divergent-excerpt

Recommendations

Info

Instead I smile and say, “Not really.” He smiles back. “Well . . . have a good day.” I walk toward Faction History, chewing on my lower lip. He never answered my question. The hallways are cramped, though the light coming through the windows creates the illusion of space; they are one of the only places where the factions mix, at our age. Today the crowd has a new kind of energy, a last day mania. A girl with long curly hair shouts “Hey!” next to my ear, waving at a distant friend. A jacket sleeve smacks me on the cheek. Then an Erudite boy in a blue sweater shoves me. I lose my balance and fall hard on the ground. “Out of my way, Stiff,” he snaps, and continues down the hallway. My cheeks warm. I get up and dust myself off. A few people stopped when I fell, but none of them offered to help me. Their eyes follow me to the edge of the hallway. This sort of thing has been happening to others in my faction for months now—the Erudite have been releasing antagonistic reports about Abnegation, and it has begun to affect the way we relate at school. The gray clothes, the plain hairstyle, and the unassuming demeanor of my faction are supposed to make it easier for me to forget myself, and easier for everyone else to forget me too. But now they make me a target. 6
I pause by a window in the E Wing and wait for the Dauntless to arrive. I do this every morning. At exactly 7:25, the Dauntless prove their bravery by jumping from a moving train. My father calls the Dauntless “hellions.” They are pierced, tattooed, and black-clothed. Their primary purpose is to guard the fence that surrounds our city. From what, I don’t know. They should perplex me. I should wonder what courage—which is the virtue they most value—has to do with a metal ring through your nostril. Instead my eyes cling to them wherever they go. The train whistle blares, the sound resonating in my chest. The light fixed to the front of the train clicks on and off as the train hurtles past the school, squealing on iron rails. And as the last few cars pass, a mass exodus of young men and women in dark clothing hurl themselves from the moving cars, some dropping and rolling, others stumbling a few steps before regaining their balance. One of the boys wraps his arm around a girl’s shoulders, laughing. Watching them is a foolish practice. I turn away from the window and press through the crowd to the Faction History classroom. 7
Page 1 and 2: VERONICA ROTH
Page 3 and 4: chapter one There is one mirror in
Page 5 and 6: shoulders. But she must hide that b
Page 7: glass and steel. In front of it is
Page 11 and 12: we can’t prepare for the test in
Page 13 and 14: Susan to the exit. The people I pas
Page 15 and 16: an electrode to my other temple, an
Page 17 and 18: of the dog’s foul breath and try
Page 19 and 20: word “murderer.” It has been a
Page 21 and 22: chapter three I wake to sweaty palm
Page 23 and 24: or more of the factions, but in you
Page 25 and 26: I mean you should never share them
Page 27 and 28: subways, that I have to be careful
Page 29 and 30: chapter four I reach my street five
Page 31 and 32: way he does when he suspects someon
Page 33 and 34: natural goodness, his inborn selfle
Page 35 and 36: surprise me, but now they chide me.
Page 37 and 38: child. The infant died minutes late
Page 39 and 40: of books on his desk. He closes the
Page 41 and 42: as I walk up the front steps. The e
Page 43 and 44: Caleb on the shoulder, grinning.
Page 45 and 46: I have never liked Candor. “Those
Page 47 and 48: higher each moment, and the glass r
Page 49 and 50: I look at Caleb, who now stands beh
Page 51 and 52: Beside him, my mother is smiling. T
Page 53 and 54: sideways. I’m not as tall or as s
Page 55 and 56: What a good actor he was. The thoug
Page 57 and 58: On three we launch off the train ca
Page 59 and 60:
dark skin and gray hair at his temp
Page 61 and 62:
I hit something hard. It gives way
Page 63 and 64:
chapter seven When all the initiate
Page 65 and 66:
your mouth shut. Got that” She no
Page 67 and 68:
strikes the wall beneath me and spr
Page 69 and 70:
and drops into the seat next to Fou
Page 71 and 72:
“You know. Like a bed of nails.
Page 73 and 74:
“But we started with twelve,” p
Page 75 and 76:
now. If you are really one of us, i
Page 77 and 78:
the wall. No one has to know that I
Page 79 and 80:
difficult, to drastically improve y
Page 81 and 82:
hit the target at least once by now
Page 83 and 84:
“Sorry, am I being rude” she as
Page 85 and 86:
+++ After lunch, Four leads us to a
Page 87 and 88:
of his palm even after he’s gone.
Page 89 and 90:
know.” I close my eyes and hold s
Page 91 and 92:
Christina dark and lean, Will pale
Page 93 and 94:
chapter nine “Since there are an
Page 95 and 96:
oth Peter and Molly, but he’s bui
Page 97 and 98:
think this is a leisure activity Sh
Page 99:
Four turns to the chalkboard and ci
show all

divergent-excerpt

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?