Divergent (1) - The Divergent Series by Veronica Roth
To the bestseller that changed my view of certain things. Divergent, by Veronica Roth (in German Die Bestimmung, in French Divergente). I read it in French (435 pages) and in English (487 pages). Age: 15 - Death (girls [& boys? depend])
Tris is a sixteen year old girl in Future Chicago, daughter of a political leader, faction: Abnegation. The party of the selfless. As every teenager of her age she has to choose her way of life, her family, her faction. Abnegation, Erudite, Candor, Amity or Dauntless? Selfless, Clever, Honest, Kind or Brave? Like every teenager of her age she chooses to stay with or abandon her family. Like every teenager of her age, she is tested. But unlike the others, her test is inconclusive. She is Divergent and to be Divergent is worse than to have no faction at all. Tris has to choose her life, Tris has to choose her world and most important of all, she has to stay alive. Because the joining a faction means passing initiation and this... has already cost so many lifes.
This book is fantastic. The characters, especially Natalie, Four, Al, Christina, Will and Tris - of course - are realistic like you and me, the world is fascinating, the different serums and how they work very nice explained and the plot breathtaking.
All in all I give this book five stars, one for characters, one for the plot, the ideas, style and last, but not least, one for the scientific research on brain patterns.