Review: Divergent (Divergent, #1) by Veronica Roth

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, 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 to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating 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 a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

Oh my goodness...can you say instant fan? I'm not sure I can even describe how much I truly enjoyed this book! It was fabulous from beginning to end, but the last quarter of the book, nearly gave me heart failure. I couldn't believe how stressed out and anxious it had me. Not knowing what was going to happen next, and the surprise twists...every five seconds...it was like a bomb went off every couple of pages...just plain crazy! Roth certainly needs no help in the suspense and action field. She nailed it!

I think one of the main reasons I enjoyed this read as much as I did was because it had me constantly questioning and comparing each aspect of what life was like for these characters and how I would handle the way they live and the circumstances they found themselves in. I tried to put myself in Tris' place from page one. Whether it was trying to decide which faction I would choose for myself, as well as what I would picture my friends and family in as well, or how I would fare during the training and initiation stages one through three. I think I'm still unsure. The choosing ceremony alone would have been too much for me! What faction would you have gone with? Could you picture placing yourself in any one faction and dedicating the rest of your life to serving said faction?

Then came initiation training...and if ever there was a survival of the fittest type of situation, this was it. Roth's characters were so engaging that it was hard to look away. Whether you loved them (Four) or hated them (Peter), she had you committing to your opinion and had me so invested in what was going on that it was difficult to get anything else done. I couldn't put this book down. I can't believe I waited this long to read this title, but I am very glad that now that I'm done, I only have to wait a little under a month to read the sequel. Any longer and I might cry...I'm not over exaggerating. The sneak peek into the next installment, Insurgent, was just what I needed to tide me over until it's release date. I've already recommended this book to several friends and family, and I truly hope they heed my advice and pick themselves up a copy of it as soon as possible! Better late than never right?

I gave Divergent (Divergent, #1) by Veronica Roth 5 shamrocks!!!!!