Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent
Veronica Roth
Harper-Collins; May 3, 2011
Hardcover, 496 pages

THE FAERYS VIEW

Divergent blew me away! I loved it, everything about it especially how the underdog exceeds everyones expectations, even her own. I think I'm the last person in the 'Book' world to have read Divergent by Veronica Roth and truly, I think all the hype was a big turn-off for me, in the sense that I would be incredibly disappointed by the book because it couldn't possibly be as fantastic as everyone was claiming. I was so very wrong and everyone who read the book and extolled its virtues was so very right.


A dystopian Chicago with five factions based on Honesty, Bravery, Intelligence, Selflessness and the Peaceful. Each person is completely devoted to their faction and distinguished by the clothes they wear, where they live and the outward behavior they display. This is a world unlike anything I could possibly imagine, five choices of a way of life---that's it! At age 16, they are tested and the test determines what factions they might serve best in. Beatrice's test shows an anomaly-one that would get her killed if it weren't for the reviewer who had reason to hide Beatrice's test score that shows she is Divergent. To discover what divergent means, you'll have to read the book! When the naming ceremony comes and Beatrice chooses Dauntless, her Abnegation family is shocked and her new Dauntless family thinks this fragile tiny girl won't last a day. The excitement of this book gets started and literally doesn't stop!


The plot revolves around Beatrice who renamed herself Tris when she left her extremely selfless faction, Abnegation to join Dauntless-The Brave. An amazingly drastic change from the life of Beatrice to the life of Tris and indeed, they are two people dwelling in the same body. To flunk out of Dauntless is to become factionless-worse than homeless because in our society today, the homeless have a chance at success and well-being. In Divergent, factionless is where you will stay until you die.


The most amazing part of this book and there is plenty of amazing, to be true, is the inner strength and growth that Tris draws on in order to remain in Dauntless. Tris quickly learns to love the life of the Dauntless, this is where she belongs, these are her people and she will do anything to stay here. She immediately connects with Four, the instructor who seems to always be watching her wherever she goes. He's the guy that all the women want but none can tell the tale and there's something about him that Tris can't put her finger on...


Divergent by Veronica Roth is non-stop action, mystery, danger, heart-break---it runs the gamut of emotions until you've gone full circle. I couldn't put the book down, I mean I literally could not put the book down! I had to know what was going to happen next and my curiousity was not sated until I finished the book and even then I find myself eagerly anticipating the next in the series. It literally cannot get here soon enough.


This is a One-Sit-Read, the highest honor this reviewer can give.