Book 114: "Divergent" by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent (Divergent Series #1)

Author: Veronica Roth

Read In:  Nook ePub

Genre: Young Adult Dystopia

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Divergent is set in the dystopic future ruins of Chicago. After many years of war, society came to the conclusion that the only way to be peaceful was to split society, and the people within, into four factions that best encompass what good values a society needs. These factions are Abegnation, Dauntless, Erudite, and Amity. The Abegnation are selfless, responsible for running the government (because they don't want power and are not corruptible), helping the poor, and generally being uniform with each other. The Dauntless are brave, responsible for protecting everyone else. The Erudite are educated, responsible for keeping records, experimentions, and generally just pursue knowledge in all its forms. The Amity are peaceful, responsible for farming and solving disputes. Over time, of course, this system has grown corrupt. The main character Tris and her family and friends must take down the new corruptions that are emerging. Basically, as always, destroy the corrupt government and make way for a better, free-thinking, version.

As is too often the case with a book as highly built-up as this series currently is, I found it...okay. It wasn't bad; it certainly wasn't great. The book is well-written, few errors, and no major plot holes. However, it is VERY predictable, almost insultingly so. The characters are what you expect in YA books these days, unrealistically aware, responsible, and angsty. The story is, however, a gripping, page-turner that keeps you reading. All of this combines to a create a book that is....okay. I will most likely read the rest of the series, since it is doing well and my curiosity on why usually wins out. That said, I'm really growing tired of the YA trend of teen takes down corrupt, dystopian government. It really is growing old very quickly and I will not be sad to see it go.