Divergent by Veronica Roth

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Divergent by Veronica Roth


Abnegation value selflessness. Dauntless value courage. Erudite value knowledge.  Amity value peace. Candor values honesty. What value do you cherish most? What faction do you belong to? Each student, at a certain point in their schooling, must take an aptitude test to help them determine what faction they should belong to for the rest of his life. Beatrice Prior was raised in Abnegation but never felt like she was selflessness enough compared to her parents and older brother. She hoped her aptitude test would assist her with her choice but her results are inconclusive. She is divergent, which means she could belong to more than one faction, which also means she is dangerous. Does she stay with her family in Abnegation? She could never join the Erudite who she considers arrogant and selfish. Or should she join Dauntless and discover how brave she could really be? She reveals her choice at The Choosing Ceremony and from there her life really begins.
                What value would you choose to dedicate the rest of your life to? And how do you ask that question of sixteen year olds? To choose a different faction would be to choose a different family and to disregard your own, in doing so you completely disavow yourself of the ways of your old faction. You then have to be initiated into this new faction and you have no idea what that initiation may be. If you fail initiation however you become one of the factionless. Now with Beatrice, we have the discovery of Divergence. This story is about Beatrice’s discovery of not only herself and what it means to be Divergent but also of those she loves. What secrets and mystery do those she love hold?
              I enjoyed this story more than I thought I would. It is an easy read with an intriguing storyline. It is obviously a young adult novel and read as such. This is a trilogy and I am looking forward to reading the other two novels in the series. This first novel set a good foundation for the two books that will follow. This was not my favorite young adult dystopian novel. It does have its faults but I give it a 3 out of 5 stars. I would suggest this novel if you enjoy reading novels like The Hunger Games which takes place in our world but in an alternate reality. 

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