One choice can transform you. The tagline for this book could not be truer. 
 I flew through this book. It sunk its claws into me and kept me reading late into the night. Tris' dystopian world is well defined and unfolds fluidly. As a reader, you have no trouble understanding the magnitude of the choice she faces and feeling a sense of dread as her initiation progresses. The novel has its fair share of fighting and violence and if THE HUNGER GAMES made you squeamish, this read likely will too. But to balance out the blood, strong friendships are formed and tested, and an unexpected (and surprisingly charming) romance springs up partway through the book. It is certainly not the primary plot point of Tris' tale, but you'll find yourself rooting for her nonetheless. 
 I think the most interesting thing about this book though, is the idea of a single choice transforming who you are. Can you truly commit yourself to one virtue and one alone for the rest of your life? Is it even possible to be just one thing? People are often shades of gray, and yet in Tris' world, citizens are expected to make a single choice and put that choice above all else, even their families. Faction before blood. It is a painful idea, one that Tris struggles with over the course of her initiation, and one that readers too will question alongside her. 
 Originally reviewed here