Insurgent by Veronica Roth

For legions of The Hunger Games fans salivating for their next dystopian survival rations, the Divergent series offers toothsome fare. Insurgent, the sequel to the first book, plunges readers deeper into Tris Prior's brutal world, where the only certainty has been her love for Tobias, a fellow Dauntless Faction member. As all-out war looms, tough-as-nails Tris struggles with her divergent nature in the aftermath of a horrific attack that leaves her racked with doubt about everything she knows and cares for—even Tobias. Insurgent is unrelenting—a thrill ride, but emotionally intense as well—as Tris fights to save herself and the tough-tender boy who's been her sword and shield throughout, with society crumbling all around them. A caveat: Read Divergent first. Roth doesn't baby with backstory but drops readers straight into the narrative to sink or swim—just like her dauntless heroine.

Insurgent, Veronica Roth, $18.