Four by Veronica Roth

Four (Divergent Series Story, Books 1-4) (Divergent, Books 0.1-0.4)

by Veronica Roth

Fans of the Divergent trilogy by #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth will be thrilled by Four: A Divergent Collection, a companion volume that includes four pre-Divergent stories plus three additional scenes from Divergent, all told from Tobias's point of view. This young adult novel is an excellent choice for accelerated tween readers in grades 7 to 8, especially during homeschooling. It's a fun way to keep your child entertained and engaged while not in the classroom.

This collection also makes a great pick for fans of the blockbuster movies who want to delve deeper into the character played by Theo James.

Readers first encountered Tobias as Four in Divergent. His voice is an integral part of Allegiant. Readers will find more of this charismatic character's backstory told from his own perspective in Four: A Divergent Collection. When read together, these long narrative pieces illuminate the defining moments in Tobias's life. The first three pieces in this volume--The Transfer, The Initiate, and The Son--follow Tobias's transfer from Abnegation to Dauntless, his Dauntless initiation, and the first clues that a foul plan is brewing in the leadership of two factions. The fourth story, The Traitor, runs parallel with the events of Divergent, giving readers a glimpse into the decisions of loyalty--and love--that Tobias makes in the weeks after he meets Tris Prior.

Also includes three additional scenes from Divergent, told from Tobias's point of view!

Reviewed by inlibrisveritas on

4 of 5 stars

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3.5 Stars

Allegiant left a sour taste in my mouth and I wasn’t in much of a hurry to get back into the world, to be honest. I didn’t have a problem with the way it ended…it’s just that series was a steady decline and I am ready to be done with it. However seeing as I bought this and I did start it, I might as well finish it. However, Four was actually fun to read and a great way to make me loose some of the resentment.

If you haven’t finished the series, it’s in your best interest to stop reading this review. It deals with things that allude to Insurgent and Allegiant (to some extent).

Four has four stories, and most have little to do with Tris and more with his background. The Transfer deals with his transfer from Abnegation to Dauntless. I really liked seeing why and how he chose to leave Abnegation. The Initiate gives some insight as to how he coped with transferring and how different Dauntless was when he was an Initiate We even get to meet Eric…spoiler alert he’s still a dick. The Son deals with his father and his mother, and just how he came into contact with her and The Traitor deals with him finding out about the plan to kill the Abnegation. I also have a version with some extra stories in the back that are direct re-writes of scenes from Divergent in Four’s point of view. Of all of the content in the book these felt the most unnecessary and I read them as quickly as I could.

All in all this is a pretty good closer for the series, especially if you’re still a bit irritated at it. It has that same feel as Divergent and none of the slower moments of the latter two. We get to find out more about Four and some more depth added to Divergent. I liked seeing the rivalry between Eric and Four expanded upon, and just why those feelings of hatred go so deeply. I also like seeing the tense relationship between his mother and him, and also how much his father let’s his personal feelings get in the way.

I am glad I read this, but I am also glad that the series is well and truly over. So long Four may you rest peacefully on my shelves until…well probably forever. I don’t lend out books…so you might be there by yourself for a while. Tootles.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 15 December, 2014: Finished reading
  • 15 December, 2014: Reviewed