Divergent (Divergent Series, 1)

Now available in a gorgeous, deluxe limited edition—with an exclusive preview of The Sixth Faction, the beginning of a bold new Divergent series.

This first book in Veronica Roth's #1 New York Times bestselling Divergent series; the novel that inspired a major motion picture and captured the hearts of millions of teen and adult readers.

Perfect for fans of the Hunger Games and Maze Runner series, Divergent and its sequels, Insurgent and Allegiant, are the gripping story of a dystopian world transformed by courage, self-sacrifice, and love. Fans of the Divergent movie will find the book packed with just as much emotional depth and exhilarating action as the film, all told in beautiful, rich language.

One choice can transform you. Beatrice Prior's society is divided into five factions—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). Beatrice must choose between staying with her Abnegation family and transferring factions.

Her choice will shock her community and herself. But the newly christened Tris also has a secret, one she's determined to keep hidden, because in this world, what makes you different makes you dangerous.

Veronica Roth is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Divergent series and Carve the Mark. She was born in a Chicago suburb, and studied creative writing at Northwestern University. She and her husband and dog currently live in Chicago.

You can find Veronica on Instagram (@vrothbooks), Facebook, or at her website (veronicarothbooks.com), or sign up for her newsletter to get book news and exclusive content here! eepurl.com/dcqzr1

“This gritty, paranoid world is built with careful details and intriguing scope. The plot clips along at an addictive pace, with steady jolts of brutal violence and swoony romance. Fans snared by the ratcheting suspense will be unable to resist speculating on their own factional allegiance. Guaranteed to fly off the shelves.” - Kirkus Reviews

“You’ll be up all night with Divergent, a brainy thrill-ride of a novel.” - BookPage

“A memorable, unpredictable journey from which it is nearly impossible to turn away.”― - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Divergent by Veronica Roth is a fast paced dystopian novel set in a future Chicago where society is divided into five factions, each devoted to a particular virtue: Abnegation values selflessness, Erudite intelligence, Dauntless bravery, Amity peace, and Candor honesty. Teenagers grow up in the factions of their parents, but at sixteen they must choose whether to stay or transfer, based on an aptitude test and their own desires. The story follows Beatrice Prior, who grew up in Abnegation, living a quiet, modest life where vanity and selfishness are discouraged. She has always felt out of place, secretly craving excitement and choices that seem forbidden. When it’s time for her test, Beatrice discovers something dangerous: her results don’t point to just one faction. Instead, she shows equal aptitude for Abnegation, Erudite, and Dauntless. The test administrator warns her that this makes her “Divergent” and tells her never to share this with anyone. Divergence is rare and considered a threat, though Beatrice doesn’t yet understand why. Confused and frightened, she returns home knowing that whatever she chooses will change her life completely.

At the Choosing Ceremony, Beatrice shocks herself and her family by selecting Dauntless instead of staying with Abnegation. On the spot, she renames herself Tris, symbolically shedding her old identity. Joining Dauntless means she will train to be fearless and strong, living a life of risk, adrenaline, and harsh tests. The transition is brutal. New initiates must jump from moving trains, leap off buildings, and face strenuous physical training. Those who fail can become factionless, essentially outcasts with no community or stability. Tris is smaller and physically weaker than many of the others, and at first she struggles to keep up. However, she is determined not to be pushed aside. She learns to fight, shoot, and navigate dangerous situations, gradually revealing a core of courage and stubborn resilience she never had the chance to express in Abnegation.

As Tris settles into Dauntless, she begins to form relationships that define her new life. She becomes friends with Christina from Candor, Will from Erudite, and later Uriah, a born Dauntless member. These friendships give her emotional support and a sense of belonging she never quite had before. At the same time, she clashes with Peter, a cruel and ambitious initiate who sees others as stepping stones. Above them all stands Four, a mysterious, skilled instructor whose quiet intensity fascinates Tris. Four is strict and demanding, but he also seems invested in fairness, unlike some of the harsher Dauntless leaders who delight in humiliating or injuring initiates. Tris gradually picks up on subtle clues that Four is deeper than he appears, with his own secrets and scars.

The Dauntless initiation is divided into three stages: physical, emotional, and mental. In the first stage, Tris must prove herself through combat and tactics. She takes beating after beating but refuses to give up, eventually improving enough to climb the rankings. In the second stage, initiates face simulations that expose their deepest fears. Using a serum that creates realistic virtual scenarios, Tris is forced to confront drowning, being attacked, losing control, and other nightmares. Her Divergence shows itself here: instead of giving in to the illusion, she is able to think logically and manipulate the simulations, breaking their rules. This helps her perform well, but it’s also risky. Dauntless is closely linked with Erudite through these simulation technologies, and those in power are looking for Divergent individuals—seeing them as dangerous because they can’t be easily controlled by the serums.

As Tris rises through the ranks, she also slowly starts to form a romantic connection with Four. He trains her, challenges her, and in quieter moments lets her see his vulnerabilities. She discovers his real name is Tobias Eaton and that he originally came from Abnegation, like her. Four’s father was Marcus Eaton, a respected Abnegation leader, but behind closed doors he was abusive. Four transferred to Dauntless as an escape and built a new identity there. His own fear landscape reveals the depth of his trauma and his lingering conflicts about strength and bravery. Tris and Four bond over their complicated feelings about Abnegation and their shared sense of not quite fitting into simple faction expectations. Four is also Divergent, and he understands firsthand the danger Tris is in.

While Tris is focused on surviving initiation, the larger political tensions between factions are quietly building. Erudite, led by the cold and ambitious Jeanine Matthews, believes Abnegation should no longer control the government. Jeanine spreads propaganda about Abnegation’s supposed corruption and works with Dauntless leaders to develop more advanced simulation serums. Tris gradually realizes that something much bigger than initiation is happening behind the scenes. She notices unusual behavior among certain Dauntless members, new serums being administered, and secret meetings that don’t make sense. Four tries to warn her that Erudite is planning something against Abnegation, and that Divergent individuals like them are especially at risk because they can’t be controlled by simulation.

After the initiates’ final rankings are announced and Tris officially becomes a Dauntless member, the full scope of the plot comes to light. Dauntless soldiers are injected with a new serum that allows Erudite to use them as mind controlled troops during the night. Under its influence, Dauntless members move like sleepwalkers, armed and efficient, following commands without questioning. Because Tris and Four are Divergent, the serum doesn’t work on them; they remain conscious and aware while everyone around them becomes a uniform, deadly force. They discover that Erudite’s plan is to use the controlled Dauntless as a military tool to overthrow Abnegation and seize power, framing it as necessary because Abnegation is supposedly failing the city.

Faced with this horrifying reality, Tris and Four must hide their Divergence while trying to save as many people as they can. Tris is forced into impossible choices as the attack begins. The Dauntless soldiers march into Abnegation neighborhoods, killing leaders and residents on Erudite’s orders. Tris witnesses the destruction of the faction she grew up in and confronts her own parents in the chaos. Her mother reveals she has been Divergent too and has known more about the dangers than she ever told Tris. In a heart wrenching sequence, Tris’s mother sacrifices herself to protect her daughter, and later Tris’s father dies helping Tris and Four reach the heart of the Erudite Dauntless operation.

In the climax, Tris and Four infiltrate the Dauntless headquarters, fighting their way through controlled soldiers to reach the central control room. There, Jeanine’s simulation program is directing the Dauntless attack on Abnegation using linked computers. Four is captured and placed in a personalized simulation meant to break him, while Tris must fight her way to him, using her Divergent skills to shut down the system. She enters the simulation controlling Four’s mind, breaks through to him, and together they disable the program, ending the massacre. When the system falls, the Dauntless soldiers wake from their trance, confused and horrified by what they’ve done.

By the end of Divergent the neat divisions of the faction system have cracked. Abnegation has been devastated, Dauntless is split between loyalists, traitors, and those who feel utterly betrayed, and Erudite has shown itself willing to use deadly force to gain control. Tris has lost her parents, her childhood faction, and the simple belief that the system keeps people safe. Yet she has also discovered her own strength, forged powerful bonds, and embraced her Divergence instead of fearing it. Alongside Four and a small group of survivors, she boards a train leaving the city, heading into an uncertain future. The novel closes with her aware that the old rules no longer apply and that Divergent people like her may be the key to whatever comes next, even though she doesn’t yet know what that world will look like.