Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent

Author: Veronica Roth
ISBN: 9780062024022
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Page #: 487
Source: From my public library

Summary:
"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, 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."

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First Lines:

"There is one mirror in my house. It is behind a sliding panel in the hallway upstairs. Our faction allows me to stand in front of it on the second day of every third month, the day my mother cuts my hair."
Page 1
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Review:

Before I picked up this book, I read lots of insanely good reviews. I got a little worried that there was going to be a hype situtaion and I would be left disappointed. All that worry for nothing. This book lived up to the hype and more. And while I'm not going to compare this book to another one (like several have), I will say that my husband - who only reads comic books - said, "I haven't heard you this excited about a book since you read Hunger Games." And he means that in excited-ness... not the story. This definitely ranks in my top five books this year.

Okay, so before I get involved in my gushing... This is the story of Tris who lives in a world where everyone is divided into factions when they are sixteen. They must live and breathe their factions - "faction before blood" is quoted throughout the book. But before they can be full members, they must survive the initiation process. Tris finds herself in a situation where she is being tested physically, mentally, and emotionally. She then finds out that things outside of her new faction aren't going well - and soon she finds herself in the middle of it.

Tris is a character that I cannot wait to learn more about. She starts out as this very meek, very quiet girl... one who blends in with the backgroud. On purpose. It's amazing how much she grows throughout the book. I really was rooting for her from the get-go. Her new faction is a full of new experiences and friendships - down to the details of differences in food. I mean, she had never had a hamburger. I love that the factions are that well fleshed out.

This first book is really focused on three out of the five factions. I am excited to see how the other two are used in the coming books. Hopefully we will get a better feel for them. The whole concept of the factions really fascinates me. Can you imagine living in a world where you are fully defined by one aspect of your personality - to spend your whole life focusing on being selfless. It just seems like such an amazing idea. But I also love how things start to unravel in the society because of this rigid focus.

I love the blooming romance throughout this book. There are some books that sort of hit you over the head with it - but this one feels more real. How things start, how they progress, how they react... it all just feels right. The way you learn more and more about the love interest gives the story some serious depth as you go along. Through the first half of the book, you really don't think that a love story is coming. But when it does... I honestly think it's beautifully written.

The ending of this book was fantastic. It's full of action and craziness... and death, really. But it's written in a way that you understand how things are changing and how your main characters fit into it. I've described this ending as a video game. My husband is a gamer, through and through. And this ending really reminded me of all those first person shooter games he plays. Lots of bullets wizzing through the air, running from location to location (elevater to hallway to tunnel, etc), and facing the enemy - who is not who you think it is.

All in all, I truly loved this book. I am very picky about which books I purchase for my own collection... and this is one I'll be getting. I think many people will love it for years to come. I'm very excited to read the next installment of the trilogy, but I'm so satisfied with this one at the moment that i don't even need it yet :).

While I want to recommend this book to literally everyone, I think it's gonna be mid- to older teen and up because of the violence. But I do think anyone who reads it will love it. There really is something for everyone. And even though our protag is a girl, I think guys will get into this book just as well. There's nothing overly girly about it - and add in the whole video game ending and you're good to go! So, highly recommended to EVERYONE. Get your hands on a copy. You won't regret it.
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These reviews only scratch the surface of the number of people who have reviewed and loved this book.