Stories of a dystopian future have abounded in fiction for years. From The Time Machine to The Hunger Games, authors have created versions of the future. Some may be more bleak than others but all remain basically the same; humanity has somehow changed and it’s not always for the better.

Divergent by Veronica Roth is no different. The first book of the series by the same name, it is a look in to a future where your faction is your family.

We are introduced to Beatrice Prior, our title character, just before her Choosing Day. It is on this day where young adults choose their future path – they can choose to stay with the faction they were born in to or they can choose to join another. Joining another faction means severing ties with family and friends but for some the choice is worth the sacrifice. For Beatrice the choice is difficult as there are several different paths she can choose. When she does make her choice she sets in to motion events that change not only her but eventually the world around her.

For Beatrice, her choices cause her to change. Originally, she chafes at the structured routine in the faction she was born to. She wishes for more but has been taught to be selfless and the conflict is difficult. When she does join her new faction she finds the new found freedom both thrilling and terrifying. There are still rules but they are far different from what she is accustomed to. Watching her change and grow over the course of the few weeks of the stories’ timeline is an interesting transformation.

Personally, I really enjoyed Divergent. As a whole, the plot reminds me a good deal of The Hunger Games; a young woman making difficult choices and taking a path that many would not be brave enough to walk down, daring to stand up for what she thinks is right. The conflict between choosing what is best for one’s self and what is best for the whole and the eventual outcome.

There are two more books in the Divergent series, and in time I will be reading those as well. For fans of the whole dystopian future, or for those who like a good female protagonist, give this one a try. Like I said, it reminded me of The Hunger Games and I absolutely devoured those books. Perhaps, dear Reader, you will too.