Divergent

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 be what helps her save those she loves . . . or it might be what destroys her.

Veronica Roth graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in creative writing. While she was a student, she often chose to work on the story that would become Divergent instead of doing her homework. It was indeed a transforming choice. Now a full-time writer, Ms Roth lives near Chicago. Her first novel, Divergent, was published by HarperCollins Children's Books in 2011 and the sequel Insurgent was published in 2012.

Divergent
Harper Collins Australia
Author: Veronica Roth
ISBN: 9780007420438
RRP: $17.99

Review: Absolutely captivating series for a broad range of readers.  Suitable for 10 - 60+