Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Published: May 3, 2011 by Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 495/Hardcover
Series: Divergent #1
Challenge: 2011 Debut Author Challenge
Source: Bought


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.

Review: Warning: When you start reading this book awesomeness will ensue. That's right people this was one amazing book. The dystopian world was wonderfully written and the story was fast paced and always interesting.


I could tell while reading this that Roth knew the world she had created. I loved reading and learning about the different factions and I surprisingly enjoyed reading about the politics involved in the factions. Each faction was unique and it had a reason for being. I also loved to see the interactions of the different factions with each other.


The characters were another great point of the book. I could really see Beatrice grow into her character. She started out kind of timid, but she gradually grew into her Dauntless self and realized that she really did belong where she was. Four was a big mystery for a lot of the book, but it was fun to try and figure him out. I also loved the other initiates that Beatrice befriended. They all added something to the book that made it great.


This book definitely brought out my violent side. I loved the training/fight scenes. The writing was so vivid that I felt what the characters felt. I felt like I was in the midst of battling for my place in a faction just like them. Divergent is one of those books that really gets your blood pumping and you just don't want to put the book down. 


I was expecting there to be more emphasis on the Divergent, but it didn't play that big of a part in the story until the end, and even then it didn't really have an effect on the story (well maybe a little). I'm guessing that since this is just the first in a series it was meant to introduce the Divergent and there will be more emphasis on it in later books. But that's just a guess.


The ending isn't really a cliff hanger but it leaves off pretty much in the middle of a war so I'm very excited for the next in the series. 


Divergent is one of those books that gets compared to The Hinger Games and this is probably the only time that I agree with that. It was similar in that it had a great plot, great characters, and a good mix of action, romance and adventure. I suggest that if you haven't read Divergent yet you get on it!