What are your books about?
Divergent is about a young woman named Beatrice Prior (“Tris”) who lives in a futuristic Chicago that is divided into five factions called Dauntless, Abnegation, Erudite, Amity, and Candor. Each faction is dedicated to cultivating a particular virtue in its members: bravery (Dauntless), selflessness (Abnegation), intelligence (Erudite), compassion (Amity), and honesty (Candor). Tris grew up in Abnegation, where she has always felt stifled, but at the age of sixteen, she will have the opportunity to choose which faction she wants to belong to for the rest of her life— but if she leaves Abnegation, she’ll also have to leave her family, and there’s no going back. And Tris also has a secret, which is that she’s Divergent, meaning she has an aptitude for more than one faction. And being Divergent is dangerous.
Insurgent picks up right where Divergent leaves off, and Allegiant picks up right after Insurgent, closing out the trilogy. Four: A Divergent Collection is a collection of short stories written from Four’s perspective. The first three stories take place before the events of Divergent, and the fourth story overlaps with the events of Divergent.
I’m also currently working on an as-yet-untitled book. The only summary currently available is: “In the untitled first novel of a duology in the vein of Star Wars […] the story of a boy who forms an unlikely alliance with an enemy. Both desperate to escape their oppressive lives, they help each other attain what they most desire: for one, redemption, and the other, revenge.” It does not yet have a release date.
Where can I find them?
If you live in the U.S., you can get my books pretty much wherever books are sold. There are links to specific retailers on my publisher’s Divergent page here. If you would like to request a signed copy, you can contact The Book Stall in Winnetka, IL here. If you aren’t able to purchase the books, I encourage you to seek them out at your local library! Libraries are awesome.
Will there be more books in the Divergent series than Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant, and Four?
I don’t currently have any plans to write any more Divergent books.
Why isn’t your book out in [insert country/language here]?
A book can be translated and sold in a particular country only after a publisher in that country/language territory has bought the rights. The rights to Divergent have been sold in quite a few countries (list forthcoming). As to when the book comes out in each of those areas, that really depends on the publisher in each country. For inquiries about translation rights, please contact jean.mcginley@harpercollins.com.
Can you cast [insert actor name] in the movie?
It’s uncommon for authors to have much creative control over the movie adaptations of their books. I don’t have any control over who is cast (though I think they’ve done a pretty good job so far!).
Can I interview you for my blog/newspaper/website/etc.?
I’m not able to do many interviews at this time. All publicity requests that find their way to me will be forwarded to my representation.
Can you read my short story, novel, work in progress, or Divergent fanfiction?
For a number of reasons— the most important of which is that I don’t have a whole lot of time and don’t like to favor one person over another by only reading select people’s work— I can’t read your work. I wish you the best of luck with your writing though.
Can I send you letters/gifts through regular mail to the address on your website?
Due to the volume of mail I receive, I can no longer respond to fan mail that is sent to the address on my website. (I’ll see it, but I can’t answer.) So: please don’t send a self-addressed stamped envelope for me to use to mail you back, or gifts, or books to be signed, or money! Because I won’t be able to send these items back to you, and all money will be donated.
Who is your agent/editor/publisher?
I’m represented by Joanna Volpe at New Leaf Literary. My editor is Katherine Tegen. And my publisher is Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint at HarperCollins.
What faction would you choose?
My answer to this changes a lot! I used to say that I would choose Dauntless, but I’ve recently come to believe I’m deluding myself (who doesn’t want to think they’d be able to jump off a moving train and zipline off the Hancock building?). Really, when it comes to my aptitude and my affinity for a peaceful life, I think I would choose Abnegation. Also, selflessness makes you brave, right? So I’m really just covering all the bases. Yeah. Let’s go with that.