Teens Only | Divergent

So I just looked up the definition of divergent: (1) Drawing apart from a common point; diverging.(2) Departing from convention. (3) Differing from another; a divergent opinion. (Source: www.thefreedictionary.com)

Aha. Now I get it.

Oh, you might be wondering why I would look up the definition of this word. Last week I ran into three of my favorite young readers -- Q, Z, and J. Each of them were terribly excited to get their hands on the next book in the new series by Veronica Roth.

The first book, as you have probably guessed by now, is Divergent. It's the story of a dystopian society divided into 5 factions, each devoted to the cultivation of a particular virtue: honesty, selflessness, bravery, peacefulness, and intelligence. There comes a day each year when every 16-year-old must choose which faction to dedicate the rest of his/her life. There is a simulation which helps these teens select the faction which best suits them, but sometimes the simulation results in multiple choices. These "multiple choice-ers" are called divergents. And you can bet the leaders of each faction are not too happy with the divergents, since the leaders want people to act and think their way.

Ok, ok. I'm convinced. I'm going to read this first book and then put a hold on the next in the series: Insurgent. I do love books about dystopian societies. (There it is for the second time in this blog -- dystopian. I went back to that ever useful website freedictionary.com and looked up dystopia: An imaginary place or state in which the condition of life is extremely bad, as from deprivation, oppression, or terror.) Oh I'm definitely going to read these books! I'm hoping you will too!

Just the other day my colleague Lori blogged about book recommendations, and how we library people really do pay attention to what our customers are reading -- and recommending! Read Lori's blog here. 

If you're reading this, I know you're not just a reader of blogs, but a reader of books! Do you recommend your favorite books to your friends? Do you read books your friends recommend to you? I do! I do both! And I want to hear your recommendations as well. And I will read them. I promise, promise, promise.

After all....to quote Thomas Jefferson: "I cannot live without books."

So true.

Happy reading. And happy sharing your favorite books with others!