Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth

I love reading good Young Adult Literature, but it can be hard to come by. For every Hunger Games, there are 100 copycats that don't measure up. However, Veronica Roth manages to write a great dystopian series without getting too close to the Hunger Games trilogy. Right now only the first two novels are out: Divergent, followed by Insurgent. I've been recommending these books to my students ever since I finished reading them! Apparently a theatrical version is being filmed in Chicago this spring, so this series will only be getting more popular.

Divergent is narrated by Beatrice Prior, a teenager who lives in a futuristic, dystopian Chicago. It is clear that Roth has spent time in Chicago, as the sights she mentions are well-known to a Midwesterner like myself. In Beatrice's world, though, there are five factions around Chicago. Each has a different raison de'etre, including bravery, selflessness, peacefulness, happiness, and honesty. When Beatrice turns 16, she takes a test to determine which faction she most fits in with, but then she gets to choose which faction she wants to belong to. Her position isn't guaranteed - she has to pass initiation or else risk becoming factionless (like being homeless forever). Like in any dystopian society, things aren't always as they seem, and not everyone can get along. I don't want to spoil too much of the novel, so I will stop there. I also won't tell you anything about the companion novel Insurgent, since that would be a huge spoiler as well!

These books really pull you in - I was disappointed when I found out the third book was not out yet! Hopefully the movies will be of the same caliber. I'd recommend this series to anyone who likes Young Adult Literature and/or dystopian novels. You won't be disappointed! 9/10 for both novels.