Four: A Divergent Collection by Veronica Roth
This book recounts Four’s journey as a son, friend, and leader. He goes through many emotions and hardships as a son that affects his choice during the Choosing Ceremony, the day where he will choose a faction: Dauntless, Abnegation, Candor, Amity, or Erudite. Despite his aptitude test being inconclusive, he chooses to reside in Dauntless to get away from his abusive father, Marcus Eaton. He hides his past by giving himself a new name, Four, since he has four fears. During initiation, Four discovers that he’s Divergent- a word used for people who are aware during stimulations. Over the next two years, he discovers many secrets buried beneath the pits of his fraction that could destroy the city’s whole faction system. As Four finds out the harsh truth behind the factions, he starts to question his integrity. Can he be brave, smart, selfless, honest and peaceful without betraying his faction? Will his faction keep him from doing the right thing?
The book is narrated by the main character, Four. We meet him at age sixteen, and watch him grow into an independent individual by the end of the book. Although the structure of this book is a bit confusing, the plot is filled with suspense and surprises in every chapter. Aside from suspense, Veronica also uses symbolism and foreshadowing to create an intense yet unpredictable storyline that will keep readers addicted.
If you’ve read the Divergent trilogy, I highly recommend that you read this book if you’re still looking for some unanswered questions about Tobias, his mom, and his past. My favorite part was getting to see a glimpse of his life before he became Dauntless, when he still sixteen year old Tobias. What kept me turning the pages was how touching and moving the content was. From having an abusive father to losing a friend, this book is packed with heartfelt stories and life lessons. Introducing a new character is easy, but making that character connect to the audience emotionally is the real challenge that I think Veronica has easily overcome in all her books. Veronica Roth has managed to create her own genre of literature, one that combines sci-fi, mystery and drama.