From Brain to Book: A Peek into The Sixth Faction with Veronica Roth

On October 13th, 2026, my stepmom and I drove down to the Country Club Plaza to attend the celebration of Veronica Roth’s newest release, The Sixth Faction, moderated by fellow author Adib Khorram and hosted by Rainy Day Books. 

Roth has written several bestselling books, including When Among Crows, Seek the Traitor’s Son, Poster Girl, Chosen Ones, the Carve the Mark duology, and the hit Divergent trilogy. Likewise, Khorram is the author of bestselling books I’ll Have What He’s Having, Darius the Great Is Not Okay, Darius the Great Deserves Better, Kiss & Tell, The Breakup Lists, Seven Special Somethings: A Nowruz Story, and Bijan Always Wins. 

The event was held in Unity Temple, a way to accommodate the many people present to support The Sixth Faction. As they entered, attendees received a beautiful, limited-edition copy of the book, complete with spray-painted edges and an eye-catching, reflective book jacket.

The Sixth Faction is a reimagining of Divergent, set in a similar setting and narrated by the same characters, but with a different plot and take on the genre. Divergent was about Beatrice (Tris) Prior, a teenager who was a member of the Abnegation faction but defected to Dauntless. In both books, Tris discovers a conspiracy headed by the leader of Erudite, Jeanine Matthews, but in the Sixth Faction, Tris never goes to Dauntless, instead joining the Factionless with Four and becoming more involved in the rebellion. 

The majority of the event was an interview between Roth (who wore grey to support Abnegation) and Khorram (who wore a t-shirt reading “Authors Against Book Bans” in bold letters) that revealed more about both the Sixth faction and its author. To start, Khorram asked how the dystopian genre influenced her writing, noting that the original series was set in a revisionist dystopian setting. Roth answered by discussing the trends in dystopian fiction from the 2010s, recalling that they prioritized romance and adventure plots more than societal commentary. She had been attracted to dystopian fiction while writing Divergent then because of the idea of finding agency within structured, rigid environments. That, she felt, would appeal to teenagers, especially those in similar situations. 

When asked about changes from Divergent to The Sixth Faction, Roth said that The Sixth Faction focused less on the “chosen one” trope and more on the idea of collective action. She felt that her new book explored the loss of innocence that comes with growing up and learning more about the world. 

Khorram then asked about how she balanced audiences that were familiar with the original Divergent trilogy with those who were new to the universe. Roth started by emphasizing the fact that people who hadn’t read Divergent could still read The Sixth Faction since the latter took place in an alternate universe. She then said that she had two editors to advise her writing; one had read Divergent in the past and one was unfamiliar with it. Both of them had helped balance the old audiences with the new, letting new readers step into the universe that fans loved so much. 

When asked about the similarities and differences between the original Divergent series and The Sixth Faction, Roth responded by saying that they both explored the idea of change and its potential depth. Through all the situations Tris is put in, though they were different from Divergent’s, her core stayed similar throughout, showcasing the teen’s efforts to stay true to herself. Conversely, Tris does more “spy” work in the new book, employing more secretive and cunning tactics to help the resistance. Her new persona was a reflection of how Roth felt older than the person she was when she wrote the original series. 

When asked about her fears when creating the Sixth Faction, Roth said that she was afraid people would assume that her new book was a cash grab and that the public would react to her writing with revulsion. However, those fears dissipated when Roth was able to get back into Tris’ head. She adapted to returning to a dystopian Chicago with joy, comparing the feeling with what Alyssa Liu exhibited as she got back into figure skating. 

Khorram asked her what each characters’ yearbook superlatives would be. For those wondering, Uriah canonically has the best smile. Furthermore, Tris has the best personality and the best couple is Tris and Four, to no one’s surprise. My favorite character, Caleb, has the best sense of style. These superlatives were confirmed by the author herself. 

Roth then revealed the cover of the next installment in the series, titled The Last Testimony, which is set to be released in 2027. The next cover, designed by Zoë van Dijk, is similar to The Sixth Faction’s, except instead of Tris brooding atop a building, as Roth put so articulately, “she’s in the reeds!” 

Roth and Khorram then took questions from the audience, a segment that taught me a lot about being a contemporary author. When asked what she wanted young readers to take from her work, Roth said she wrote Divergent with the intention of encouraging them to think about things in the world that could change. She also said that she would tell a young her that, as a writer, it’s important to have perseverance, a support system, and an idea of the competition authors face. 

Both authors shared their writing processes to conclude the final segment of the event. Roth recounted creating playlists (which are all on Spotify now) during the brainstorming process. She then plans and outlines the scenes, working almost every day. After writing her first draft, she starts her favorite part: revision. Khorram, on the other hand, starts by cleaning his house. Then, he spends a long time brainstorming and planning out the book, paying special attention to the characters. He gives himself less leniency than Roth does, writing every day, and also enjoys revising. 

My stepmom and I had a great time at this event. I learned so much about the featured authors, both of whom were incredibly entertaining and engaging. I haven’t read the Divergent series in a long time, so going into the event, I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to relate to anyone. However, as I watched the hosts joke around with each other and answer the questions from the audience so thoughtfully, it was clear that any reader, no matter how familiar they were with Tris’ journey, was welcome. 

My copy of the Sixth Faction sits next to me now as I type out this review. I plan to read it as soon as I log out. And who knows? Maybe you will too.