Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 03/01/2011 In the future, you are born into one of five factions, each of which has its strength and focus: Abnegation (service), Candor (truth), Erudite (intellect), Amity (friendship), or Dauntless (fearlessness). But on your sixteenth birthday, you can choose a new faction if you are so compelled, and that’s what happens to Tris, who shocks everyone by exchanging the drab gray robes of Abnegation for the piercing and tattoo stylings of Dauntless. What follows is a contest, where only the top 10 initiates are accepted into the final group. This framework of elimination provides the book with a built-in tension, as Tris and her new friends—and new enemies—go through a series of emotional and physical challenges akin to joining the marines. Roth is wisely merciless with her characters, though her larger world building is left fuzzy. (Is there a world beyond this dystopian version of Chicago?) The simplistic, color-coded world stretches credibility on occasion, but there is no doubt readers will respond to the gutsy action and romance of this umpteenth spin on Brave New World. - Copyright 2011 Booklist.

Bulletin for the Center... - 05/01/2011 In this dystopian adventure set in a future Chicago, citizens derive identity from belonging to one of five factions, and to be factionless makes you essentially invisible. Beatrice has grown up in Abnegation, but the test administered to all sixteen-year-olds reveals that she is actually a divergent, an extremely rare individual who doesn’t respond to the simulations as expected. She is told she could be Erudite, Dauntless, or Abnegation, but it takes Beatrice little time to decide that she belongs with the reckless, apparently fearless defenders of the community—the Dauntless. Once allied with her faction, Beatrice must grapple with her outsider status, some new romantic feelings, the risk to her life from both the initiation rites and those who fear her peculiar status, and her own uncertainty about the five-faction system as a realistic and productive way to shape the world. It’s a lot for one teen to soak in, especially as she’s finally found her niche when pursuing purely physical exertions and she’s tentatively bonding with friends she has clearly longed for her whole life. Beatrice has plenty of folks around her, however, who are aware that change comes through sacrifice, focus, and daring, and Roth wisely allows her protagonist to learn through their examples rather than making her the perfect heroine from the start. Beatrice is all the more likable for her faults, and the rather one-note side characters are acceptable as foils and guides to keep the reader focused on the girl who hopes to change the world. While dystopias are popping up all over right now, the depth and richness of Beatrice herself make this an accessible option for both sci-fi buffs and realistic fiction fans, lending this title a bit more flexibility than most in terms of audience. AS - Copyright 2011 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

School Library Journal - 06/01/2011 Gr 9 Up—In a future Chicago, the population is divided into five factions—Abnegation, Candor, Dauntless, Erudite, and Amity—each of which believes its opposite is the root of human evil. Sixteen-year-olds are tested for aptitude and must choose whether to remain in their birth faction or select another. They are aided in this selection by a simulation in which their decisions indicate which faction best suits them. Occasionally, though, the simulation indicates multiple choices. These individuals, known as Divergents, are perceived as threats by leaders who want members to behave and think in specific ways. Beatrice Prior is a Divergent, born into the selfless Abnegation faction but fascinated by the outrageous Dauntless. She chooses to become an initiate there and leaves her family behind, little knowing the challenges she will face. Despite her slight build and her meek upbringing, she must demonstrate her courage in physical combat and in simulations designed to present her with her deepest fears. Only 10 initiates will be accepted, and there are those willing to let cruelty take the place of courage. Beatrice comes to realize that another faction plots against Abnegation and that it may take a Divergent to save them. Roth paints her canvas with the same brush as Suzanne Collins. The plot, scenes, and characters are different but the colors are the same and just as rich. Fans of Collins, dystopias, and strong female characters will love this novel.—Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Library, Wisconsin Rapids, WI - Copyright 2011 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.