Divergent by Veronica Roth

Now that the whole series has been published I finally got the chance to read the books. My cousin had already bought the complete trilogy box set from Target and after he finished the series he was going to just toss the books in the garbage. I, mind you, freaked out when he told me this and I told him to give the books to me, (seriously what was wrong with him for wanting to toss out books). Now that I finally have them I wanted to read the whole series straight through. 

First off let me just say that every time I would go into the Barnes and Noble there would be at least two tables filled with the books (snubbing all the new authors) without this book getting the royalty treatment. People on social media have been talking about it forever, movie rights, etc so I wanted to see what the fuss was about that people were constantly talking about the book.

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, 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 alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating 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 unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

In Beatrice's dystopian Chicago everyone is divided into five factions based on their virtues: Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). Tris was born into Abnegation, so she's expected to pledge Abnegation... but deep down she has always had an affinity for the Dauntless and so must make a choice between family loyalty and personal identity.

The author wrote the book when she was in college, and judging by the publication date of 2011 I'm guessing she wrote the book just after reading The Hunger Games. It felt pretty similar to Harry Potter with the dividing of houses based on personality, and The Hunger Games with the dividing of the districts. I liked the idea, but the book being over 500 pages was a bit too much. Some parts tended to be pretty bland. I liked how Tris was fearless very much like Katniss.The Hunger Games and Delirium will always be my favorite dystopian books. 

If you're a hardcore dystopian fan you'll enjoy this book, but personally I think the story is really good but not worth all the hype.