I started the book in pure confusion, as Divergent does not give away anything in its back summary. It leaves readers on their own, wondering what they should expect. Here are the basic need-to-know: Life as we know it is over and the extent of the rest of the world has been split up into five factions.

The Erudite group thrives on knowledge, believing that ignorance is the biggest sin. Dauntless members are bold and reckless, blaming humankind’s downfall on weakness. People from Amity are passive, turning towards peace rather than conflict. The Candor faction is brutally truthful, claiming that deception ruins the world. The Abnegation sector follows a dull and giving lifestyle of selflessness.

Sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior and her older brother, both born into Abnegation, are old enough to take a test to decide which faction they will be initiated into. But the choice is not as easy as you may think — it will come to define their faith, will, way of life, and future.

Beatrice is torn between her duties to her Abnegation family and her true desire for adventure. But something goes wrong and Beatrice’s results come up inconclusive. She discovers the power she holds when her final decision ends up putting her own life in danger and begins to tear apart the foundation of the community. When everything starts to crumble, the secrets of their society being to unravel faster than anyone can keep up with.

It is nearly impossible to argue that Divergent is not a fun, edge-of-your-seat read. It is easy to get submerged in, effortless to remain engaged in, and impossible not to enjoy even the slightest bit. But the simplicity of the novel is also in a way deceiving; Veronica Roth hides the true power of the novel with a thrilling romance and non-stop fast paced action that is continued into the two sequels that complete the trilogy.