Divergent by 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.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series--dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

4 stars
I decided to finally give into the hype of the dystopian YA books a couple months ago, and read The Hunger Games. Of course it was a toss up of starting that one vs Divergent, but I figured I'd get to both of them soon enough. And then I had to wait a bit before starting Divergent, because I didn't want to be comparing the two. I mean, let's be honest- Divergent has Tobias/Four, but Hunger Games has Peeta AND Gale. So I waited until I couldn't hold off any longer, and I loved it! Divergent was fun! It has the under dog learning how to kick some ass and take some names, as well as beat the system! Anyone that read this book was rooting for Tris from the beginning! She was the little Amish-type girl that could! I did find the idea that in order to prove you were Dauntless, you also had to sort of give up common sense. I mean, jumping off a moving train onto a building 7 stories down isn't really brave, it's stupid! But I can see how people would mix the two up. Anyway, I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of Insurgent, and see how the shake up of factions turns out.
~Mandy