Summary
- Veronica Roth’s catalog includes adult fantasy and dystopian narratives, with recent releases garnering positive attention.
-
When Among Crows
, inspired by Slavic folklore, is a gripping novella that’s nearly as strong as
Divergent. -
Roth’s evolution as a writer is evident in her varied releases, from novellas like
Four
to controversial novels like
Allegiant
.
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Veronica Roth is best known for writing the Divergent series, but the author has penned numerous books since the young adult dystopian trilogy concluded — and some of the releases in her catalog are more gripping than others. Divergent was Roth’s first novel, and it hit shelves when she was just 22 years old. Since then, her writing has evolved significantly, and Roth has branched out into adult fantasy and dystopian narratives. This includes one of May 2024’s most exciting releases: a fantasy novella inspired by Slavic folklore.
When Among Crows was one of the most anticipated fantasy books to hit shelves in 2024, and it’s not Roth’s only recent release to get positive attention. Since shocking readers with Allegiant, Roth has written several standalone novels, a fantasy duology, and two short story collections. All of these books have their own strengths, but some of their narratives have proven stronger and more memorable than others. They’re all worth picking up, even if certain books rank higher than others.
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11 Arch-Conspirator (2023)
An Intriguing Retelling That Needed To Be Longer
Arch-Conspirator is one of Roth’s novellas, and the 2023 release reimagines Sophocles’ story of Antigone in an intriguing way. Set in a dystopian society where humanity is dwindling and rebellion is brewing, Arch-Conspirator finds Antigone grappling with the death of her father. To make matters worse, her uncle takes up his throne — and it’s clear that she and her siblings are trapped under his rule. The novella follows her attempts to tear down his reign, and it paints a compelling narrative. Sadly, it’s too short to do all its themes and storylines justice.
Reading Arch-Conspirator, one can’t help but wonder whether Roth should have written it as a novel rather than a novella. This would have solved the issue of the narrative feeling rushed, and it would have enabled the author to flesh out the story in more depth. As it stands, Arch-Conspirator is probably her weakest story. Its 3.43 average Goodreads rating speaks to that, as it’s her lowest on the platform. Many readers agree that this book could have benefited from more pages and a better storytelling balance.
10 The End And Other Beginnings: Stories From The Future (2019)
Interesting Concepts But Not As Strong As Roth’s Novels
The End and Other Beginnings: Stories From the Future came out in 2019, and this short story collection gave Roth the chance to explore topics pertaining to the future. The stories are all lengthy enough to be novellas, so they’re easy to fully immerse oneself in. Carve the Mark fans also get a treat, as two of the stories are set in the same world. Overall, Roth does a solid job of balancing relationship dynamics and conversations about futuristic technologies in this collection. The six inclusions pack a powerful punch, even if they aren’t as memorable as her full-length novels.
The End and Other Beginnings suffers from the same issue many other story collections do: not every tale is created equal.
Unfortunately, The End and Other Beginnings suffers from the same issue many other story collections do: not every tale is created equal. Some stand out more than others, with “Hearken” proving a particular highlight. Additionally, the narratives set in the Carve the Mark universe might not be as compelling to those who haven’t read the duology. The End and Other Beginnings is worth reading, but it lives up to its 3.50 average Goodreads rating. It’s not Roth’s best book, but that isn’t saying much. All the author’s releases average above 3 stars on the platform, and rightfully so.
9 Carve The Mark (2016)
Poor Pacing & Criticisms Hurt The Book’s Legacy
Carve the Mark came out on the heels of Roth’s Divergent series, so it had big shoes to fill. The beginning of a young adult duology that blends sci-fi and fantasy, Carve the Mark takes place in a universe where the characters have powers called currentgifts. It follows two players from enemy nations — Cyra and Akos — who have every reason to despise one another. However, when their paths cross, they’re forced to depend on one another to survive. This setup gives Carve the Mark a gripping premise and beginning, though there are parts of the narrative that drag later on.
In addition to some pacing issues, Carve the Mark doesn’t dig as deeply as it should into the characters and world-building. This is somewhat rectified in its sequel, The Fates Divide, which ranks slightly higher than the first installment. Carve the Mark also received criticism for its handling of race and chronic pain, harming the book’s legacy overall. It’s certainly on the lower end when ranking Roth’s work, even if its 3.78 average Goodreads rating suggests a pretty average response from readers.
8 The Fates Divide (2018)
A Step Up From The First Book In The Duology
The Fates Divide improves upon Carve the Mark‘s story, though it doesn’t fully make up for the complaints about its predecessor. With war brewing and Cyra and Akos’ relationship changed forever, the stakes feel significantly higher in this 2018 follow-up. The pacing still falters in places, but The Fates Divide does a better job with the world-building, storytelling, and characters than Carve the Mark. It fixes a lot of the issues with the initial installment, ending the duology on a fairly high note. It’s still not Roth’s strongest novel, but it’s worth pushing through Carve the Mark to get to the sequel.
The Fates Divide‘s 3.89 average Goodreads rating emphasizes that it’s a step up from Carve the Mark, and The Fates Divide certainly sparked less controversy. The duology doesn’t really compare to Roth’s Divergent books or her adult novels. However, this emotional and twisty finale is enough to keep readers engaged, even during the slower moments.
7 Chosen Ones (2020)
A Fun Premise That Could Have Done More
Chosen Ones was Roth’s first adult fantasy book, hitting shelves in April 2020. The premise of Chosen Ones is promising, as the novel follows heroes who saved the world when they were teenagers, revealing what becomes of them after the fights is over. Building on the popularity of books like Harry Potter, Divergent, and The Hunger Games, Chosen Ones takes a realistic look at what might happen to protagonists who fall into the “chosen one” archetype. Its exploration of trauma in the aftermath of such stories is fascinating, though it could have done more with their arcs.
In the end, Chosen Ones winds up being another serious fantasy story — albeit one that isn’t afraid to explore what comes after the typical happy ending.
Despite its 3.60 average Goodreads rating, Chosen Ones is a book well worth reading, even if it doesn’t break into the top half of Roth’s releases. Its biggest flaw is that it doesn’t go far enough with its satirical approach to “chosen one” narratives. In the end, Chosen Ones winds up being another serious fantasy story — albeit one that isn’t afraid to explore what comes after the typical happy ending. The fact that it’s a standalone also limits how much it can do with its cast of characters, a problem books like Divergent don’t have.
6 Four: A Divergent Collection (2014)
A Solid Follow-Up To The Divergent Trilogy
Four: A Divergent Collection consists of four short stories that take place from Tobias’ perspective. These stories follow Tobias as he takes his aptitude test, earns his nickname, and falls in love with Tris. Although Four doesn’t add much of importance to the Divergent universe, it’s nice to see certain events from another perspective. It also allows readers to return to happier times in the series, especially after the events of Allegiant. Clearly, this was needed, as Four: A Divergent Collection snagged a 3.95 average Goodreads rating, suggesting readers enjoyed it.
The main issues with Four are that it doesn’t add anything new for readers — they mostly know everything that happens — and some stories are stronger than others. The latter is inevitable for short story collections, and it prevents Four from ranking as high as the other books in the Divergent universe. It’s not very low on a ranking of Roth’s books, but it doesn’t land in the top five.
5 Insurgent (2012)
Part Of A Great Series (But Suffers From Middle-Book Syndrome)
Insurgent is gripping and memorable enough to land in Roth’s top five books, but it’s the weakest of the Divergent trilogy — and its narrative also doesn’t live up to some of her standalones. The second installment in the Divergent trilogy, Insurgent undeniably suffers from middle-book syndrome. The tensions between Four and Tris feel forced, with their lack of communication coming off as a convenient excuse to create problems. This book furthers the plot in necessary ways, bridging the gap from Divergent to Allegiant. However, it’s slower than the other books, and its relationship drama weakens the plot.
That said, Insurgent is still part of the series that made Roth a famous author, and it contains all the hallmarks of that series. The fact that readers get to spend more time in Divergent‘s well-crafted world is enough reason to rank it higher than many of Roth’s other books. Insurgent‘s 3.97 Goodreads rating speaks to the fact that the second installment has strengths despite its many flaws. The action and emotion land well enough that readers will want to pick up Allegiant when this book is through.
4 Poster Girl (2022)
Another Book That Flips The Premise Of The Standard Dystopian Story
Roth’s Poster Girl is another adult novel with an intriguing premise, this time viewing the aftermath of a typical dystopian story from the lens of someone who was on the oppressors’ side of the fence. Poster Girl follows Sonya Kantor, who was once the face of a tyrannical government dubbed the Delegation. Now Sonya spends her days locked up with the other members of the group, as the rebels have won the war. She’s given the opportunity to redeem herself by locating a missing girl, a mystery that leads her to deeper conspiracies about the world around her.
Poster Girl does a solid job of exploring the typical dystopian rebellion story from the other side, and it takes a surprisingly nuanced approach.
Poster Girl does a solid job of exploring the typical dystopian rebellion story from the other side, and it takes a surprisingly nuanced approach. Its average 3.65 Goodreads rating simply doesn’t do it justice, as it’s one of Roth’s best books to come out in recent years. During a time when so much is viewed in black and white, Poster Girl operates in the gray areas of life. Its approach to morality and politics is one more books could benefit from adopting.
3 Allegiant (2013)
A Bold & Divisive Ending That Sticks The Landing
Allegiant is probably Roth’s most controversial book, as its ending is incredibly divisive. However, ending Tris’ story the way that Roth does is an incredibly bold move. It elevates Allegiant significantly, packing a powerful punch and wrapping the Divergent trilogy on a high note. Not everyone will appreciate Allegiant, but the book is action-packed and emotional from start to finish. It’s not quite as strong as Divergent, but it’s a huge step up from Insurgent. Roth proves she has guts with this finale, which highlights how capable she is as an author.
Allegiant‘s 3.60 average Goodreads rating speaks to how mixed readers were about Divergent‘s conclusion, but there’s no denying Roth goes where many authors refuse to. Tris’ fate doesn’t feel forced or included for shock value. Allegiant emphasizes the stakes set up by Roth’s previous books, and it sticks the landing in a way that many other YA dystopian series fail to.
2 When Among Crows (2024)
A Well-Balanced & Gripping Novella
When Among Crows is Roth’s 2024 book release, and the novella makes good use of its small amount of space. Set in Chicago and inspired by Slavic folklore, When Among Crows follows Dymitr and Ala as they attempt to track down Baba Jaga. Both characters have their own reasons for seeking out the witch, and one of them is keeping secrets. Their narrative is surprisingly gripping for such a short story, and it leaves readers with a satisfying conclusion — even if Roth could easily give it the Divergent treatment and expand the narrative.
While When Among Crows could certainly go on for longer, it doesn’t feel as unfinished or unbalanced. Its storylines are handled well, leading to a satisfying conclusion for all the characters involved. There’s even a bit of romance, and the atmosphere is dark and immersive. There are very few flaws to speak of when it comes to When Among Crows, and its 3.85 average Goodreads rating drives that home. Its one of Roth’s top-two books, though it doesn’t compare to Divergent in terms of general impact.
1 Divergent (2011)
Divergent is Roth’s best-known book, and that’s for a good reason. It’s one of the biggest releases to hit shelves during the young adult dystopian era of the 2010s, and Tris and Four’s story is a hit because of how memorable it is. Divergent utilizes many common tropes and archetypes to weave its narrative, which sees the members of its society divided into factions based on their personalities. However, these tropes and archetypes are popular because they’re so timeless, and Roth’s first novel uses them well.
Divergent boasts an average Goodreads rating of 4.14, and this feels reflective of its overall impact. The 2011 book spawned an entire trilogy and several movie adaptations, making it the most impactful of Roth’s releases. The fact that it’s so widely known places it at the top of the author’s catalog. It’s even more impressive that Veronica Roth published Divergent in her early 20s, making the book a testament to her talent.
Source: Goodreads