Jennifer S. (JenShaw) reviewed on 7/23/2013 + 12 more book reviews

Summary
The setting is the future city of Chicago. The city has been divided into 5 factions; The Candor faction values honesty, Abnegation values selflessness, Amity peacefulness, Erudite are the pursuers of knowledge and Dauntless are the brave. When children reach the age of 16 they must choose which faction they want to belong to. The tag line of the book is one choice can transform you. The story follows Beatrices transformation as she makes her choice. Beatrice goes through a series of tests that are designed to identify which faction would be the best fit. However, Beatrices results are inconclusive. She is divergent, having an affinity for more than one faction. Being divergent is dangerous and Beatrice is warned to keep this fact a secret for her own safety. Adolescences in hard enough without throwing in a grueling initiation process, new friends, enemies, a possible love interest, and all while having to hide who you really are.

Critical Analysis
This dystopian novel is a blending of fantasy and science fiction with a dash of realism thrown in creating the perfect recipe. Roth has developed characters that are stunningly real in this future world. Beatrices series of physical and emotional struggles are authentic. The initiation process adds a suspense to the story line and the romance is not overdone. One weakness is that the outside world is not fully developed. I was left wondering what was outside the citys fence.

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