Biography of Author Veronica Roth

Veronica Roth is a young author who was lucky enough not only to publish her first novel while still attending Northwest University, but also make it to the New York Times bestseller list at just 22 years of age. Her debut novel, Divergent, went on to capture readers' hearts and the attention of Summit Entertainment, which began production for a movie adaptation in April 2013, almost exactly two years after the first installment in the Divergent trilogy was published (April 25,2011). The second novel in the series, Insurgent, was published May 1, 2012, and the third, Allegiant, will be published October 22, 2013. The first movie in the series is set to release in March 2014.

As someone only exactly two months younger than Ms. Roth, it's hard not to be a bit jealous of her success as a writer. Not only has she managed to get her first novels published so quickly and achieve such great success so young and so fast, but she proved that doing what you want to rather than what you should do (in this case, writing a novel instead of doing your homework) can be highly rewarding if done right.

While Veronica Roth may have fame in the young adult reader realm, she has yet to reach great popularity, although I'm sure that will change with the release of the movie adaptations. However, because of this, there is not much biographical information for the author beyond her success with her novels and the fact she majored in creative writing at Northwestern University in Chicago after transferring from Carleton College in Minnesota.

If you follow her on Twitter (like I do) you will also learn she has an adorable dog and a fantastic sense of humor. Beyond her Divergent Trilogy, she has published four short stories from the point of view of her heroine's love interest, Tobias (aka Four), entitled The Transfer.

So, what is Veronica Roth's Divergent Trilogy?

The Divergent Trilogy, centers around a future, dystopian world set in Chicago. Society is divided into five factions: Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless, and Erudite, Each of these factions represent a different virtue of humanity and were created to help prevent future war and conflict by keeping order and upholding those virtues. Abnegation values selflessness, Amity are peaceful, Candor uphold truth and honesty, Dauntless are brave, and the Erudite value knowledge above all else.

The first novel in the series, Divergent, is told in the point of view of Beatrice Prior, a sixteen year old girl born into Abnegation. As she has finally reached the age where she must choose which faction to live in, she comes to terms with the fact she does not belong in her selfless faction and will soon have to leave her family behind as she joins another part of society. When it comes time for her aptitude test, results are inconclusive, making her decision as to where to go next all the more difficult, with the added pressure that she must hide the fact that the results mean she is "divergent."

On Choosing Day, Beatrice decides to go with Dauntless, where she faces a grueling initiation process. On her first day, she sheds her former identity as a "stiff" Abnegation girl and becomes Tris, the new Dauntless initiate that is the first to take a leap of faith into her faction and a whole new, more deadly, world. It is only after Tris passes initiation that she learns the truth beyond her seemingly orderly and peaceful society, turning her entire universe upside down as she must fight to survive.

The second novel of the series, Insurgent, Tris and her companions continue to battle against darker forces working to tear apart the society she once thought she knew. Attempts to keep hidden eventually bring them to the Factionless and their sector that was previously shunned and feared by those belonging to any of the five factions. It turns out to be much more than Tris or anyone else could have imagined and that there is more to these people story than just the fact that they didn't fit in. As the battle continues to rage against those who would try to control and kill for power, the Tris learns more about herself, her world, and the ones she loves, bringing her closer to the truth and what lies beyond the fences separating Chicago from the rest of the wold.

The third novel, Allegiant, has yet to be released. Veronica Roth revealed earlier this year that, unlike the first two novels, it will be in the perspective of both Tris and Four.