Good Beginnings

I've just started reading Divergent by Veronica Roth which is about a society split into multiple factions, Abnegation-the selflessness, Erudite-the intelligent, Dauntless-the brave, Amity-the peaceful, and Candor-the honest. Each faction lives by their own code and morals and once you are 16 years old you have to choose what faction to join, you can stay in your families or change entirely. The book starts off by describing the main character Beatrice Prior, but the author does so in a very unique way which I have not seen before. Beatrice was born into Abnegation and they only allow you to look in a mirror once a month, so its starts by off with "I sneak a look at my reflection when she isn't paying attention-not for the sake of vanity, but out of curiosity...In the reflection, I see a narrow face, wide, round eyes, and a long, thin nose-I still look like a little girl, though sometime in the last few months I turned 16" (Divergent page 2). This is a very good vivid description of her and it is done in a way where she doesn't just flat out say, Beatrice has a narrow face, wide round eyes, etc.

The story takes place in a modern day world with the exception of a few futuristic things. "The building that was once called Sears Tower-we call it the Hub-emerges from the fog, a black pillar in the skyline" (page 4). "Like all the other buildings around it, it is made up of glass and steel" The author describes a modern day city and things that we have today such as paintball guns, trains and normal schools. There are however some things that are more futuristic. "Then she passes me a vial of clear liquid"(Page 13). The liquid is a hallucinogen serum and if makes you feel like your in a very real dream but they can watch whats going on from a computer screen. One giant wall encompasses all the factions and is defended by the Dauntless but no one actually knows what they are being defended from, or what is outside of the walls.