Divergent

Divergent (Divergent, #1) by Veronica Roth
Release Date ~ 5/3/11
Format ~ Hardcover
Publisher ~ Katherine Tegan Books
Source ~ Gifted
Rating ~ 5/5
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, 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.

My review: I know! What's wrong with me?! This book has been sitting on my shelf for a million years,  and I knew I was  going to love it... so why didn't I read it sooner? I asked my self the same question after 100 pages of absolute awesomeness!

   

    The main thing that stood out in this book was the characters. Tris, the main character, was pretty awesome. I liked how she started out very insecure but as she went through the Dauntless training she began to become more confident, but she didn't become cocky. She stuck up for what she believed in and for those she cared about.

   I loved the relationship between Tris and Four! Four was the broken-hero, moody type, but Tris helped him come out of his shell, it was really quite sweet sorta like this..

(Those otters holding hands are really cute, just sayin'!)

    I loved how original this dystopian society was. The five districts based on your personality was really unique. If I lived in a world like that, I'd be really paranoid not to mess up and go against my virtues! The "fraction before blood part" was really intense, and I found Tris really brave to leave her family and become a Dauntless.

     Roth's writing style was super intense, but it had all the right moments of comic relief. I like how the characters had some sarcastic moments to brighten the mood, but weren't sarcastic all the time.   

A hearty two thumbs up to this novel that will no-doubt be a classic of children's literature!

5/5 

Cover Comments: This cover looks Dauntless! I love the Chicago skyline at the bottom.

This Book Counts in the Following Reading Challenges:

2012 Dystopian Reading Challenge: 2

Harper Teen/Harper Imprints Reading Challenge: 2

TBR Pile Reading Challenge: 1

Read Your Own Books Reading Challenge: 1

1st Book in a Series Reading Challenge: 2