Divergent - Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth
Publisher: HarperCollins
Genre: YA, Dystopia, Sci-Fi
Pages: 487
Rating: 5 Stars

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.

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It took me awhile to finally start reading this book. At first the whole concept of it just bore me. It wasn't until after I read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins that I decided to give this dystopian tale a try. After finishing it in almost one sitting I can't believe I didn't start it sooner! This book was far from boring. It was absolutely amazing! It has definitely earned a spot on my favorites.

This book had me pulled in from the start. The main character, Tris, is so easy to relate to. Most people in her situation would probably feel the same way, confused about whether or not to leave their family, or choose where they really belong. The pressure put on each 16-year-old is way too much for some to handle. That immediately was one of the things that made me even more interested in this book.

As the story goes on, the plot really develops a lot. I loved how just within the small amount of time you really begin to see how corrupt each faction is, Dauntless especially. They view bravery as killing and fighting to see who comes out on top. This was a result of violence hungry leaders looking for a way to express power over the weak. Dauntless though was not the only faction like this. Every other faction had their own set of flaws and that is what made this book so interesting.

The characters in this book blew me away. Each of these characters has to deal with the consequences of many of their decisions. Some couldn't even handle the weight of what they had done. Overall though each and every character, even the ones that were working against the main character, fascinated me with the  depth of their personalities. 

Lastly, I loved the setting of this book. It is in the future focused just in the city of Chicago, with fences trapping them inside. It wasn't brought up a lot in this book but when you really think about it, there is an entire world outside that nobody even knows about. It was crazy how naive everyone was. It surprised me so much that nobody even questioned it, everyone was just fine with not knowing. That really showed how when people are trapped in one area for so long, they eventually forget there really is anything on the other side.

Overall, this book was absolutely incredible. For a debut novel, Veronica Roth really delivered. I loved every last thing about this book. I would recommend it to any fans of The Hunger Games, dystopia or sci-fi books, and YA fiction. Give this wonderful book a try! You will not be disappointed.