Young Adult is a tricky genre because the of the age range. Opinions vary, but generally YA fiction is intended for individuals between the ages of 14-30. Fourteen-year-olds have different needs than thirty year olds in their fiction. So, you come across these brilliant ideas, but they're written for a younger bracket of that age group, which leaves a lot of the older brackets shrugging.

Condie did a great job with balancing both sides of this vast age range. It's not easy to find quality YA books that fit both the needs of a fourteen-year-old and a thirty-year-old, but Condie does a fairly good job (I'm 26 if that makes a difference). It's still a light read and it goes slow in some places, good for the younger people of that age group. However, the idea is captivating for all audiences that like books based on post-apocalyptic societies. It's not an action-packed book, but the world that Condie creates makes it worth the read by itself.

This book is about rebellion and opening your eyes to the world around you, refusing to be blinded because people higher up are believed to be right. It's about questioning things and thinking with your own brain. In a post-end-of-the-world scenario, The Society made decisions to make things "ideal," but taking away the right for people to make their own choices. Individuals are okay with this because they'd rather be directed safely than watch their world crumble around them because they made the wrong decisions. The Society took away the decisions they would have to make.

The characters are well developed and I can picture them each distinctly in my mind, each with their own physical characteristics and personalities, complete with quirks. The setting is brilliantly designed and vivid. The plot has a clear arc and many twists and turns. Condie's word choice is amazing and her descriptions allow clear representations in the readers' mind's eye. The only thing I fuss about is the ending. I don't want to spoil anything, but I do not like how open-ended the conclusion of this story is. It's obviously setting up for a sequel, but the book should have closed this part of the story more elegantly.

I would recommend this book for middle schoolers and up. There isn't cursing in it (that I could remember) and no adult themes. As for tastes and interests, it's a lighter read with romance being at a for-front, but not the whole plot. Anyone that craves a different way of living (without the twist of the fantasy genre - there are no dragons in this book) and likes to read some light teen-friendly romance would enjoy this book.