Divergent

Set in dystopian Chicago, members of the five factions (Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless, and Erudite) are trying to avoid the violent conflicts that have always plagued human society. At sixteen, each person must choose which faction they belong to. This is where we find our protagonist Beatrice Prior. She must choose her faction, and make it through the initiation phase, or become factionless. The factionless live on the edge of society, poor and outcast.

I started reading this series because it has recently received some controversial attention. I was curious to see what was stirring up such strong emotions in people. Unfortunately, the controversial part was focused on the last book in the trilogy that just released, so I will have to wait until I get that far in the series to satisfy my curiosity.

Divergent focuses on the initiation of Beatrice into her chosen faction. There is some suspense as you wait to se if she will survive the tests. I thought it was an easy and entertaining read. It is a coming of age story about self discovery while trying to do your part for society. I am hoping that the second and third book give more details about the world, and how their insular society truly survives in relation to the rest of the world. The first book caught my attention, and now I have to see if the story delivers in the second and third book.