Route 19 Writers

Do you think the librarians will win? Will they divide us into groups?

A look at the book, "Divergent" by Veronica Roth

by Kitty Griffin

         di·ver·gent[ di vúrjənt ]

.    moving apart: following paths or courses that become increasingly

different or separate

.    differing: showing or having differences

not matching something: deviating from something such as a typical pattern or an expressed wish

So why didn’t the book “Divergent” by Veronica Roth, (now made into a movie) thrill me?

It was my daughter who put her finger on it. “Mom, you know what I realized? That Beatrice’s future world is one where the librarians have won. Do you really think that's going to happen?"

What?

Think about it. In what future could you see people being divided into these groups—

Abnegation—the Selfless

Erudite—the Intelligent

Dauntless—the Brave

Amity—the Peaceful

Candor—the Honest

So I wonder, why couldn’t she have just used Selfless, Intelligent, Brave, Peaceful, and Honest? 

Do you see why I laughed when my daughter said, “In her world the librarians won.”

Because  n our world right now, libraries are desperate to stay alive.

Words are getting shorter, (LOL), not longer.

Okay, so maybe that’s nitpicking, it’s the nit that I picked that led me to this next question.

Why these five factions?

That was the question that bothered me most of all. Why had this future society chosen these five groups?

The world in Hunger Games was clearly a dystopia. It was clear why the games were held, to remind society of the terrible breaking of the world.

Tris’s world is Chicago, we know that. But what broke the world and what else is going on?

I like my dystopian novels to give me a world that makes me say, “I can totally see this happening.” Even Hunger Games, given the popularity of reality shows, seriously, I could see us devolving into this type of entertainment.

Another of my favorite dystopian books, “Shade” by Garth Nix, now let me tell you, there’s a world to be absolutely terrified of. 

Or the world created by Lois Lowery in, “The Giver.”  Who wouldn't fear that?

I still get chills when I think of the book, “Feed” by M.T. Anderson. Now there’s a world to be terrified of.

I wanted to be more afraid. The potential was there. Roth was so very close. 

I wanted to know more about what it meant to be DIVERGENT.

I wanted more things to believe in. Right now, I’m working with a personal trainer. Let me tell you, bodybuilding doesn’t happen in a week or two. Am I the only one who thinks that Tris’s development into a fighter wasn’t realistic?

Because if that wasn’t realistic…how could anything else be? Oh, I know these are just grumbles. But they're grumbles that kept diverting my attention.

Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t hate the book. I just wanted to like it more. Because as a lover of sci/fi with a strong female protagonist—well, I’m all for it.

The book has made millions for the author.  

So my concerns aren’t going to bother her.

But I won’t bother to read books two or three.

I might see the movie if Netflix picks it up. Then again, I might not.