Synopsis
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 onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.
If you enjoyed the "Hunger Games" series and you are looking for something with the same edge and excitement, I think you will enjoy this book. I had this book on pre-order for a month and had been anxiously awaiting it's arrival last week. I was so into the story I made short work of it in a day or two. I am so excited this is a series, just disappointed I will have to wait so long to read the next one. There is a lot of buzz surrounding this new "young adult" story, and I think it lived up to the hype.
I loved the whole concept of the new society being split into particular virtues -- it made me think throughout the book which one I would have chosen had I been in the main characters shoes. Not only do the 16-year-olds choose a particular virtue that they will devote their lives too, but the people of that "faction" become their new family and they all live in their own separate communities where they are responsible to perform tasks and jobs specifically assigned to their group. They basically have to give up the life they knew before and leave their families behind if they choose to transfer to a new "faction". The main character Tris grows up in Abnegation, the faction in charge of the government of the other factions. They are the most peaceful and selfless group which is never allowed to think of themselves before others, look at themselves in the mirror because that would be vain, or wear anything but the simplest of clothing, but she always feels like she does not quite fit in and there could be something more out there for her. Like all of the other 16-year-olds, she undergoes the testing that will help them decide where they should be placed except for her results are anything but normal, and can be very dangerous if anyone else finds out. After her choice is made, there is no going back. During her initiation into her new faction, she discovers the city gates are locked not from the inside like she had always believed, but on the outside. As if they are trying to keep everyone IN. The story continues to unveil the rivalries and politics between the factions and plans for a war that could wipe out one of the factions forever. The plot just keeps building and building and building.
I thought this was an interesting, fast paced, intense, and well written book. I can't wait to read where the rest of the series will take the characters. I think you will be hearing a lot about this author and this series in the months and years to come.
******If you'd like to have a chance to read the first 100 pages to see if you want to keep reading and get the book (which I'm sure you will), you can go to this link from the Harper Collins website and check it out.
