Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent

by Veronica Roth

 

In a future Chicago, 16-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.

(summary from goodreads.com)

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Just simply a fabulous, fabulous book. A great one to pick up if you loved the Hunger Games or Uglies or Legend. I reread this to prepare for Insurgent, the second one in the series, and loved it even more the second time around. I loved Tris's strength and determination to make it in a brutal environment, despite her small size. I loved her realization that selflessness and bravery were often two sides of the same coin - she was a perfect mix of Dauntless and Abnegation. I loved her romance with Four (because of course every good dystopian novel needs a good romance). I loved the theme of sacrifice that weaved through the whole book. It makes me want to be a bit more Dauntless myself, despite my sneaking suspicion that in actuality I'm a Erudite. Alas.

I just love dystopian novels! I'm in a book group with my siblings and it is now a joke that I keep having them read some dystopian novel about a girl who meets a guy and saves the world, which sounds terribly formulaic but in actuality never is, at least to me. (But seriously, boys, you know you've loved every single one I've made you read.) I think it's time to add this one to the list ...

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. Violence: some pretty brutal fights. Profanity: none that I can remember. Sex: making out but nothing further.