Divergent by Veronica Roth

Genre: young adult dystopia

Beatrice, living in a future Chicago, has led a very calm and ordered life thus far. As a member of a faction that prides itself on selflessness, expectations for her actions are quite clear. On Choosing Day, when she decides which faction she will spend the rest of her life with, she knows that she should stay with her parents and her faction. It is certainly what's expected. The problem is - selflessness has never come easily for Beatrice. And she knows that picking a different faction will allow her to explore parts of her personality and experience ways of life that have never been possible. With her choice, Beatrice begins the most emotionally and physically exhausting journey of her life - one that will lead her into her worst fears, incredible pain, joy and even a political intrigue that will force her to decide how much she is willing to fight to feel in control of her own actions.

I was really looking forward to this one, maybe a little too much.  Don't get me wrong, it's definitely a page turner, but the dystopian world felt a tiny bit too contrived for me.  For some reason, I never fully connected with Beatrice, I had a hard time believing her capable of all she is able to do, even though I liked reading about it.  It's an interesting read, I did enjoy the romantic storyline.  One thing I also liked was how clearly the author demonstrates that courage and selflessness are two sides of the same coin.  Totally worth it if you enjoy the genre - but be aware that it is pretty violent.  I think I liked it enough to see what happens next, I just wasn't blown away.