In the beginning of the great peace, factions that embraced a particular virtue were formed: Candor (honesty), Abnegation (selflessness), Dauntless (courage), Erudite (knowledge), and Amity (peace). Their motto: Faction before blood.
"In our factions, we find meaning, we find purpose, we find life."
Beatrice Prior is 16 years old. She and her brother are about to take the aptitude test to find out which of the five factions each of them would best be suited for. After Beatrice's test, she finds out that she displays aptitude for Abnegation, Dauntless and Erudite: She is Divergent.
"This is different. I don't mean you shouldn't share them now; I mean you should never share them with anyone, ever, no matter what happens. Divergence is extremely dangerous. You understand?"
Beatrice is forced to choose a faction at the Choosing Ceremony. If she chooses Abnegation, she gets to stay with her family, but she has trouble living the life of selflessness because it doesn't feel genuine. She is drawn to Dauntless, but choosing a different faction means leaving her family forever. And failing to complete the initiation into a faction would make her factionless, living a life of misery and poverty.
Beatrice makes a startling decision at the Choosing Ceremony. Her entire world changes and she doesn't know who to trust. She is thrust into a competitive initiation where only the top 10 will be accepted; in the beginning there are 19 initiates. She also is forced to keep her Divergent identity hidden from everyone. In the midst of this, she discovers a that society may not be as perfect as she once thought.
When I first started reading it, I thought, This is The Giver and Matched. Then I read about the fence and I thought, This is Forest of Hands of Teeth. There are times when Tris feels like Katniss and I think the lights of the games should come on. But I quickly realized that even though some great authors may have influenced her story, this is all Veronica Roth and it's delicious. I cannot wait for her second book, Insurgent, to be released. Hopefully she's a super-fast writer!
Rating: 9 out of 10 stars
* mild sexual references
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