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, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.
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, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.
{Details} Paperback, 487 pages, Published February 28th 2012 by Katherine Tegen Books
What to say about Divergent that hasn't already been said? Probably nothing but I'll still put my two cents in. There's so much to love about this story: Tris, Four, Roth's world, her writing, her willingness to push her characters to their limits.
Roth immerses us in her divided world. It's harsh and unforgiving, much like Tris's new faction. Tris. Loved Tris. When we first meet Tris she's the very last person I'd picture as a warrior. But she surprises us, over and over again as she shows us her strength, her bravery, how one person can change everything. Four was intriguing. We don't see nearly enough of him in my opinion, but he was a great hero and a match for Tris’s awesomeness in every way.
One thing I both loved and hated was Roth's ruthlessness. She doesn't screw around, she doesn't coddle her readers or shelter her characters from pain. There is loss and betrayal and grief.
Roth immerses us in her divided world. It's harsh and unforgiving, much like Tris's new faction. Tris. Loved Tris. When we first meet Tris she's the very last person I'd picture as a warrior. But she surprises us, over and over again as she shows us her strength, her bravery, how one person can change everything. Four was intriguing. We don't see nearly enough of him in my opinion, but he was a great hero and a match for Tris’s awesomeness in every way.
One thing I both loved and hated was Roth's ruthlessness. She doesn't screw around, she doesn't coddle her readers or shelter her characters from pain. There is loss and betrayal and grief.
