Divergent

Divergent by Veronica Roth  (May 3, 2011)

My rating:  5/5
Summary (from Goodreads):  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.

**Warning!  There may be some mild spoilers!**

 My review:  I admit that I love dystopian worlds.  Many of my favourite books are post-apocalyptic; so it's not a huge surprise that I liked Divergent.


The book started with Beatrice being in the Abnegation faction: the selfless.  Even though she had been raised in this faction, she was not as selfless as everyone else there.  When her test came to see what faction she should choose, her results were inconclusive.  When she was at the choosing ceremony, she finally decided to choose Dauntless.  When she gets there, she finds out that only seven of the twenty there will make it into Dauntless; the others will become factionless.  There are three stages that will earn them their ranks.


Dauntless was a scary, but great setting.  I really got a feel for what it was like there: dark, twisting halls, a sort of spooky feeling hanging over your shoulder.  And then there was the fact that they had to fight each other until one was unconscious to gain themselves ranks.  I really felt what Beatrice (now Tris) felt.  She was horrified and scared, but also very determined.  I thought that she was a great character to read about.


Four (the instructor) was also a very interesting character.  He had many mixed emotions, so I wasn't sure how he felt about Tris.  Sometimes he would act like he loved her, other times he would be yelling at her for being pathetic and weak.  It wasn't until later in the book that I realized who he was and what exactly he was doing when he shouted at her.


The plot kept me eager to keep reading, always making me feel like I needed to know more about what was going on.  There was never really a dull moment, especially with the other Dauntless trainees around, plus there were some exciting twists.  I had quite a few surprises as I read towards the end of the book!


In all, Divergent was a book with vivid descriptions, a twisting plot, a gorgeous setting, and fresh characters!  I loved every page of it!