Title: Allegiant
Series: Divergent #3
Author: Veronica Roth
Genre: Dystopian
Warning: This book is third in a series, so this review will probably contain spoilers of the first two books, Divergent and Insurgent.
Back Cover:
The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.
But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.
Review:
I wasn’t a massive fan of Divergent or Insurgent, but the plot was exciting enough to entice me to pick up Allegiant. I didn’t even bother to read the back cover, just dove in.
I somewhat-kinda-usually-mostly liked Tris. At times she was fun, or daring, or impulsive, or caring. But at other times she was so emotional – miserable or confused or furious. The latter happened much more often than the former, and I liked the former better.
Tobias was pretty bland. That’s really the only way I can think to describe him. I didn’t hate him. I didn’t love him. And honestly, I didn’t care about him. He just felt flat. I mean, he wasn’t a cardboard character – he had emotions and facets to his personality – but he didn’t jump off the page like some characters do.
Part of why I wasn’t a huge fan of the characters this time around is because there was way too much grief and angst going around. This book killed off more characters than the other two (which is saying something) and I think that messed with the surviving characters so much I just got bored.
Tris and Tobias alternated narrating this book, and honestly, I wasn’t a big fan of it. Their voices were frustratingly similar, and I couldn’t put it down in the middle of one of Tobias’s chapters because I’d get hopelessly confused when I picked it up again and thought I was hearing from Tris. After finishing the book, I can understand why they both narrated. I just didn’t like it.
The plot felt like an end-of-series plot – in a good way. A lot of stuff was revealed pretty quickly. It was interesting to discover, because it really wasn’t what I was expecting at all. (Veronica Roth has the unique idea thing down.) And since most of the big reveals are pretty early in the story, I shouldn’t say anything about the hostile takeover plot to avoid spoilers.
The ending (don’t worry, no spoilers) is what I call a WHAT THE FREAKING HECK?! ending. I hate it when authors kill off characters just to affect the reader. If I can get to the end of a book and want to scream in the author’s face, “IT DIDN’T HAVE TO END THAT WAY! THEY COULD HAVE LIVED!” that author immediately goes on my killing-off-characters-for-no-reason blacklist. Which is where Veronica Roth has now ended up.
So, ending aside did I enjoy the Allegiant? Not as much as I wish I could have. I think it might have been me more than the book, but something just didn’t quite click with me. (Or it could have been my plot psychic-ness warning me of what was to come.) Whatever the reason, I am not a fan. Not an anti-fan, either, but not a fan.
The Divergent series:
Bluejay Reads 