By Veronica Roth
My Rating: ★★★
"There is one mirror in my house."
My Review: Choosing to read this book right after Under the Never Sky I can't help but to compare them. Unfortunately, I liked Veronica Rossi's book better. Possibly because the romance aspect wasn't until the very end of the book as opposed to this book which had it present from the middle to the end.
However, the concept of 5 factions that each adhere to one purpose/goal and nothing more reminds me of a book I started (and intend to finish this month) called Agenda 21. It's the idea that a small government controls the masses. In the case of this book it is Abnegation that decides the laws of the other factions. It makes sense that they are chosen to do so above the others because they are selfless to a fault. Because of their selfless nature they are most able to know what's best for everyone. The story of this unknown world/time is told through the eyes of Beatrice (Tris). She is at the age where deciding which faction she wants to live in for the rest of her life. You only get one choice and no one is allowed to help you once the decision process is made. There is one helpful tool used, and it's a form of hallucination that puts it's subject in a particular set of situations. The choices each individual makes serves as a guideline to determine which faction they are best suited for. Beatrice originates from Abnegation. It is expected that the children should remain where they are born and bred but that doesn't occasionally that doesn't happen. If a child should choose to separate from the life they were brought up in with their family it doesn't appear favorably for the parents or that faction.
Needless to say Beatrice's results are "inconclusive" meaning she is an unspeakable and dangerous word; divergent. Hence the title of the book. Someone who is divergent is someone who is capable of being more than one faction, having more than purpose in life. This is unacceptable to the leaders of each faction because this means that person cannot be controlled. And having control over the actions and behaviors of others is power. She mustn't tell ANYONE that she is divergent or she will be killed.
In the meantime, she chooses to leave Abnegation and join Dauntless. They are the brave and courageous faction who's sole purpose is to protect and defend the land they inhabit from unknown outsiders. I like to think of them as the military arm of the 5 factions.
Here is a quick list of the factions:
Abnegation - selfless
Dauntless - brave
Erudite - intelligent
Amity - peaceful
Candor - honest
Dauntless - brave
Erudite - intelligent
Amity - peaceful
Candor - honest
If I had to choose which one I'd be best suited for I think I would choose Erudite. I love to read and I find wealth and power in knowledge. Although, I like Four (Tobias') answer to Tris that he tries to be a little of all 5 in his daily life when explaining why he has all 5 faction symbols tattooed on his back.
This book leads up to the great fight that will surely be going on in the second book. It turns out the Erudite faction is trying to start up a revolution, using Dauntless as their weapon, to remove Abnegation as the sole rulers and allow everyone to have a say. As most corrupt governments go, this reminds me of another story, Animal Farm, where when the animals take over all it does is put a new breed in charge. I predict something similar happening here. The Erudite start out with a good plan of giving equal voice to all factions but they will just as quickly decide to simply be the new rulers of the others.
Great idea and great story. I'd just prefer this all to happen without the need for a love story. But this is a young adult book so I should expect that by now.
Oh, and one last thing. I did find it a bit hard to handle all the significant deaths that happen in like the last 50 pages of the story. I'm sure they serve a later purpose but still, it was a bit too much for me.
Summary: In a future Chicago, sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.
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