Divergent (Divergent #1)

Content Overview

Overall Content
Severity
3

Language

0.6/10

Alcohol, Drugs, Smoking

1.2/10

Intimacy, Sex, Immodesty

2.8/10

Violence, Weapons, Blood, Crime

8.5/10

Potentially Intense Themes

1.8/10

**As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Divergent (Divergent #1)

Veronica Roth

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, 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 alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she’s chosen. 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 unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her. 

-Excerpt taken from Goodreads

Check Goodreads to see the book’s ratings.

My Opinion

4.5 out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5) This is definitely a book most people have heard about. Even though it’s popularity has fizzled a bit, I still love the story. It was one of my first dystopias and helped me build my love for them. 

Roth does a good job at character development to the point the characters are familiar to me. Their reactions feel normal and just and I admire them throughout.

The book definitely caters to my “tough chick” side. I love the faction of Dauntless and all that entails. I know as a teen I would’ve picked Dauntless even though I have so many other characteristics so it’s easy for me to relate with Tris. I also feel it’s Roth’s writing that makes it easy to put yourself in Tris’ shoes. There’s nothing better than a book that can make teens feel powerful and competent in any situation.

This is one of the few romances that flows well and seems believable. YA romance is so hard to do! Teens are awkward and throw around the word “love” a lot. For a romance to be believable, I feel there needs to be a build up. Instant love doesn’t do it for me. Roth built up the romance just enough that I found myself rooting for them. 

Detailed Content Review

Language 

F***-

H***- 6

S***-

A**-

B****-

D***-

Bas****-

Religious Cursing

J****-

Chr***-

G**- 9

L***-

Derogatory terms etc-

Stiff 

Coward 

Alcohol, Drugs, Smoking

For an aptitude test, students are given a small drink of an unknown elixir. It takes them to a dream-like state. 

A serum is injected into teens that makes them do something similar to hallucinating their fears. 

A man drinks alcohol and is getting drunk. 

A young man drinks from a flask. 

A young woman and young man give each other a serum to experience a hallucination of fears. 

A woman injects a man with something against his will. It makes him lunge at a young woman and squeeze her throat. Another man hits her and she passes out. 

Intimacy, Sex, Immodesty

*No LGBTQ+ aspects included*

A young man and young woman kiss. 

A young man scrutinizes a young woman in a towel then pulls it off as she runs away naked, barely covering herself. 

A young man gropes a young woman’s chest, claiming she’s more like a child. He squeezes her. 

A man kisses a young woman. 

A young woman kisses a man. 

A man kisses a young woman. She places her hand on his hip and climbs into his lap kissing him more. 

In a simulation, a man kisses a young woman and unzips her jacket. She kisses him. She knows he wants sex. 

A man kisses a young woman and pushes off her jacket. They vaguely refer to neither one of them ever having sex before. He kisses her and her face. They kiss a few times and look at his tattoos without his shirt on. He takes her hand and roams his chest. He says someday she can have him (sex). 

A young woman and young man kiss sloppily. 

A man and young woman kiss. 

A man kisses a young woman. 

A man kisses a young woman multiple times. 

A young woman kisses a man. 

Violence, Weapons, Crime, Blood

Teens cut their hands to have blood drip onto their new faction choice. 

In training, teens fight. They fight until one can’t anymore. They become unconscious, bloody and have many injuries. Many fights are fairly aggressive. 

During training, a man forces a man to throw knives at a young woman. 

Someone stabs a young man’s eye with a knife. He’s bloody and screaming. 

A woman tells of her brother who was murdered by throwing him in a chasm. Leaders said it was suicide. 

A young man throws a young woman into the wall. 

A young woman is being held. She bites who is holding her. They throw her to the ground but kick her and hit her head. A young man grabs her by the throat as he holds her over a chasm. Young men fight. 

A young woman punches a young woman. 

A man is in a realistic simulation where he has to kill someone. A man abuses him with a belt. 

In a simulation, a young man tries to set a girl on fire. She also has a gun in her hand and is required to kill her family. She “kills” herself instead. 

**SPOILER** An implant in people is activated making them follow commands while not being aware. They kill many people. One shoots a man in the back of his head.  One man (not under the influence of the implant) holds a gun to a man’s head. A young woman shoots his foot. A man shoots another’s leg. A young woman is shot in the shoulder. 

A man attacks a woman, squeezing her throat with his hands. Others drag him off and hold him to the ground. He elbows a guard and gets slammed in the face with a gun. A woman injects him with something against his will. 

A woman kills many guards trying to help a young woman escape. A woman gets shot. Blood is covering her shirt as her body stiffens from the bullet, then falls. 

Shots are fired at a young woman. A young man aims at her. She shoots him in the head. 

A young woman hits a young man’s nose, and kicks his groin. Then holds a gun to his head. She shoots his arm. She shoots 3 more. Two more are killed by a man. He fires at more but they chase him and shoot him in the gut. He falls to the ground and slumps, dead. 

A man shoots at a young woman, she kicks him in the ribs. They punch back and forth, kicking and injuring each other. 

Potentially Intense Themes

A young woman jumps from a train and misses her foot hold and falls. Others look at her broken body far below. 

A man forces a young woman to hang over a large chasm with a river underneath. If she slips, she will die. 

**SPOILER** A young woman feels a simulation/hallucination of hundreds of birds attack her. 

A young man kills himself by throwing himself in a chasm with a river. His body is brought up and it’s blue with staring eyes. 

A mother is killed. 

A father is killed. 

**As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

10 Comments

  1. I loved Divergent #1 and #2 ….I didn’t read #3 because of the mixed reviews. This is not my usual genre but I really enjoyed them! I also appreciated no insta love!

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