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 Divergent, by Veronica Roth, tells the story of a young girl, who while trying to figure out where she fits in, makes a choice that will change her life. As a result of her choice, she figures out how to overcome obstacles and face her fears.
This story takes place in a dystopian Chicago, where society is divided into five factions. These factions are 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). At the age of sixteen, teenagers must choose one of these five factions to commit themselves to for the rest of their lives. As the main character, Beatrice (Tris), struggles to find who she truly is, she finds herself making a choice between the life she’s always had with her family, and a new and exciting life. She also discovers a secret about herself that she doesn’t yet fully understand.
Tris has always been part of Abnegation, the selfless faction, but she feels like she isn’t exactly good enough to fit into this community. She finds that it’s a challenge to be as self-sacrificing and unselfish as her family. When the time comes to make the choice between a new life and her family, however, she realizes that she doesn’t necessarily want to say goodbye to her family and the familiar life she’d leave behind. If she makes the choice to leave, she most likely will never see them again. When Tris takes the aptitude test in which the community gives her a faction recommendation, she discovers a dangerous secret—she’s Divergent— which means she doesn’t fit into any conventional category; but she doesn’t realize the full extent of danger this label can put her in. After choosing her faction, she faces a highly competitive initiation, and struggles to determine who her friends truly are and what being Divergent can actually mean for her. She also uncovers a plot that threatens to change society as she knows it, and how powerful her secret can actually be.
What I enjoy most about Divergent is the suspense. There is not one boring or dull moment in the whole book, and it kept me reading and almost experiencing the feelings and emotions of the main character myself. The only thing I didn’t particularly like about the book was the ending. I think it was a little rushed and that it could have been much better if it wasn’t for that. But overall, it was a great, well-written book, and I recommend it for fans of the Hunger Games.
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