Divergent is a young adult novel set in dystopian Chicago that is a society split into five factions: Candor, the honest; Abnegation, the selfless; Dauntless, the brave; Amity, the peaceful; and Erudite, the intelligent. Once a year all sixteen-year-olds must decide which faction they will be with for the rest of their lives. Most stay in the faction they grew up in, remaining with their family and the life they already know. For Beatrice, it’s a difficult decision: to stay with her family or to be who she really is, she cannot have both. Everyone, including Beatrice herself, is surprised by her decision.

This is an intensely fast-paced story that draws you in and keeps you hooked throughout, full of suspense and a bit of romance. Veronica Roth’s debut novel is really well done. I loved the dystopian Chicago atmosphere with the decrepit navy pier and above ground trains that never stop even for the passengers. If you enjoy a good dystopian futuristic thriller, oh you know, like the Hunger Games Trilogy, then this will be right up your alley. ~Mara