I thought the choice of making the main character a loyalist to the oppressive government was such an interesting one. The main character is neither unlikable or likable, you root for her but you cannot help but to remember her support of atrocities. As she was still a minor when this happened, the lines are blurred. 

I think the book excels in never trying to make you forgive her. There are not attempts to justify her past actions and even when she makes righteous choices, she is not given true redemption. The book is a mystery, more than a journey of growth. Her past is reckoned with, but the understanding that she was a villain is not glossed over. 

This was my first Veronica Roth read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.