Divergent by Veronica Roth

Amazon Description: "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."

My Review: I personally loved Divergent! It's the first of a trilogy, and while there are many dystopian books out there---thanks to the craze that The Hunger Games started---this one really stood out to me. Roth's idea of breaking each city into sections that value certain character traits was a very interesting idea. It actually made me excited to read the book! And Divergent is definitely a page-turner. My cousin lent me her copy at 9 PM one night, and I stayed up well into the early hours of the morning, frantically trying to finish it (and I did). The characters were compelling and interesting, the plot was driven and fast-paced. I personally never found a dull moment. And Roth actually made me care about what happened to the main character, which is a rarity. Divergent is a gem of a book, and anyone who enjoys action, adventure, or dystopian books should make this a must-read.

Cover: The cover definitely caught my eye, but I think they could have done more to make the word "Divergent" stand out. I also liked the symbol of the faction she chose on the cover, but it did take me a while to figure out what it even was.

Overall Grade: A-