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Book Talk: Divergent

by Hannah Miller Leftwich and Jamie Walters

Divergent, the debut novel from Veronica Roth, peaked at #31 on USA TODAY’s Best Selling Books list. A young adult dystopian piece of fiction, it was first published in 2011. It is the first of a trilogy telling the story of the factions of dystopian Chicago and its narrator, Beatrice “Tris” Prior. The second book, Insurgent (2011), and the final book, Allegient (2013), are available now.

From Ms. Roth’s website:

“In Beatrice Priors dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue–Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful) and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is–she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

“During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are. But Tris also has a secret, one she’s kept hidden from everyone because she’s been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves or it might destroy her” (veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com).

The film adaptation of this book was released March 21, 2014.

Download a PDF of the Divergent Book Talk.

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