The Top 10 Reasons to Read the Divergent Series!

With Allegiant out October 22nd, it is time to share why A and I love the Divergent series so much. Here are our top 10 reasons to drop whatever you are doing and become Veronica Roth's next biggest fan.

10. Dystopian is the New Black
There is something about a Young Adult dystopian novel that spells perfection. It bends our imaginations in such a way that the seemingly impossible is possible. I have read many dystopian novels, but there is something about this series that made me want to tape my eyes open just to finish another chapter as midnight passed. 

9. Faction Action
This series is incredibly action-packed! From start to finish each book will leave you running on adrenaline. The Dauntless faction is the best place for the main character Tris Prior because it is about being brave. It is about testing your limits. The rush that those in this faction feel, well, you feel it too.

8.Veronica Roth is the Bee's Knees
I was lucky enough to meet Veronica Roth at a book signing a couple of years ago. To be honest, at the time I didn't know too much about Roth. I knew she was young, and quite clearly talented, but not much more than that. During the questions period, Roth opened up about her own fears and how debilitating they can be. I knew then that Roth was a candid, authentic author that would build a loyal following of book lovers.

7. Control is Creepy
The factions in the Divergent series are really eerie in some ways. The whole idea that these characters are defined by this one trait, and controlled by a power greater than their own, can be quite haunting. The constant surveillance and restraint will leave you feeling uneasy.

6. Chi-Town Backdrop
Chicago is my favourite city on the planet so to have it as the backdrop in the Divergent series was most wonderful. Roth pulls together the scenes in her books with the landmarks that we know so well. The next time you are at Chicago's Navy Pier on the ferris wheel, or take a trip up the Hancock Tower, you will be filled with memories that aren't even yours.

5. Think Tank
Once in a while I like to read a book that doesn't make me think too hard. One that I can breeze through while lying on a beach somewhere. However then there are the other books that I go to sleep wondering about, and wake up with new questions. The Divergent series is definitely one of those. You will break down this new world that Roth has created and will uncover the roots of the society. You might think that Roth's fantasy, could one day be a reality.

4. Book Lovers Unite
The community of Divergent fans is a great reason to read this series. These are people you can tweet with, blog with, and gush over Four with. Most of all though, this book loving community will help ease the pain that it is only September, and that Allegiant doesn't hit shelves until October.

3. Hot Guy Alert
Four, oh, Four. Yes...there is a dreamy guy in this book, but he is nothing like the others that you have read about. He is not a sparkling vampire, or a brooding shadowhunter, he's HUMAN. I know, shocking! Four has a tough guy shell, but is breaking inside from the memories of his past. He is handsome and brave, he is loyal and loving. Are you swooning yet?

2. Kick Ass Lead
My 13 year-old sister started reading the Divergent series after I gushed to her about it for weeks. What made me want to recommend this book to her can be summed up in two words: Tris Prior. In a world of female "role models" that make me cringe, Tris is a breath of fresh air. Although fictional, Tris is the type of person that I would want my younger sister to look up to. Tris is smart, strong, passionate, and brave, but most of all she is herself. That's the real beauty of her character.

1. Be Brave!
The number one reason for reading this series is quite simple. It stems from a the message that Veronica Roth left in the copy of Divergent she signed that day: "Be brave!"
Simple, and to the point, but it carries so much weight. I hope that you read this series so that you can understand the importance of being uniquely YOU, and that that in itself is how to BE BRAVE.

The third book in the Divergent series, Allegiant, is on its way. Get those pages turning people! You need to catch up... :) To follow the buzz hop onto Twitter to follow the HarperCollins Canada Teen Book Team @HCCFRENZY and search #ALLEGIANT!

-C