Summary: In a futuristic Chicago, you are defined not by your personality, your family, or your background, but by the faction that you choose to join. At the age of 16, you are tested to see if you belong in Abnegation, the selfless; Amity, the friendly; Candor, the truthful; Dauntless, the brave; or Erudite, the intelligent. Beatrice knows that she has never fit in Abnegation, in which she was born and raised. When she takes her test, her results are abnormal, and her tester warns her never to tell anyone; she is “Divergent,” which could potentially get her killed. Confused and convinced that she can’t stay in Abnegation, she chooses Dauntless, a faction of crazy daredevils. Throughout the series, Tris (as she now calls herself) finds that the system is corrupt. She and some of her friends face danger and bloodthirsty adversaries to bring freedom to her world.
Recommendation: This series was really popular a couple of years ago, and I finally read it around a week ago. Not that I didn’t want to read it, but a friend had spoiled the ending for me. (Psst… if you do end up reading it, and spoil the ending for someone, I will disown you. Fair warning.) I finally picked up the first book, and got hooked! The action, suspense, and drama *gasp* keep you up until the middle of the night reading. I lost a lot of sleep. I was impressed by how this series escalated. I found the sequel better than the first one, an almost impossible feat. The only other series that has managed to do this is Harry Potter, which, to me, has no equal. 🙂 Roth catapulted the action level up in Insurgent and strongly developed many background characters. (I’ve said it before and I will say it again – don’t get attached.) On the other hand, I was a little disappointed by how typical-teen-fiction this series was. Very cliché dystopian. Don’t think that I don’t recommend it, though! It’s great for a fun, suspenseful read. If you haven’t read it already, you should.
Favorite Passage: “Got that gun?” Peter says to Tobias. “No,” says Tobias, “I figured I would shoot the bullets out of my nostrils, so I left it upstairs.”
Clara's Book Reviews 