explores a dystopian society far in the future that is split into five factions, created after a war that nearly destroyed the world. Each faction is centered on a personality characteristic that the group believes to be the one characteristic that will pull the world out of the dregs of war.

Abnegation believes in selflessness, Amity in peace, Candor find meaning in truth, Erudite discovers it through intelligence, and Dauntless through fearlessness. Tris, the main character, was raised in Abnegation, yet on her choosing day, she finds herself choosing Dauntless- making the choice to leave her friends, her family, and the lifestyle she has become accustomed to for the last sixteen years. In addition to the trials of changing factions, Tris has a secret that could end her life. She is Divergent, and throughout the book she seeks to discover who she truly is, and whether or not she made the correct choice.

Roth’s books are page-turners, action constantly fueled in a comprehensive manner. As with most young adult books, the series is an easy read, but an enjoyable one.  Just as with the recently released hits, The Hunger Games Trilogy, the books are set to become films in the near future, sure to inspire teens and young adults to pick up the series and get hooked.  Tris is forced to deal with mature life choices, by attempting to discover her identity at a young stage in her life; it’s an easy comparison to the lives of many young readers. The quest to know oneself fully is arduous and full of questions, which is accurately presented by Roth through the many varying characters- sometimes those life choices turn out for the best, and sometimes… they end in disaster. Roth is not afraid to present life-like character qualities; in many series, the young protagonist experiences many difficult trials and comes out of the fight without scars- yet as readers will see in the sequel, Insurgent, sometimes the scars run too deep to ignore.