I was thoroughly impressed with this novel, and I can’t wait for the next book. I’m beyond eager to know what will happen next. Condie is a master at keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. I can tell I’m getting excited about a book when I start reading ahead. I caught myself doing that numerous times in this book. I had to slow down and remind myself not to skip pages because the next page looked exciting. I have no doubt this trilogy will release with a bang. I know I’ll be recommending it to others. I’ll also be picking up my own copy of the finished book when it comes out.

I’m eating up the dystopian trend that’s been set in the YA genre. I love strong characters who have true fighting spirit. There’s just nothing like watching someone stand up for what they believe in. This book is full of wonderful characters. There’s not really any weak links. Everyone tries to do what they believe in, in whatever way they can. Cassia is a really strong character and it will be awesome to watch her rebel in the next couple of books. Ky has a different and sneakier way of rebelling, but he has his strengths and he’s a very likable character. The two of them are amazing together. Even Xander surprises me with his “do the right thing” attitude. He takes one for the team, and I think he does so because it will be for the greater good. He’s got the spirit of a fighter in there somewhere. He’s not giving up his hopes yet. These three aren’t the only fighters in the story, but I think they’ll end up being important in the next couple of books.

The plot was wonderful. I was locked into the story. I couldn’t get enough of this book. There’s a good deal of suspense. It’s hard for them to predict how far they can take any rule-breaking. It’s hard to tell what the Officials can know or guess. I wasn’t sure about it being a series, so I thought the climax came a little late, at first. By the end, there was no question that there would be more books to come. I think, because of that, the climax came at the perfect point. The first book is definitely the one to leave us hanging on by a thread while things are spinning out of control. It’s the easiest way to keep readers interested in the rest of the series.

If there’s any complaint I would make, it’s that she didn’t really go into detail about Aberrations and Anomalies. I was hoping for Condie to explain what exactly they were and how they earned those labels. It’s probably the only part of the world I had questions about. I think she did a good job explaining everything else. She’s got me hooked. Now I’m ready for the next book.