Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent (Divergent #1)

Author: Veronica Roth

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Release Date: April 25, 2011

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she’s chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she’s kept hidden from everyone because she’s been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts into the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series--dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

2011 has been the year of the dystopians and Divergent was another amazing one. Veronica Roth is an absolutely fantastic new writer and the story she wrote was just as amazing. I loved it and just couldn’t find it in me to put it down once I started reading it.

The time has come for Beatrice to choose what faction she’s going to live in for the rest of her life. Will she stay in Abnegation to stay close to her family or will she transfer to another faction? On Choosing Day, Beatrice decides to join Dauntless, the faction known for its bravery. On that day, Beatrice becomes Tris and begins the initiation process that will reveal if she has what it takes to be Dauntless. But becoming Dauntless may prove to be more difficult than Tris ever thought. And everything may not be exactly as it seems on the Dauntless compound. Not only does Tris have to survive the Dauntless initiation but she also has to figure out what is being planned because the lives of her family may just be in danger.

Can I just begin by saying “WOW!” Divergent was absolutely amazing. I knew people were saying it was a great book but I never imagined it was this great a book. And believe me, it was. I don’t even know that there are any words to describe just how great and amazing Divergent was. Veronica Roth is a brilliant new writer. The dystopian world she created was captivating and made me question what would happen to our world in the future. As far as the factions are concerned, I don’t have a clue which one I would choose. By process of elimination I would probably end up in Dauntless or Erudite. But I would lean more towards Dauntless if only because I don’t think I could spend my whole life studying. Though I’m not sure how well I would fare in Dauntless.

I loved Tris. She was a great protagonist and I loved seeing her grow and come into her own. As far as my favorite heroines go, Tris is pretty high up there on the list. She was just a very interesting character, especially when she was struggling to figure out how her Abnegation past and her Dauntless future fit together. Four puzzled me. At first I didn’t really understand him and didn’t think he would be as important as he ended up being. But the more I got to know him, the more I liked him. Now, I really like him. I loved seeing him open himself up to Tris more and more and see their relationship develop.

I’ll say it again, Divergent was absolutely amazing and Veronica Roth is a fantastic writer. It is by far one of the best books I’ve read this year and there is no way I can wait until next year to find out what happens next.