In dystopian Chicago civilization has been divided into five different groups. These groups are called factions and emphasize a single trait. Erudite – intelligence; Abnegation – selflessness; Candor – honesty; Dauntless – bravery; Amity – peacefulness. One day per year all sixteen year olds are tested to see which faction they belong in. The problem is that Beatrice Prior belongs in more than one, she is Divergent. She had always been a good Abnegation girl but she makes a choice that no one saw coming, she chooses Dauntless. Beatrice had always admired the Dauntless but now that she is becoming one she learns there is more than meets the eye. Initiation is highly competitive and other people are dying during it. Beatrice also learns that her secret of being Divergent would be very dangerous if everyone knew. She could be the only hope to save the people she loves but if the Dauntless leaders find out she might not live that long.

Divergent is a fast-paced, thrilling, dystopian novel. It is full of complex characters and interesting storylines. The book has you hooked from the outset and you quickly learn to love the characters. Divergent is an interesting concept that was done correctly. Dystopias are incredibly popular right now but this book is not one to pass on. However, Divergent starts strong and ends horribly. The ending is rushed and pocked with unnecessary deaths, clichés, and questionable plot developments. It is what I have referred to as a Stephen Moffat ending: The story is incredible and the characters are lovable but the author tries to wrap up everything too quickly and it hurts the story. Divergent is still worth reading but the ending was very aggravating.
As I said, the book is worth reading. The writing style is not of a literary master. It’s choppy and full of fragments but I think it was intentional. It’s somewhat a stream of consciousness story but it doesn’t look like one. Divergent is a pretty quick read for being almost 500 pages long. It was a good book and only the ending kept it from being a great book.
If you haven’t read it yet than you probably won’t have any trouble finding someone you can borrow this book from. It is slightly more targeted toward a female audience I think but is generally neutral. Fans of dystopian or YA novels will probably enjoy this book. Fans of The Hunger Games would probably be the best example.

Favorite Quotation:

He told me to be brave, and though I have stood still while knives spun toward my face and jumped off a roof, I never thought I would need bravery in the small moments of my life. I do.