Divergent

Divergent by Veronica Roth Katherine Tegen Books, 2011, 487 pp. $17.99, 9780062024022

What if you had to choose either your family or the path you know you are destined for? This is the dilemma that 16-year-old Tris faces. Tris’ futuristic Chicago is a strictly regulated society where factions are fiercely to what they see as the ideal virtue - honesty, courage, peace, selflessness, and intelligence - and teenagers must decide to either stay in their factions or join one they know is right for them, but lose all ties with family in the process. Tris knows that living among the selfless is not her destiny, and soon she discovers she is divergent, a dangerous and rare person who exhibits many of those values. Tris decides to leave her family, and becomes swept up with the dangerous world those who value bravery, and soon sees that all is not well in her society. She also discovers that being divergent is more dangerous than she ever could have believed. //Divergent// is a breath-taking, fast-paced novel that will have readers jumping off buildings and speeding trains right along side Tris. Though it is an intimidating novel at nearly five hundred pages, the action propels readers along, making it a surprisingly quick read. The first in an upcoming series, Roth’s dystopian adventure concludes nicely, but leave plenty of room for adventure and intrigue to come. Perfect for grades 8+, this is an absolute must-read for fans of Suzanne Collins' //The Hunger Games//.