Divergent

Book 1 of my 2014 Reading Challenge.

Divergent by Veronica Roth
Book 1 of the Divergent trilogy

Summary (via Goodreads)

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, 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 alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made.  Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences.  As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are - and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating 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 unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns her secret might help her save the ones she loves...or it might destroy her.

My Opinion

Well-written dystopian novels always impress me because the concepts are so original but there has to be some attachment to reality, or at least the reality that the author has created, for the book to stay readable.  Veronica Roth has done it right - original concept, authentic characters, and action action action.  It's also great to have a teenage female that isn't involved in a love triangle (so far, at least) and I enjoyed watching her little romance bloom.

Don't get attached to any of the characters.  Usually in the first book of a series, the majority of named people are safe (other than the occasional "shocking" death of one main character)...that is NOT the case here.  I couldn't avoid one major spoiler of the trilogy so I'm aware this trend will continue over the next two books.

I can't wait to get the next book and see what happens next!    

Quote from the Book

"I believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another."