Divergent

by:  Veronica Roth

published by: Katherine Tegen Books

publish date:  May 2011

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.

Whenever I do my top 10 of 2011 this book will be firmly at the top.  I'm quite sure of it.  I'm a huge fan of dystopian and I LOVED this book.  This book is the very definition of action packed.  I half listened to the audiobook and finished it by reading the actual book, weird huh?  The audiobook reader, Emma Galvin, was a great choice.  There were times I didn't want to get out of the car and go inside because so much was going on, I didn't want to stop listening to it.   

Veronica Roth, for those of you who don't know, is in her early twenties.  What an accomplishment to have written such a fantastic book at such a young age.  I would say I'm jealous, but I'm not, I'm in awe and hats off to such talent.  I'm really excited that she's going to be at ALA in New Orleans this year because I'm going and I'm going to make sure I get my ARC of Divergent signed!

I will definitely be looking forward to more from Ms. Roth and reading the rest of the Divergent books.  I have expressed my distaste for the YA trilogies in the past, but I'm making an exception for this one  :)