Bookanistas: Divergent by Veronica Roth

From Goodreads:

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 been 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.

From me:

If you're a fan of YA books then you've probably heard of DIVERGENT. The blogosphere has been buzzing about this dystopian for some time.

Part of the buzz comes from the comparisons that are being made to THE HUNGER GAMES. Having read DIVERGENT, I can understand why. It is like THG in all of the best ways. It's a dystopian that takes place in a complex, dark and fascinating world. It features a strong female protagonist who can K some A. And the plot moves at a pulse-pounding, relentless pace. Beyond that, DIVERGENT stands on its own very nimble and daring feet.

Other favorite aspects:

There's a terrific love story that features into the plot more substantially than I had anticipated. Being a romantic, I was happily surprised.

And I feel compelled to praise Roth's prose in particular. I didn't expect it to be poor, but I also didn't expect it to be stellar, either. And stellar it is. More than once I found myself turning pages just to read the WRITING. There are beautiful, beautiful words and ideas in this book. I almost felt like I should be reading with a highlighter. Seriously. It's written that. good.

This one's earning a spot on the shelf for sure.

In summary: READ IT. I can just about guarantee you'll love it.

And check out what the rest of the Bookanistas are reading:

• Shelli Johannes-Wells gives us THE ROYAL TREATMENT
• Elana Johnson hosts a blog tour stop for 101 SUCCESS SECRETS FOR GIFTED KIDS with a giveaway
• Shannon Messenger adores THE DAY BEFORE plus a giveaway
• Carolina Valdez Miller is passionate about POSSESSION and gives away an ARC
• Beth Revis shares some SOLSTICE cover love
• Lisa and Laura Roecker and Stasia Ward Kehoe marvel over MOONGLASS
• Megan Miranda and Veronica Rossi delve into DIVERGENT
• Shana Silver shows her desire for DEMONGLASS
• Carrie Harris is PUTTING MAKEUP ON DEAD PEOPLE
• Sarah Frances Hardy wants to be just LIKE MANDARIN