Divergent

Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Pages: 490
Rating: êêêê

Beatrice Prior grows up in a divided world. People are split into factions depending on their personalities. Abnegation values selflessness, Amity values peacefulness, Candor values honesty, Erudite value intelligence and Dauntless value bravery. This is suppose to prevent war from breaking out. 

Each year the students aged sixteen take an aptitude test to see which faction they are best suited to. The aptitude test involves being put under a simulation in which the individual is put into different situations, sometimes life-threatening, in order to see how the respond which will show faction they will be best suited to.

At the Choosing Ceremony the individuals then choose their faction, this is usually based on their results from the aptitude test, however, they can choose which ever faction they would like. Beatrice struggles to pick a faction, her aptitude test results show she is Divergent, which means she has a personality suited to more than one faction. She must decide whether she should stay with her family in Abnegation or whether she should choose another faction where she feels she will belong more. This decision is made even harder when, to everyone's surprise, her brother chooses Erudite over Abnegation. However, Beatrice knows she can't stay in Abnegation and chooses Dauntless.

As soon as the ceremony is over she must begin the initiation process, and being in Dauntless now, this involves jumping onto moving trains, falling from great heights and trying not to die. This is when she creates a new identity for herself and is known as Tris. Training begins the next day and the initiates are taught to fight, use weapons and to be Dauntless. And to make this initiation even harder, only the top ten can stay in Dauntless, and this includes the individuals originally from Dauntless, who are much more prepared for this than anyone else.

The second part of initiation involves being put under a simulation that induces fear. The individual has to find a way to fight their fears or to relax enough in order for the simulation to be stopped. Tris is Divergent which means she is able to control her simulations, this makes it much easier for her to beat her fears, and she becomes top in her group. 

However, before her initiation is even over her world is under attack. The Erudite have started a war against Abnegation and using Dauntless soldiers under simulation she kills all of the Abnegation leaders. However, being Divergent, Tris manages to escape to a safe house along with Four, also known as Tobias, and they forge a plan to stop the simulation and stop Jeanine Matthews.

This was a really good book, and I couldn't put it down most of the time. I loved reading about how she adjusted to Dauntless life after coming from almost the complete opposite faction. I also liked reading about other initiates like Christina, who came from Candor, and how she adjusted to Dauntless life. The story was very exciting and fast-paced after the Choosing Ceremony and it matched the style of the Dauntless. There were also quite a few plot twists that were as amazing as they were surprising. This is definitely a book that I would recommend.