# Veronica Roth
**Veronica Roth** (born 1988) is an American author of young adult and adult science fiction and fantasy, best known for the *[Divergent](https://www.edgepedia.org/divergent-novel-series)* trilogy, a young adult dystopian series set in a near-future Chicago whose population is divided into five factions.[1](https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/roth_veronica) She is a #1 *New York Times* best-selling author whose books also include the *Carve the Mark* duology, *Chosen Ones*, *Poster Girl*, *Arch-Conspirator*, *When Among Crows*, and, from 2026, a return to the *Divergent* world with *The Sixth Faction*.[2](https://veronicarothbooks.com/bio/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1988; from a Chicago suburb[3](https://www.fantasticfiction.com/r/veronica-roth/) |
| Education | Creative writing at Northwestern University; graduated magna cum laude[3](https://www.fantasticfiction.com/r/veronica-roth/) • [4](https://www.littlestack.com/author/veronica-roth) |
| Breakthrough | *Divergent*, published May 3, 2011 by HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books, first of a trilogy[5](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/author/veronica-roth/) • [6](https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/authorpage/veronica-roth.html) |
| Sales | The *Divergent* series has sold over 32 million copies[7](https://www.elle.com/culture/books/a41804071/veronica-roth-divergent-ending-poster-girl-interview/) |
| Films | Three released films of a planned four-part film series starring Shailene Woodley, released from 2014, grossing roughly $765 million at the box office[8](https://time.com/3965924/paper-towns-movie-book-adaptations/) • [7](https://www.elle.com/culture/books/a41804071/veronica-roth-divergent-ending-poster-girl-interview/) • [20](https://comicbook.com/movies/news/divergent-author-comments-on-missing-final-movie-allegiant-ascendant/) |
| Adult debut | *Chosen Ones* (2020), her first adult novel, about heroes a decade after defeating the Dark One[9](https://time.com/5797200/veronica-roth-chosen-ones/) |
| Return to Divergent | *The Sixth Faction* (October 6, 2026), book one of an alternate-universe companion duology featuring Tris[10](https://veronicaroth.substack.com/about) • [11](https://www.thebookseller.com/books/veronica-roth-on-her-long-awaited-return-to-the-world-of-divergent) |
## Early life and the Divergent trilogy
Roth grew up in a Chicago suburb and began writing at age 11.[3](https://www.fantasticfiction.com/r/veronica-roth/) • [12](https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/August-2019/Veronica-Roth-Used-One-Star-Amazon-Reviews-in-Therapy/) She studied creative writing at [Northwestern University](https://www.edgepedia.org/northwestern-university), where she wrote *Divergent* in her private time while she was supposed to be doing homework, and graduated magna cum laude.[3](https://www.fantasticfiction.com/r/veronica-roth/) • [4](https://www.littlestack.com/author/veronica-roth) • [13](https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/100217-veronica-roth-on-15-years-of-divergent-new-books-and-the-dystopia-of-it-all.html)
*Divergent* (Katherine Tegen Books, May 2011) is set in a post-apocalyptic, isolated Chicago where society is organized into five factions, each with its own values and personality traits; the teenage protagonist Tris Prior tests as Divergent, eligible for more than one faction.[6](https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/authorpage/veronica-roth.html) • [14](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5635728/) The debut won the Goodreads Choice Award for Favorite Book and was named one of *Publishers Weekly*'s Best Books of the Year.[4](https://www.littlestack.com/author/veronica-roth) *[Insurgent](https://www.edgepedia.org/insurgent-novel)* followed in 2012 and *Allegiant* in 2013; *[Four: A Divergent Collection](https://www.edgepedia.org/four-a-divergent-collection)* (2014) gathered stories from Tobias "Four" Eaton's perspective.[5](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/author/veronica-roth/) At the time of *Allegiant*'s release in 2013, it had the highest first-day sales numbers in [HarperCollins](https://www.edgepedia.org/harpercollins) history, and the series as a whole has sold over 32 million copies.[7](https://www.elle.com/culture/books/a41804071/veronica-roth-divergent-ending-poster-girl-interview/)
The trilogy was adapted into a planned four-part film series beginning in 2014, starring [Shailene Woodley](https://www.edgepedia.org/shailene-woodley) as Tris; three films were released, with the fourth, [Ascendant](https://www.edgepedia.org/ascendant), never made, and the films earning roughly $765 million at the box office.[8](https://time.com/3965924/paper-towns-movie-book-adaptations/) • [7](https://www.elle.com/culture/books/a41804071/veronica-roth-divergent-ending-poster-girl-interview/) • [20](https://comicbook.com/movies/news/divergent-author-comments-on-missing-final-movie-allegiant-ascendant/) Roth later described mixed associations with the series, saying she had "a lot of positive associations with Divergent, and a lot of negative associations."[15](https://www.elle.com/culture/books/a71054466/veronica-roth-new-divergent-book-the-sixth-faction-interview-2026/)
## Adult fiction and Slavic fantasy
Roth moved to adult fiction with *Chosen Ones* (2020), which follows five characters, including the prickly protagonist Sloane, ten years after they defeated the Dark One, exploring the psychological aftermath of having saved the world as teenagers.[9](https://time.com/5797200/veronica-roth-chosen-ones/) She has said the novel grew from curiosity about what happens after the end of a chosen-one story, not just in plot but psychologically.[9](https://time.com/5797200/veronica-roth-chosen-ones/)
**Chicago settings.** Roth has lived near or in Chicago her entire life, and the city recurs in her work: the architecture of Chicago, she has said, is significant to her stories because "architecture reveals history."[9](https://time.com/5797200/veronica-roth-chosen-ones/) Her 2024 novella *When Among Crows* places creatures of Slavic mythology, including the woodland leszy and the vampire-like strzyga, in the modern-day city, drawing on her Polish roots; its protagonist Dymitr pursues a secret goal in a world where debts create magic.[16](https://apnews.com/article/f0a07316d4705722b8fc41e9df910752) The sequel *To Clutch a Razor* followed in 2025.[6](https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/authorpage/veronica-roth.html)
Her other adult and short work includes *Poster Girl* (2022), a dystopian mystery set after the collapse of a tyrannical government, and *Arch-Conspirator* (2023), a reenvisioning of Sophocles's *Antigone*.[6](https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/authorpage/veronica-roth.html)
## Returning to Divergent: The Sixth Faction
Fifteen years after *Divergent* was published, Roth returned to the series with *The Sixth Faction*, book one of a companion duology published by HarperFire (HarperCollins) on October 6, 2026, with the sequel *The Last Testimony* following in February 2027.[11](https://www.thebookseller.com/books/veronica-roth-on-her-long-awaited-return-to-the-world-of-divergent) • [10](https://veronicaroth.substack.com/about) • [17](https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2026/04/19/veronica-roth-alternate-timeline-divergent-universe-books/8011776623411/) The novel reimagines the journey of the series' original heroine, Tris, through an alternate-universe lens, asking what would have happened had she chosen a different path.[18](https://www2.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/interviews/article/101256-in-conversation-veronica-roth-and-chloe-gong-on-expanding-their-dystopian-visions.html) A teaser scene released before publication drew what Roth described as "a receptive and warm response" from the fandom.[11](https://www.thebookseller.com/books/veronica-roth-on-her-long-awaited-return-to-the-world-of-divergent) She has said the challenge was that "it has to stay what it is, it has to stay Divergent, but it also has to grow with me."[11](https://www.thebookseller.com/books/veronica-roth-on-her-long-awaited-return-to-the-world-of-divergent)
In the same period she published the adult novel *Seek the Traitor's Son* (Tor, May 12, 2026), a romantic dystopian fantasy she began writing in September 2019 through ten drafts; its sequel, *Curse the Left Hand*, is due in May 2027, giving her three books out within eight months.[19](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4039811.Veronica_Roth/blog) • [18](https://www2.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/interviews/article/101256-in-conversation-veronica-roth-and-chloe-gong-on-expanding-their-dystopian-visions.html) • [6](https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/authorpage/veronica-roth.html)
## Reception and themes
A 2016 analysis in academic literature noted that Roth never intended the five-faction system of *Divergent* as a theory of human personality and made no claims about its scientific validity, even as researchers used the series to model personality and work life.[14](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5635728/) After her 2017 novel *Carve the Mark*, Roth received criticism on the topic of racial representation, which she addressed in a blog post; she has said she responded by reading critical race theory and bringing in sensitivity readers to find blind spots.[9](https://time.com/5797200/veronica-roth-chosen-ones/)
Roth lives in Chicago, Illinois.[2](https://veronicarothbooks.com/bio/)
## References
1. [SFE: Roth, Veronica](https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/roth_veronica)
2. [Biography, veronicarothbooks.com](https://veronicarothbooks.com/bio/)
3. [Veronica Roth, Fantastic Fiction](https://www.fantasticfiction.com/r/veronica-roth/)
4. [All 26 Veronica Roth Books in Order, Little Stack](https://www.littlestack.com/author/veronica-roth)
5. [Veronica Roth, Kirkus Reviews](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/author/veronica-roth/)
6. [Books by Veronica Roth and Complete Book Reviews, Publishers Weekly](https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/authorpage/veronica-roth.html)
7. [Veronica Roth on New Book Poster Girl and the Divergent Series Ending, Elle](https://www.elle.com/culture/books/a41804071/veronica-roth-divergent-ending-poster-girl-interview/)
8. [27 Kids' Books That Became Major Movies, Time](https://time.com/3965924/paper-towns-movie-book-adaptations/)
9. [What Happens to Heroes After They Save the World?, Time](https://time.com/5797200/veronica-roth-chosen-ones/)
10. [About Me, Veronica Roth on Substack](https://veronicaroth.substack.com/about)
11. [Veronica Roth on her long-awaited return to the world of Divergent, The Bookseller](https://www.thebookseller.com/books/veronica-roth-on-her-long-awaited-return-to-the-world-of-divergent)
12. [Veronica Roth, Chicago Magazine](https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/August-2019/Veronica-Roth-Used-One-Star-Amazon-Reviews-in-Therapy/)
13. [Veronica Roth on 15 Years of 'Divergent,' New Books, and the Dystopia of It All, Publishers Weekly](https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/100217-veronica-roth-on-15-years-of-divergent-new-books-and-the-dystopia-of-it-all.html)
14. [What Is Your Faction? Multidimensional Evidence for the Divergent Series As the Basis for a New Model of Personality and Work Life, PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5635728/)
15. [Exclusive: With The Sixth Faction, Veronica Roth Returns to the Divergent Series, Elle](https://www.elle.com/culture/books/a71054466/veronica-roth-new-divergent-book-the-sixth-faction-interview-2026/)
16. [Book Review: Veronica Roth taps into her Polish roots for 'When Among Crows,' AP News](https://apnews.com/article/f0a07316d4705722b8fc41e9df910752)
17. [Veronica Roth revisiting 'Divergent' universe with 'Sixth Faction,' UPI](https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2026/04/19/veronica-roth-alternate-timeline-divergent-universe-books/8011776623411/)
18. [In Conversation: Veronica Roth and Chloe Gong on Expanding Their Dystopian Visions, Publishers Weekly](https://www2.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/interviews/article/101256-in-conversation-veronica-roth-and-chloe-gong-on-expanding-their-dystopian-visions.html)
19. [Veronica Roth's Blog, Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4039811.Veronica_Roth/blog)
20. [Divergent Author Comments on Missing Final Movie](https://comicbook.com/movies/news/divergent-author-comments-on-missing-final-movie-allegiant-ascendant/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Literature and written works › Writers and literary biographies › Fiction writers: novelists and genre › Science fiction, fantasy, and horror writers › Science fiction writers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license