The setting is a dystopian Chicago. At the age of sixteen, every teenager faces an aptitude test and a Choosing Ceremony, where they will make a choice that will affect the rest of their lives. They will chose one of the five factions as their own - Abnegation: The Selfless, Amity: The Peaceful, Candor: The Honest, Erudite: The Intelligent, or Dauntless: The Brave. Each faction has its own role, its own purpose, its own views and values.
Beatrice Prior has grown up amongst the Abnegation, but has always felt like she doesn't quite fit in. On the day of her aptitude test, Beatrice learns that her test results are inconclusive, that she is a Divergent. Being a Divergent is a dangerous thing - it means that you don't fit into one of the prescribed molds, that you are considered a danger by some of those in power. Beatrice knows that she can never reveal the fact that she is a Divergent to anyone and that she must now make the difficult decision of which faction to join without the help of her aptitude test results.
When Beatrice chooses to join the Dauntless, she becomes "Tris" and faces numerous physical, emotional, and mental challenges as she struggles with her fellow initiates to make it through Dauntless' initiation. She will have to learn to defend herself, who to trust, and come to rely on strength she never knew she had. Tris will also find herself trying to navigate a growing romantic connection with one of her instructors, Tobias, a.k.a. "Four." Through her training, Tris will discover that being a Divergent is both a blessing and a danger.
When the world as she knows it becomes threatened by escalating tensions between factions, resulting in Erudite launching an attack on Tris' home faction of Abnegation, Tris finds herself facing new fears, new losses and an uncertain future.
Book 1.5: Free Four
This is a little teaser that tells the knife throwing scene from Tobias' (Four's) perspective. It's really short and gives us a little glimpse into his head. It doesn't really add anything to the overall series, but it only costs $0.89. You can take or leave this one.
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Book 2: Insurgent
The factions are falling apart and the conflict is quickly escalating towards out and out war. The Erudite are more determined than ever to find a way to control the Divergent and will stop at nothing to accomplish their goal. Tris, racked by guilt and grief, finds herself struggling to hold on to herself. When Dauntless decides to launch an offensive against Erudite, Tris' instincts tell her something isn't right.
Determined to find out the truth, the secret her parents sacrificed their lives for, Tris finds herself trusting people she never thought she would and betraying those who mean everything to her. She will learn that all actions have consequences and that the life she seemed so willing to throw away is really worth fighting for. When all the secrets are finally revealed, the world as Tris knows it will never be the same.
Determined to find out the truth, the secret her parents sacrificed their lives for, Tris finds herself trusting people she never thought she would and betraying those who mean everything to her. She will learn that all actions have consequences and that the life she seemed so willing to throw away is really worth fighting for. When all the secrets are finally revealed, the world as Tris knows it will never be the same.
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This series is fantastic! I was hooked from the very first chapter and couldn't put it down. The story is incredibly creative and the characters suck you into this world created by Veronica. I love Tris - she is such a multifaceted and well developed character. Tobias is the perfect male lead and for once there is no love triangle! Don't get me wrong...I love a well executed love triangle, but it was refreshing to not have to deal with one. I loved how Tris and Tobias' relationship develops, especially in the second book. Neither of them is the type of person who can easily trust, and to watch them break down each other's walls was gratifying to the romantic in me. There is plenty of action and twists and turns, which kept the books exciting, even without the usual triangle drama. The cliffhanger at the end of book two has me impatiently awaiting the third installment, which will be released around my birthday in October!! I am also really excited to see how this series will translate into film. I'm thinking it will be another huge success. I just hope they don't deviate too far from the books.
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Coming soon...
A series of four short stories told from Four's perspective - starting with The Transfer: A Divergent Story - expected release date September 2013
Book Three: Allegiant - expected release date October 2013
Film version of Divergent - expected release March 2014
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