Divergent by Veronica Roth

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 threatens to unravel her seemingly-perfect society, she also learns that her secret might be what helps her save those she loves . . . or it might be what destroys her.

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Beatrice - Tris - has never fit in among the Abnegations. She certainly isn't as selfless as her brother. But to leave, to choose another faction.... it would mean leaving her family forever. So the decision to do so is an early clue that Tris is willing to take the harder path. And so she does. Her strength is amazing, especially given the brutal initation of her new faction.

I absolutely loved this book. The world has become a "perfect" place, in which five groups try to live the way they think is the best for world peace...but of course there are flaws, and the fact that you can only be one virtue is the least of them. Roth's future is well-developed, and her settings are vivid. In short, the writing is amazing.

And don't forget about the love interest. I'll keep it short, but since the summary doesn't tell you....there is a swoon-worthy love interest who steals the scene <3.

The Final Word: If this review doesn't sound like a rave, call it a rave now. This book is AMAZING and GRIPPING and INTENSE. If you could only read one debut this year, this may just be the one.