Divergent - 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.

Title : Divergent {Divergent, book 1}

Author : Veronica Roth

Publication : 03rd May 2011

Publisher : Katherine Tegen Books

487 pages

This book is the first one of a trilogy

My review

For this first review I hope my English won't be too bad and I've picked one of my favorite books this year.

Divergent is one of the best books I've read this year, and one of the best I've ever read so far. It contains everything you could look for in a book. A bit of romance, a bit of mystery, a bit of action, everyone will be able to find one or several aspects appealing for him. It is brilliant and I'm really weighing my words, you must read it.

The characters are really well-developed, especially Tris. She's amazing, even if she seems a bit weak at the beginning, she's in fact strong and brave. Four is also interesting and I must admit that I found him quite sexy. He's charming and I'm sure every girl will fall for him.

Some moments are a bit predictable but I was totally spellbound and I wasn't able to put it down. If you can, I suggest you to begin it on a weekend or when you have some time ahead of you because it's really the kind of book that will keep you awake til 3 o'clock in the morning. When I started it, I had to work for my exams, I had planned to study a whole afternoon but after a few pages I was totally hooked and eventually I spent the whole afternoon reading Divergent instead of working.

It's action-packed, intense, I was often biting my nails and clenching my teeth. It also deals with sacrifices and what you're ready to do in order to survive and gain. In fact, Veronica Roth found the perfect balance between romance, mysteries and nerve racking-action.

It's really realistic and also brings some kind of reflexion about our society as the factions are a bit metaphorical. Divergent is about control and choices, betrayal and love, anger and doubts, sadness and happiness. Tris has some crucial but difficult decisions to make, she must also learn to confront her fears but this will not happen without some sacrifices, as life sometimes requires it. It's full of discoveries, often shocking and unpredictable, and full of tension especially near the end.

The writing is really pleasant, smooth and every word flows. I was totally captivated all along the plot and Veronica Roth never lost my attention. I read it really fast, in only one afternoon, as at each end of chapter I only wanted to start a new one. The descriptions are also really well done, you can totally imagine you in this dystopian version of Chicago.

To sum up, you really need to read this book, it's one of the best dystopias I've read so far and one of the best books I've ever read. Divergent is a brilliant book and an intense read. It's action punched, gripping and captivating. Even if it didn't end on a huge cliffhanger I can't wait for the sequel, 2012 won't come fast enough for me.