Review- Divergent

Title: Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads

Source: Purchased

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 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.  

My thoughts:

I bought this book because everyone was raving about it, pretty much saying that it is one of the best books they've every read.  I brought it home and it literally sat on my shelf for at least a month.  I was so hesitant to pick it up because I didn't really know what it was about, the raving reviews gave it a lot of expectations, it's almost 500 pages long and I didn't really like the cover.  Now I wish I had started reading it the day I bought it because I already want to read it again!

Divergent absolutely blew my mind! I was sucked in by chapter two because it's so believable and realistic that I was thinking that the world could possibly end up like this.  Dystopian novels really get me thinking about what could happen if we're not careful or if the government becomes too powerful.

I loved Tris's confidence and determination to prove herself in Dauntless especially coming from Abnegation, the selfless.  Although she had her moments of weakness where she would cry and miss her family, she continued to be true to herself through all her struggles.  I also loved that Four was there to push her every step of the way.  They seem so perfect for each other because Tris needs someone that is going to do what it takes to bring the best out of her and Four isn't going to hold her hand through the difficult obstacles.  

I thinks the factions are so intricate and unique and so very different from one anther to their dress, haircuts and distinct attitudes toward the world.  I was so wrapped up in the story that the nearly five hundred pages flew by! Divergent is absolutely brilliant and one of the best books I've read this year!