Divergent by Veronica Roth
Review by Pauline Creeden
Review by Pauline Creeden
Christian Fiction, at times, can be very subtle. There are people who cherish Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, Trilogy, and read it as a yearly ritual, but do not know that most classify it as Christian literature. When a Christian novel is so covert and understated as to be accepted and embraced by the mainstream, it can only be described as clever and artful. Divergent by Veronica Roth is just such a novel.
In 2011, Divergent was named by Goodreads members as the Reader’s Choice, as well as being named, “Young Adult Book of the Year.” The mainstream would argue with my assertion that Divergent is a Christian novel because of its heavily violent, gun-blazing ending where several characters are shot and killed. How could a Christian novel’s main characters have affinity for adrenaline pumping, dangerous, thrill-seeking situations? Can a Christian novel glorify tattoos and body piercing? Yet the message of the novel is purely Christian.
The novel splits up a futuristic, dystopian Chicago into five moral codes called factions; selflessness (Abnegation), bravery (Dauntless), honesty (Candor), Peace (Amity), and intelligence (Erudite). I would consider these Christian values. The problem arises as each faction believes that their moral code supersedes all others. Sounds like church split-ups to me. In addition to these hidden moral threads, prayer is openly displayed and a Bible verse quoted in the book.
Divergent may seem like a compromise to reach a hard-won world. But in today’s daring and edgy culture, Christians need to push the envelope and bring truth to light by any means possible. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:22 (NIV) “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” Divergent pushes the envelope, but may be introducing high moral values to young adults who would learn them by no other means. For this reason, I highly recommend this book, and will be buying its sequel.
Available at Amazon.com (click the covers to take a peek)
1 comment:
As I was reading the book, I kept thinking, the author must be a Christian. Very subtle infusion of morals, good over evil, and values are imbedded in a book of violence and the cruelty of human nature. The book is fast moving, full of surprises and very entertaining. It promotes the fact of choice and demonstrates the complexity of the human condition, full of fears, failures, courage, love, and the pressure of peers and society. Fantastic story, compelling characters,and a wild ride! Could not put it down!!
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