4.5 Stars. (or bookmarks?) 
 Wow- that was seriously amazing! I hate myself for not reading this book sooner. 
 "The reason for the simplicity isn't disdain for uniqueness, as the other factions have sometimes interpreted it. Everything--our houses, our clothes, our hairstyles--is meant to help us forget ourselves and to protect us from vanity, greed, and envy, which are just forms of selfishness. If we have little, and want for little, and we are all equal, we envy no one. 
 I try to love it." 
 - Beatrice "Tris" Prior 
 Summary: 
 Divergent is an action thriller set in a dystopian Chicago society. The people are divided into 5 factions and each faction has one virtue they value: 
 Erudite = knowledge 
 Candor = truth 
 Dauntless = courage 
 Amity = peace 
 Abnegation = selflessness 
 These factions have different roles in the society and the manner how a person falls into a faction is through the Choosing Ceremony. 16-year old faction dependents are given the right to choose which group they want to be in, but before that, they are subjected to an aptitude test. The said test will measure one's compatibility to a certain faction with the use of a simulation test. This however will not affect their choices. Beatrice Prior just turned 16, she and her brother are about to take the aptitude test. She loves her family and tried her hardest to embrace the virtue her faction valued. However, Beatrice felt that she doesn't belong to Abnegation at all. She's not as kind as her brother and she felt like selflessness doesn't flow through her naturally. After her aptitude test, Beatrice found out that she's different than everyone else. She needs to trust no one but herself and listen to her heart's desire... will she stay or will she transfer? 
 Review: 
 I have this book for almost a year now but I haven't read it immediately because I planned to wait for the series to be completed before reading it. However, when Insurgent won the GR Choice Awards for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction last year, I decided to add it on my TBR for 2013. When an opportunity for a buddy read presented in our group (YA Buddy Readers' Corner), I joined in and the book did not disappoint. 
 I enjoyed Divergent and I will definitely read Insurgent as soon as I can. I liked the society Roth created--- It's as if she's retelling history! When I read about the factions, the first story that came to my mind was that of India's caste system--- yep, not Harry Potter, not Hunger Games, but India's history. I know, I'm such a geek! BUT if you compare the factions to the Varnas, it's very similar! Plus, Roth also made her own version of Untouchables--- the factionless people. The only difference I saw was the Choosing Ceremony. If I remember correctly, a person's caste in India is determined by birth. Anyway, I loved the diverse topics presented in this book--- there's politics, societal issues, moral conflicts and so on. The topics combined with a beautiful writing style made the story very realistic... read full review here. 
 I wrote this review for Fiction Snoop. Thanks Greta and Jalyn for inviting me as a guest book reviewer on your blog!