Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Divergent series, Bk 3. HarperCollins, 2013. ISBN 9780007538027.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Science fiction. Dystopian fiction. Goodreads Choice for Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction (2013). Tris and Tobias finally have a chance to find a new life together when the faction based society they were living in is shattered by violence and power mongering. However the society that they find beyond the fence is even more distressing than the one they left behind and Tris and Tobias face even more dilemmas as they begin to learn the truth.
Allegiant does not stand alone and readers need to be familiar with what has happened in the previous two books to work out the motivations and backgrounds of the characters. Told in two voices, that of Tris and Tobias, the reader is immediately pushed into the action following Insurgent, book 2 of the trilogy.
It is impossible to write too much about the plot because it would spoil it for readers. It is sufficient to say that Roth pulls no punches in this dystopian society. People that the reader cares for die and Tris is faced with a terrible choice that will require all her courage.
The themes of bravery, loyalty, sacrifice, power and morality are all integral to the story and make this into a book that will linger in the mind long after it has been read. What is happening in the larger world that Tris and Tobias and their friends face is shocking for them and for the reader but Roth's powerful conclusion, amid violence and death, does make sense in a dystopian society.
This is one of the better dystopian series around and it will be interesting to see how it translates into film.
Pat Pledger