Today has been wonderfully relaxing. Ryan and I have had a lot going on lately and many big decisions were made this weekend that have been mentally draining. (Stay tuned for a big announcement on the blog this week!) It felt great to just kick back, enjoy the sunshine in our backyard and read our book together.
We actually ended up finishing the book today!
I would highly, highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed The Hunger Games, or to readers who gravitate toward suspenseful books that make you think. I love trying to predict twists and turns in books, and Divergent had plenty of twists to keep me entertained.
The book takes place in futuristic Chicago (thought there aren’t flying saucers or anything weird) where society has divided itself into five distinct factions based on strong personality traits such as selflessness, honesty and bravery. Every 16-year-old in the society must choose a faction to join on Choosing Day where they will remain forever (with or without their family).
The heroine of the novel, Tris, is likable and strong yet vulnerable and flawed, in an endearing and wonderful way. She struggles with choosing a faction and throughout the book discovers flaws within the society as a whole. Romantic interests, friendships and rivalries form, making the book more than just action-packed. Ryan and I read this book together as we did with The Hunger Games and it appealed to both of us and had us both wanting to read more. It’s a definite page-turner and a fast, easy read. A perfect summertime book! Though we didn’t realize it when we started reading Divergent, it is the first in a series of books, only the others are not published yet. Now we’re both feeling anxious, waiting for the next one in the series to come out in the summer of 2012!
Other PBF book reviews:
- The Art of Racing in the Rain
- Water for Elephants
- The Hunger Games Series
- The Help (<—A must read!)
And now we need another book!
Dinner
Dinner tonight was easy and delicious. Something about the Fourth of July screams grillin’ and BBQ pulled pork and since we did the whole BBQ thing yesterday, crock pot pulled pork won out this evening!
Served with roasted green beans and Bush’s baked beans (love these!), this meal reminded me of summertime dinners outside with my family.
Time for dessert! 
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I’ve never roasted green beans before, but I love pretty much all other veggies roasted. I might have to give that a try soon!
I enjoyed the Hunger Games, but I don’t know…this one sounds too similar. Does it feel like deja vu at all?
I think I’ll wait to read it until at least one more book comes out. I’m so glad I didn’t start reading the HG until all of the books were out!
I might eventually get Divergent at the library but for now …I don’t think I can start any new series. I read books in a couple hours so I waiting for book 2 for an entire year won’t fly with me.
On another note, I don’t know if Ryan would like this but there is this great book by Lauren Oliver called Before I Fall. It’s sort of described as Groundhog Day meets Mean Girls and it really makes you think (it was my 4th of July read)!
I’ve got “The Art of Racing in the Rain” on my “to-read” list! You need to read “Heaven is for Real”!! I just read it in two days! Next up I’m starting “The Help”!
Thanks for the book recommendation. I loved the HG series, so this is now on my to-read list. If you like this kind of book, you should try out the Longest Walk by Stephen King’s alter ego. It’s a quick read and full of suspense. It also motivated me to have some great workouts while reading it!
I loved The Hunger Games, so I just bought Divergent last night after reading your recommendation. I can’t wait to start it!
I just finished Divergent and I LOVED it. Also a big fan of The Hunger Games. Even though I’m an adult, I heart YA fiction.
The Divergent series is awesome! I think I liked it better than Hunger Games? Maybe? I heard the third book is coming out Fall 2012!
Just finished this book and it was awesome! I couldn’t put it down. I plan to read Insurgent now. I hope it’s just as good as the first.
Thank you so much for recommending this book! I love it so much and can’t wait for the new one to come out!!
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