The US as we know it is long gone. The world has now split into 5 different fractions based on belief; Abnegation (the selfless), Erudite (the intelligent), Candor (the honest), Amity (the peaceful), and Dauntless (the brave). Beatrice and her family belong to Abnegation, but that could change. At 16 every member of society takes an aptitude to determine what fraction they should join. On choosing day every 16 year old can change fractions, but if they do, they will never see their families again. “Fraction Before Blood” is the slogan of this new society. But what fraction should Beatrice join? When Beatrice takes the aptitude test, she gets results she has never heard of before. Her test results must be deleted to protect her life; she is compatible to three fractions and is divergent. Beatrice is confused and has no idea what being divergent means, but she has been warned not to tell anyone.

When Beatrice is forced to pick a fraction on choosing day, she bravely leaves her family and is thrust into the scary world of Dauntless initiation. In order to survive initiation, Beatrice/Tris must fight her fellow initiates, face her darkest fears, and evade constant thought that she made the wrong choice. As Tris struggles to survive, she finds secrets that explain why her society is so divided in a twist ending you’ll never see coming.

Divergent is a slow read at first, but really pulls you into the action packed story line as it progresses. Minus the love triangle and mysterious plants, Divergent is very similar to the Hunger Games, and any fan is guaranteed to get hooked. While both series have are set in destroyed US societies and fractions, Divergent deals a lot more with more mind control than constant survival and is much less bloody than the Hunger Games. I give Divergent 4 out of 5 stars because of the captivating story line and twist ending that will make you want to read the sequel Insurgent.