“We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another.” Divergent by Veronica Roth very clearly fits into the dystopian genre. It's one of my favorite books to just sit down and read for fun, so I would recommend it to people who are looking for an exciting dystopian book to read. The book has a lot of faults. It's very easy to pick apart and criticize, but it is still a good action-packed novel, with a coherent plot and good characters.

One reason why I would recommend this book is that it's action-packed. It has guns and fighting, and although it's not technically classified as a war, the city is fighting itself at the end of the book. The action is very direct, with most of it being experienced by the protagonist of the book, Tris. She jumps off of moving trains and buildings constantly and gets into numerous dangerous situations. There are also some examples of future technology, but the book is based on reality. It still has realistic weapons and isn’t that different from our time. Some instances of this are guns, which still use regular bullets, and automobiles. The only big difference is that the technology is much more advanced, and there are serums called truth and fear serums. These serums trigger things called simulations in the mind, which are very important to the story and characters. A lot of the book's technology is used by the antagonists to control people, which certainly adds to the dystopian themes of the book.

Another reason why I would endorse this book is that it undoubtedly fits into the dystopian genre, sometimes stereotypically so. It has many similarities with other books in the genre, like The Hunger Games, but occasionally lacks the uniqueness and thought that makes these other books so special. It has all the elements of a dystopian book, like a corrupt government and a failing society. Some of these elements are thought out and well-written, but others sometimes seem like they were just placed there to complete a checklist of what a dystopian book needs. The government system in particular is not thought out, with only one group of people controlling it. The worldbuilding and system in Divergent are set in place to avoid corruption, so this doesn’t make much sense. 

Besides this, Divergent has a coherent and good plot. It's easy to follow and makes sense for the world the book takes place in. A lot of the smaller problems lead up to the biggest issue in the book, and all of the setbacks provide room for character development. It keeps readers entertained until the end of the book. In the conclusion, Tris' character growth makes sense and works with the narrative. Some of the details in the story don’t make much sense in the world, or the later books; for example, some factors set in place are discarded in the series, so the storyline unfortunately does have some inconsistencies. Despite some issues with worldbuilding, the plot works well with the book and characters.

The characters are another reason why I would suggest this book. Even if readers don’t analyze books much, they can still very clearly understand the characters’ development throughout the story. Tris starts out doubting herself and what she’s made of. She decides to choose her own path, and she starts to figure out her strengths. She also figures out what she can do, and gets more confident in herself. One of the main points of her character development is whether she’s a good person or not. It motivates her choices and affects those around her. Because of her growth, her friends start to have their own as well, despite it sometimes not being positive developments. There are realistic conflicts within her friend group because of the situation they’ve been placed in, which is competing for a spot within a faction or facing society’s version of something worse than death. 

Divergent is oftentimes a very cliche example of the dystopian genre, but it doesn’t mean it isn't a fun book. If readers like action-packed, dystopian books, with an enjoyable plot and characters, then Divergent is definitely for them. “We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another”, is the quote that motivates Tris throughout the entire book. It helps her realize who she is, and is a driving force for her. Her character is a very big part of the book and its development, so I would recommend Divergent to people who find themselves liking the quote. Divergent is clearly a prominent book in the dystopian genre and is a good book if given a chance, despite its flaws.