What made me pick up this book was the cover. And an awesome cover it is I must say! I was at Barnes & Noble looking for something to satisfy this deep craving and need that was left inside me, pecking away at my brain after reading The Hunger Games! I like to call it my dystopian obsession :). I couldn’t get enough of these realistic fables of a future United States changed forever with new societies, culture & laws. Struggle, rebellion and survival of the fittest. I liked imagining what it could be like if these changes really did happen and how I would perform in such conditions. Divergent quickly satisfied this obsession, and I got to thank you Miss Roth!

    Set in a distant future, Chicago now made up of 5 Factions ( Faction- a group or clique within a larger group, party, government, organization or the like). They are Dauntless-(def:fearless, undaunted); Abnegation-(def:to refuse or deny oneself); Erudite- (def:learned or scholarly); Candor- (def:the state or quality of being frank, open and sincere in speech or expression); & Amity- (def:friendship, peaceful harmony). Each faction plays a role in this society. Our main characters name is Beatrice and was born and raised in Abnegation. Home of the selfless. Sadly Beatrice finds herself struggling being selfless. Beatrice is 16 and nervous about her upcoming “Choosing Ceremony”. Once you turn 16, no matter what faction you come from, you must take an aptitude test. Once the test is finished you are told based on your aptitude results what faction you belong to. Once you learn your results you are still given the freedom to choose which faction you would like to join. On average your test results end up most likely being that you belong to the faction you grew up in. Few and far between will choose a different faction then the one they are already so familiar with. To do so has been looked down upon in the past as if oneself is a traitor of sorts to their faction.

  My friend Beatrice here is a rare one indeed. Must run in her family because her brother chooses outside Abnegation as well. That’s besides the point..so let me get back on track..not only does Beatrice choose a faction that is not the home she grew up in and is so familiar with, but decides to choose the faction that is completely opposite of everything she has known and been taught - Dauntless. Dauntless! Where everyone dresses in black and is scaled with tattoos and body piercings. Dauntless- where you do not wait for the passing train to stop before boarding but take a running start and jump on board. Because that’s how dauntless do! Something Beatrice has watched other dauntless do many a times, and finds herself admiring their strength, glory and fearlessness. But what makes our Beatrice here rare is not her decision to join Dauntless, though this gives us a sense of where her mind is at, it is her aptitude test results. At first she thinks there must be a mistake. Divergent? What the heck is Divergent? She learns from the woman who performed the test on her that Divergent means that she does not belong to just 1 faction but 3. Beatrice figures it means much more then what she has been told but learns quickly from her instructors reaction that it can’t be good! These type of results are apparently unheard of and extremely dangerous. Her instructor recommends that Beatrice keep this information to herself, though they are told not to speak of their results once the test is completed anyways. This one must go to the grave and her instructor agrees to keep her secret as well.

  Once a faction is chosen you are sent off right away to your chosen new home and face the factions initiation. If you fail initiation you are labeled “faction-less” and nothing is worse then that, well other then being labeled divergent, but that’s Beatrice’s little secret for now. To be faction-less is to be nowhere, belong nowhere. A taboo in its self. This is not an option for Beatrice, now known as Tris. Once you join a new faction you are given the option to pick a new name. A new name for a new life. A new life, that is if you pass initiation which is no easy task in dauntless. 

   By joining Dauntless Tris realizes she will be facing more challenges (physically and mentally) then she ever has imagined, but she is determined to not fail! Through her process she learns of rumors going around about her former faction Abnegation. Rumors that she knows are untrue and can cause a big uproar if the record is not set straight. If these rumors are believed it could mean a lot of problems for her family and friends she has left behind in Abnegation. Something must be done!  But at the time being she has much more to worry about. Like staying alive and making it through initiation as well as keeping her secret label Divergent. Through this process she makes some friends, enemies and a potential love interest (oh yeah he’s a juicy character).  Most importantly she discovers herself and what she is capable of.  

   I really enjoyed this book! I found that Tris was really relatable. What young woman dosn’t struggle with her inner self and want to grow up making the right decisions on life? I especially loved that she isn’t your typical whining girl seeking help from others like most other YA books I have read. She is determined to face her fears head on and conquer them! No special powers needed, no using love as a motivator. Just her using her brain and saying “I can do this”. It doesn’t take just physical strength to overcome obstacles. If she can focus and put her anxieties aside she finds that she could end up doing very well in this faction. She learns that it doesn’t take large muscles to be fearless but takes bravery, determination and smarts. Indefinitely a great read and am very much looking forward to find out what happens next in book #2 Insurgent. Wish it was available already! Happy Reading & Happy Dreaming everybody!

    Wow! Where to start?! I guess I’ll start with the fact that this has been the 1st book by Mr. King that I have read, and I literally just read it(2012). After reading this AMAZING novel I ask myself “why is this the 1st SK book you have read and why didn’t you read this or any of his other books sooner???!!!” I honestly do not have an answer. My mother is the biggest SK fan I know and I grew up surrounded by his books due to her. She not only owns every book he has written but has each book in paperback and hardcover…paperback to read and let fall apart (because she is constantly re-reading them) and the hardcover for collection reasons - she loves his books that much! I can honestly say that after reading The Stand I truly believe that I will forever be a fan and am determined to read all of his others stories as well..and will be sure to enjoy them. Stephen King is simply put..INCREDIBLE! Is it weird to say that I feel like a changed person after reading this? Because that’s how I feel. I know I am maturing as a reader as well as a woman. So maybe I can answer my question on why? I just wasn’t mature enough. Didn’t have the patience or the time. Now it seems like there’s not enough time in the world for me to absorb his stories and that’s all I find myself wanting to do. I wish I could lock myself up for a month and get to reading! I feel like I’ve been missing out and want to catch up! Yep..this is what this book has done to me.

   I don’t want to give anything away for this story. I think everyone just needs to pick it up and read it! I really can’t imagine anyone not liking it. The characters are so realistic and relatable. The problems they face are as well. I guess the only way for me to express how great this book is and why you need to read it is to be forced to give you some idea what this book is about. 

  The story takes place in America, and I mean all over America. Not just one state but literally all over America. Okay? You got that? ALRIGHT… the adventure begins at a army base. A man comes rushing into his home in the middle of the night frantic. Waking up his wife telling her that she needs to pack herself and their child up right away. As in RIGHT NOW! No time for talk. Just need to pack and get the hell out. Of course she hesitates but does what she is told and they are off. Something has gone terribly wrong on base and by some miracle or grace of god this man was able to not only slip away from his post but sneak his family off base without ever being seen as well. This turns out to be no miracle in the long run, but a death sentence for the rest of America and elsewhere. Turns out the army base this man was stationed at was harboring multiple deadly viruses and unfortunately for mankind the worst virus of all was set loose thanks to the one man who managed to get out and slip through the cracks. Sadly he had no idea what was manifesting inside him and what that was is what people later started referring to as “Captain Trips”  also known as the super-flu. Imagine every type of flu out there all mixed up into one. Every time your body thinks its overcome the infection a new form of the flu hits, so quickly that the bodies defenses no longer can keep up and you eventually die chocking on your own flem or literally cooked from such a high fever. Yeah this is what this lovely escapee released into the country. Nice right? While on the run he slowly deteriorates from the virus. Eventually he ends up in Texas swerving all about the road and crashes into a gas station. Luckily a gentleman named Stuart whom is hanging out amongst friends playing cards and what not sees the truck drifting in their direction and is smart enough to turn off the gas pumps to prevent a bigger disaster then the already car crash heading towards him and his pals. This is where things begin. Stuart and his buds rush to help, because that’s what normal people do right? You see someone in trouble and do your best to help. And the chain effect begins.

  The virus starts its long journey throughout the country. Passed along to each person in contact with the next. The truck driver passes it to the men who try to help him including an EMS who shows up to the scene shortly after, they pass it along to a police officer who arrives later as well as family members they go home to and so on and so forth. Eventually this virus spreads thick through out the rest of America and even other parts of the world. People dieing left and right. No cure to be found. The government keeps quiet and says that a cure will be released soon and to not panic but the people know better. The dead are everywhere. It’s utter chaos. No control anymore. There are few left that seem to be immune, like my pal Stuart and many other characters you will meet along the way. To many to list but each and everyone of them have a story and play a very critical role on what’s to happen now that everyone else is dead. Each one sets out to find other survivors and eventually group up once they do. It seems they start sharing dreams as well. One dream is of a man they start to call “the Walking Dude” aka Randal Flagg and with this dream comes absolute fear and dread. The other is of a very old black woman aka Mother Abigail sitting abouts a field of corn playing her guitar. With this dream is the sensation of warmth, love & hope. Eventually these survivors realize that these dreams are more then just dreams but a message. A message to choose a side and set off to find these beings haunting their dreams every night. This is when things really get good!  Something big is happening, everyone can sense that. Though no one is for sure what is coming they know they must choose a side and join Randal Flagg or Mother Abigail. So the adventure begins. Good vs. Evil . What will happen to those who choose right and those who choose wrong? That’s not even the only challenges they face. Power is now out across the country because there’s no one to run the power plants. Food is spoiling. Cars jam pack the roads and highways from once sick people trying to flee cities and towns they lived in, in hopes to out run the virus. Then we also have roads & exits being blockaded from towns so the infected could not get in. Sadly it didn’t help. The virus still caught up to them and most died right there in their vehicles and blocked towns. Due to this major highways and streets are out of the question to travel on by car. Now forced to set out on foot or by motorbikes. Honestly there is so much more SK goes into. He covers every angle. It’s mind blowing. Almost makes you want to ask “Mr. King have you faced the end of the world or something because you describe it like you have experienced it yourself at sometime”. 

   What’s really scary is that something like this could possibly really happen one day. Who knows about the good vs. evil part? Only god really knows the answer to that one but the part with a virus being spread, wiping out mankind as we know. Now that could really happen, at least I think so. And there are sure to be a few amongst us that do survive. And then what? Read The Stand and get SK’s perspective of the “then what?” question. It’s one you’ll never forget I promise you that!

   My mother says this is her all time favorite book and after finally finishing it myself I see why! It has now become my favorite as well and I’m sure if you take the time to read it you will say the same. Happy Reading and Happy Dreaming to everyone out there!