Divergent by Veronica Roth

487 pages

"In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, 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 to determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves...or it might destroy her." -Dust Jacket

This is my third time reading this book. I read it last year and then read it again right away, and after just reading a sequel to a book I hadn't read for a year I decided that I would skim through this one again so it's fresh on my mind before the sequel arrives on my doorstep within the next few days. I love this book more and more each time I read it. It might just be my all-time favorite dystopian novel. Sorry, Hunger Games. I love the premise of it and the way the story develops. I love that this story does not involve a love triangle like every other YA book. I love the relationship Tris and Four have. (I still can't call him Tobias.) I think this is one of the smarter dystopian stories and after reading several reviews on Amazon for Insurgent  it's apparently about to get even smarter. It sounds like Tris is going to experience some PTSD which, after what she's been through in Divergent, makes sense, I just hope she doesn't wallow in it like Katniss did. I can't wait!