Review: Divergent

Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Date Released: May 3rd, 2011
Pages: 487
Rating: 5 out of 5


Description:
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:

THIS. WAS. AMAZING.  Yup, those are the three words for you to sum up what this review will be about, so you might want to just skip the rest of the review and go and get the book instea :D  Anyways, Divergent is a really good book from a 2011 debut author this year that absolutely sucked me in. 

Sooooo, where to begin... I absolutely loved all of the characters that Roth created especially the MC, Tris.  Not only was she likeable, but she had those qualities that were really admirable, such as her strength and courage.  She was definitely VERY courageous when she had to make such a difficult decision choosing which faction she decided to show her allegiance to.  You also see Tris develop into a totally different person and try and forget her Abnegation past.

Another reason why this is a very drool worthy book and a definite must read is the whole concept that Roth created.  How cool is it to read about a world in the future where people are grouped into five factions???  Each of the factions had really cool names, too, like Abnegation and Dauntless.  Even though it may not be the most ideal world to live in since things are very controlled, I'd still love to be able to experience it because of how awesome Roth makes it seem, despite the fact that some of the factions seem to dislike each other... That might not have made sense, but you see what I'm trying to save, right?

Romance seemed so unexpected in such an intense book like Divergent but Roth was able to make it work out nicely.  I won't say who the person is because I don't know if it's really spoilery, but it was a mystery for me, but I really found that Tris and that person were a really good match :)

The plot was really intriguing.  Most of it was about Tris going through the process of initiation into the faction that she chose, but there were also the little subplots that developed into something bigger.

Divergent is definitely a must read!!  I absolutely fell in love with it and was totally absorbed into the world that Roth created.  It's a really great start to this series, and I definitely can't wait until next year (NEXT YEAR!) for Insurgent.  Go get this now!  I don't care if it's from the library or from the store (but buying it would probably be a better choice because who knows, you might want to re-read it!), just get your hands on it!

Cover Review:
AMAZING COVER!  Just like the book :)  I love how you can see the Chicago cityscape on the bottom, and the big, bold, and beautifully displayed symbol of the Dauntless faction.  It's a really cool cover that kind of has a dystopian vibe.

Cleo :)

*Description and cover from goodreads.com
**Review copy purchased.