Review of Divergent by Veronica Roth

As you know from some of my reviews (of The Hunger Games, Starters, and Article 5) I like dystopian stories.  I think the premise is really interesting and the fact that everyone has their own idea of what the world would look like is fascinating to me.  Of course, even though I'm 23 I really like the young adult genre, so I'll stick to dystopian young adult fiction for now!

So this week, I read the first two books in Veronica Roth's Divergent series. 

Divergent is all about choices and being different, and choosing to be who you really are--not who you ought to be.  "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." (Synopsis from Goodreads.com)

What's refreshing about this book is that it's not about love.  Although there is the YA mini-romance, it's more-so about Beatrice (Tris) figuring out who she is, who she wants to be, and who her family wants her to be.  She has to diverge from her family unit and go out and make her own way in the world.  It's interesting because it's not all about some silly romance and it's not all about action.  There's a great mix of family values, identity, growing up, action, conspiracy, and awesomeness all rolled into one beautiful 487 page package.  I loved it--every minute.

After earning 4 stars on Goodreads and being named the Goodreads Choice Award Favorite Book, I knew this was going to be a good choice.  BookPage says "You'll be up all night with Divergent, a brainy thrill-ride of a novel," and I've got to tell you.  They are so right!  This book was amazing.  It was a page-turner, and cliff-hanger, and an all-around fabulous use of my $10.  I highly recommend it.  This is probably my second favorite--only behind The Hunger Games in this category of YA fiction. 

Get it at Barnes and Noble or Amazon now.

And find out what other readers thought at Goodreads.com