Exciting, violent dystopian thriller is original, addictive.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
some
Some Dauntless are sadistic and vicious. People routinely have to fight each other -- regardless of size or gender -- and every character is beaten and bloodied at least once. Several characters die: one commits suicide by throwing himself off a ledge into rapids; one falls by accident in the gap between a train and a roof; and others are shot dead during an armed ambush. Two characters are nearly choked to death, and during training, a few characters have to visit the Infirmary due to their injuries. During one physical assault, two guys start groping a girl's chest and make rude comments about her body. In a calculated move, three initiates stab the first-ranked competitor in the eye.
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Mostly lingering, intense looks, hand holding, and hugs, but toward the end of the book, there's kissing. Inexperienced Tris has a panic attack about Four's possible expectations for sex. In one scene, they kiss passionately (and in bed) after he removes his shirt. They admit they "want" each other, but vaguely agree to wait for "someday." Slightly disturbing jokes are made about Tris' petite size. A couple of guys ask her if she's 16 or really 12.
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The lead characters deal with important issues about identity and controlling societies. They struggle with what it really means to be selfless, brave, smart, and kind.
Positive Role Models
a lot
Tris doubts herself sometimes but taps into her bravery and ingrained selflessness to protect others even when she doesn't realize it. Calm Four encourages Tris to use her upbringing's focus on selflessness to be even more courageous. Tris and Four are a good role model for a teen relationship; they treat each other as equals, defend each other (not just him defending her), and work through their problems with open, honest conversations. They also take their time with the romance and don't play games with each other.
Educational Value
very little
The author includes historical tidbits about real Chicago landmarks and challenges readers to think about what personal attributes are necessary for a cohesive society to succeed in peace.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this dystopian teen novel is the first of a trilogy. It includes the markers of the genre, including fantasy violence, a fractured society, Big Brother-esque monitoring, as well as romance. The 16-year-old protagonist chooses to live in the "brave" faction, where members routinely try to out-do each other physically and recklessly act like daredevils to prove their fearlessness. The initiation process is brutal and bloody, and kills or seriously injures a few characters. Violence escalates as the end of the book approaches, culminating in a blood bath. The romance is sweet and progresses from lingering looks to a few kissing sessions, but there's no sex and characters express fear of going too far, too fast. Like The Hunger Games heroine Katniss Everdeen, Tris Prior is a strong, generous, and beautifully flawed female protagonist.
Divergent is about 16 year old Tris living in a dystopian future. I read this book in high school and really liked it! When my 10 year old daughter asked to read, I said I would read it first. I didn’t remember anything too bad, I just wanted to make sure. But there was much more than I expected. I decided to wait a few years before letting my daughter read this book. Here’s my review:
Violence: Initiation of Dauntless includes jumping off trains and one girl is holding on to the edge screaming for help so she doesn’t fall to her death (a little disturbing, not really a concern). There are also many fights for initiation. Peter and Tris fight, and it goes down pretty ugly, but not really described. Guys hang Tris over a railing assault her. Tris is forced to face her worst fears in a mental test. And towards the end, an important character is killed. As is Natalie.
Language: Damn, hell, piss, ass, and sh*t are used.
Drinking, drugs, and smoking: Tobias gets drunk.
Consumerism: none.
Sex: This is my main concern. It starts out okay, but the end is a little iffy. Tris and Tobias hold hands and kiss. A lot. One of Tris’s fears is about Tobias’s expectations for sex (pretty described). She has a panic attack about it. Other characters kiss.
I love the characters and the story and read the whole series in a single week! My favorite character is Tris, and I enjoy her and Four's romance.
Other people should know that there is a reasonable amount of violence and shooting, as well as talk of sex, but it wasn't anything overpowering of the main plot.
Be warned that the series does not have a very happy ending (I cried and threw the book at the wall) but I still loved it. Five stars, definitely recommend to anyone who loves dystopian stories like me!
What's the Story?
In the Chicago of the distant future, society has willingly segregated itself into five "factions:" Abnegation (the selfless), Amity (the kind), Candor (the honest), Dauntless (the brave), and Erudite (the intelligent). All 16-year-olds take an aptitude test revealing their true faction and then choose one to join -- regardless of which one they were born into. When Abnegation-born Beatrice Prior's results are inconclusive, her tester informs her she's a "divergent" and should never mention her results to anyone. Believing herself too selfish to be any good in Abnegation, she chooses Dauntless, where she rechristens herself Tris. During the dangerous bloody Dauntless initiation process, she develops feelings for her handsome, mysterious instructor Four, who never fails to challenge her to perform her best, even as others grow jealous of her unexpected skills. And Tris beings to realize being a Divergent has both advantages and disadvantages.
Roth, who wrote the book as a college student, has earned a tremendous amount of first book buzz, and the hype is well-deserved. She uses some devices that fans of dystopian novels will recognize -- a compartmentalized society, a misfit protagonist, dangerous secrets, and a cliffhanger ending -- but still manages to create an unstoppable plot that's remarkably original. Tris is a refreshingly smart and self-possessed 16-year-old protagonist, and readers will fall in love with her leading man right along with her. But the romance, while as swoon-worthy and fluttery as you'd expect from a teen novel, is actually secondary to the book's deep messages about identity and controlling societies. This is an impressive and provoking start to what should be a fascinating series.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why so many books are coming out about teens growing up in dangerous futuristic societies, like Matchedor The Hunger Games. Is the dystopian genre becoming overcrowded? What does this book have in common with other books you've read?
What did you think of the level of violence here? Does the fantasy setting make it easier to handle -- or are there details that you found disturbing? Is violence in books different than in other media, like movies or television shows?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
