Allegiant

Wow, what a massive drop in quality

This is a difficult book to review. There's quality in here, but its swirled around with a whole mess of not so much. From this series' inception, credibility and realism were never its strong points. [b:Insurgent 11735983 Insurgent (Divergent, #2) Veronica Roth https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1325667729s/11735983.jpg 15524542] made an attempt to deepen the scientific background of the setting and failed miserably, and this I imagine must be the reason for Allegiant being utterly balls to the wall. This plot is completely bananas.Genetic damage! Serums! Memory resets! Purity war! dramatic flourish Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain! Sweetheart, I can see his shoes. The premise of Allegiant is incredibly flimsy, partially because it's an entirely separate conflict from the first two books in the series. [b:Divergent 13335037 Divergent (Divergent, #1) Veronica Roth https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1328559506s/13335037.jpg 13155899] and Insurgent concerned themselves with the politics and skirmishes within the walls of an isolated futuristic Chicago, where everyone is indoctrinated into a faction system that tells them they have only one dominant personality trait that should direct the rest of their lives. In Allegiant, we find out that that this city is not the last stand of mankind, but a tiny fishbowl in a toxic ocean. Tris and her friends get drawn into the conflict of this larger world, and find they have to fix its problems as well as save their city. It's a lot, and it doesn't all come together. To be honest, I kind of lost the thread for a while, which is why I'm not being super detailed about what went down. Because frankly, I'm not entirely sure.It would have helped if I didn't feel like snorting in derision everytime someone said “genetically damaged” or “genetically pure.” I recognize that there's a propagandist element to this, but anyone with a basic understanding of genetics can tell you that there is no such thing as a genetically pure person, and if you're genetically damaged that implies your DNA is mutating and coming apart and you're looking forward to a horrible death. Veronica, I hate doing research too, but you're getting paid for this, sometimes you just gotta bite the bullet. And these serums. I was ok with the simulation serums - hallucinogenics are not new things, and so technology that caused people to have specific hallucinations does not seem that far-fetched - but this memory serum shit that they're just going to throw in the air and then give everyone new identities? Do you know how much manpower that would take to rehabilitate an entire population after wiping everyone of their memories? And that's only assuming it will successfully rid everyone of their desire to revolt and kill each other (because that worked so well in Dollhouse). And now a bunch of kids who have barely handled this stuff in their lives, have only a vague conception of the technology and how it works, are going to do it to a compound full of government officials? sputters incoherentlyI am on Tris' team typically through and through, and it was incredibly refreshing to get back into her head. But when she started talking about stripping the Bureau of their memories so that they would not do the same to the people of Chicago, I was kind of like wuzzuh? Tris is, at best, a functionally moral person, meaning she only whips out the “right and wrong” card when it best suits her and her own. I'm cool with this, but that kind of implies that she would be somewhat alright with Chicago getting reset if it meant that everyone in the city didn't kill eachother? Everyone she cares about is either dead or out of the city, after all. But instead, she decides that its wrong to take away people's identities, so to stop it she's going to...take away people's identities. Is this really happening?And I kind of feel like this is something that could have been talked out. After all, Tobias managed to talk his mother down. If perhaps, he had gone to the Bureau's authorities and said, “Hey, I think we can fix this, just get me in the city,” couldn't have all these shenanigans have been avoided? But then of course, they wouldn't have gotten the chance to rid people of their programming that there are genetically damaged and genetically pure people. Best thing to do with shitty plot points - act like they were never there.All that aside, and that is a lot, what made the original story interesting to me is still there. Tris is still there, even though clearly she takes a strange turn. Her relationship with Tobias expands and actually felt credible and loving to me. Tobias I never found that interesting, but the chapters from his perspective were surprisingly illuminating. He's a very different person from Tris, and very different from how most people think of him. He's far more insecure and emotionally unstable, and his need for validation feeds one of the complications of the plot. Interestingly, this book isn't about them being together - it's about how they support each other so that they both can go on their separate journeys. Tobias has to reconcile his feelings with his parents, and Tris with her brother Caleb. Both have compelling dynamics with their families, but for me the resolution of Tobias and Evelyn's relationship is what really got to me. “Let them have the city and everything in it,” is quite possibly one of the most beautiful lines I've read all year.And then there's the big thing, the thing that everyone is flipping out over and the reason why I decided to read this book now rather than later (I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, and avoid getting spoiled, but I got spoiled anyway). Tris dies. Considering that her character becomes so solidified by this book, her death works. Unlike Tobias who is still struggling with who is, Tris is a fortress. Narratively speaking, her character did not have much further to go. That said, there was potential that I was still curious about. I wanted to know why she was abnormally immune to the serums, and I wanted to see how her natural magnetism progress into a leadership role. I also don't like when a female character's narrative gets superceded by her male counterpart's. Also, the death scene was cheesy as hell, I don't blame Roth for wanting to incorporate a spiritual element, but really?This book is not two stars because it's mediocre overall, it's got really good and really bad squished together in a really confusing way, though probably more bad than good. Being that the best elements of this story were characters and definitely not world building, I wonder if Roth's strengths lie outside of science fiction and fantasy. I'll be interested to see what she does next, and considering the massive success of this series, she can probably do whatever the hell she wants.

The final book in the Divergent trilogy. So-so story.

Oh, it's so hard for me to write a review for this book. There are going to be spoilers in this review. Major spoilers. There is no other way for me to do this!


**GET READY, SPOILERS AHEAD**

I did not enjoy the back and forth part of the book. Jumping from Tris's head to Tobias's head chapter by chapter was not well thought out. If we were reading in third person then it would have been easier. As it was, sometimes I would forget who I was walking in and it broke the flow for me. A lot. This is truly the act of a writer who lets the story develop as it should. She didn't plot everything out, she let the story come to her. I can respect that. If I'm wrong, well then that just sucks.

I can even respect the way it ended. To tell the truth, I thought the death toll would be higher. I couldn't fathom an ending that in any way, shape or form left everyone whole and happy.

Some things I felt that Roth just kind of gave up on. Tobais's solution to ending the war between the Allegiant and Factionless was maybe the best, but it kind of felt like a cop out, anticlimactic. Although maybe it is the theme of the whole book. Motherhood. Family. The family we are brought in by blood and the family that takes us in.

I don't know yet how I feel about the end, this last book. I think I need more time to think about it. :(

Let me start by saying that this is the ultimate dystopia/post-apocalyptic series I have read. Thank you, Veronica Roth.

I love and hate this for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, never have I felt so empowered reading about female leads. We're they bitchy? Yes. We're they moody and unpredictable? Yes and yes. But those were what made them strong, female characters and I was in such awe at how real they were.

The duo-POV thing I wasn't such a fan of, I understand it gave more depth to the story - it certainly did - but it felt a bit too choppy. Maybe having a few chapters each, instead of alternating chapters would have been better?

The whole genetic thing... it got a bit boring to read. Why put the blame on something you can't decide? I felt a bit cheated at this. But then again, I can't imagine where else the story could go.

And the ending? Ms Roth was very brave to go about it this way. I can see a billion people hating her for this, but really? This is the best way of making an impact.

A very well done series. Would recommend to everyone, definitely.

It's disappointing. Such a shame because I really loved Divergent.

The second two books in this series were so mediocre, I'm left wondering if I was completely wrong for enjoying the first one as much as I did. I think the author had a good idea here, a unique world, and then she had problems making it go anywhere. Plot holes are everywhere, characters' personalities change constantly. This book is written from the point of view of two different characters, but I had to keep going back to the beginning of the chapter to see who was narrating because they both sounded exactly the same. I don't think the author chose this device to give us more insight into the characters–she had to do it to support the ending she chose.

And the ending felt forced and unnecessary. Even one of the characters at the end of the book pretty much called the “shocking” final plot device pointless. She was right.

I mean really Tris died?? I mean that just sums up this review. But the book just wasn't that good. It definitely should have been 2. We still don't really know what the outside world feels like. I don't have any connection to Tris sacrificing herself for the GDs. The compound seemed to give them a fine life. It's just a jumbled mess at the end & the end sucks. I loved this series but this book sucks!

Dear Ms. Roth,

When I first heard that spoilers for Allegiant had leaked onto the web, I was angry. I love the way it feels to uncover a story for the first time, savoring the emotions and the experience. That someone wanted to ruin that for me and those like me caused me pain. I knew, based on the veritable outcry from those who saw the spoilers that whatever it was must be bad but I didn't break. I avoided all mention of your book wherever I went online.

When release day came and I couldn't purchase it right away, I stayed away from Twitter and my RSS feed. I knew better than to go to places where my people – those in the book blogging community – would be talking about your book.

It didn't matter.

One person who had never read your books had seen the spoilers and managed to make an errant comment to me, spoiling the ending. Her rationale was, “I'm sorry. It was all over my Twitter feed so I didn't think there was anyone left who hadn't seen it.”

I was devastated. Not only at learning the outcome of your book without the knowledge of the journey, but at being robbed of the experience that might have helped me be okay with your decision.

It took me nearly two weeks to pick up your book after that. I stared at it every day knowing that it was going to break my heart. But I knew that one day I would need to finish Tris and Four's story. I would regret it if I didn't.

And when I closed the final page of the book there were tears streaming down my face. But I understood. I may have been robbed of the initial experience of your intention, but I still grasped the meaning behind your decision. You stayed true to your characters. And that's when I re-learned that just because a book doesn't end the way I wanted it to doesn't mean the book isn't a good one. Allegiant was a great book.

You gave me back the Tris and Four that I fell in love with in Divergent.

And for that, I say thank you.

Mandi Kaye

That ending – seriously?

I hate it when people fuck up the last book in a trilogy.

There are so many ways to be brave in this world. Sometimes bravery involves laying down your life for something bigger than yourself, or for someone else. Sometimes it involves giving up everything you have ever known, or everyone you have ever loved, for the sake of something greater.But sometimes it doesn't.Sometimes it is nothing more than gritting your teeth through pain, and the work of every day, the slow walk toward a better life.

I enjoyed it, but not as much as the first two. Overall, the plot was rough around the edges and the lack of suspense made it feel less satisfying than in the previous books. What they discovered outside the fence was quite anticlimactic.

Most people were put off by the ending, but I didn't have a problem with it. Even though I was sad about you-know-who dying, it was a good ending, very emotional. I actually think it kind of saved the rest of the book. Allegiant was so slow that it didn't seem like it was in the same universe as the previous books. The world-building was messy and too many things didn't make any sense.

But still I enjoyed Tris' character. I didn't care about pretty much anybody else. The previous books have killed off a lot of my favorite characters and the new ones were unremarkable.

I didn't think the romance could possibly get any worse, but it did. Four was at his most annoying self up untilTris'death. That was the first time I felt truly sorry and sad for him. His grief moved me. I appreciated that her memory finally pushed him to pull himself together and start being a better version of himself. But I wish he'd done that while she was still alive.

Based on the ending alone, this was a good conclusion to the trilogy.

I . . . I don't know how I feel about this one. Disappointed, mostly, I think. Was it the waiting so long for the final installment that did it? The not-quite-successful dual ending? The ending that offered closure, but still didn't feel right? I need to mull it over some more.

Loved it but hated it all at the same time! I still don't know how I entirely feel about this book....

I don't think I can rate this book yet. I just finished this book and I'm not sure what to think. I liked it, but I was definitely thrown by the ending!

It's probably more honest and accurate a story than most books in which the main character doesn't die, but whoa.

I was surprised by how quickly they left the city, and expanded the world, by how quickly they were able to get somewhere else and the answers, but I guess that wasn't the main story.

Interestingly enough, finding out about the experimental aspect of their city made me even more curious about how it worked. For example, did most people marry quite young? Tris' mother chose to join a faction with her father, and I imagine they married relatively soon. That tidbit along with the emphasis on producing the next generation makes me imagine that it was common for people to pick a faction and then get married in the next couple years.

My mind is still reeling about Tris really dying. I'm not happy about it of course, but it was quite powerful and felt true to the story.

Given the phenomenon that the Divergent series has become – particularly amongst certain demographic segments – it'd be an almost impossible task to finish this series in a way that would please all readers. From what I can tell, she didn't. But did she please this reader? On the whole, yeah. Despite an ending that many, many people disliked (I was fine with it, not crazy about it, but fine) Roth got the story wrapped up as she wanted, and ultimately, that's what's most important in this setting.

Yes, there was a lot more exposition and back story than you typically get in an end to a series. But Roth had a bunch of questions that Tris and her readers demanded answers for – and Roth answered most – if not all – of them. Which didn't leave as much time for story as one would hope. It's not 500 pages of info dump by any means, but there was probably more backstory in this book than there were in the other two. And really, other than the fate of the world, there wasn't that much plot to take care of, so it sort of balanced out. Roth did bring every hanging plotline to a satisfying resolution, and didn't introduce all that many to deal with within the pages of Allegiant.

Reading what I've written, it seems like this is a dull narrative. Not at all – there was enough action, enough mystery to keep you going. And in the moment, I didn't have any problems with the amount of exposition, or anything else. It's only afterwards, thinking about it that I started to have a “yeah, but . . . “ type of reaction. In the moment, it all worked – it all kept me hooked and waiting for what would come next.

Like many, I thought a good deal of the latter quarter was pretty predictable, but just because you can see an ending coming 5 miles away, doesn't mean that it can't be pulled off effectively – which is what Roth did.

I'm going to miss this world, and many of the characters, Roth had a thankless task before her here, and she managed to acquit herself pretty well. Looking forward to what she does next.

This book was disappointing to begin with. The world outside the fence (and the events that led to the dystopia) didn't hold my interest, and the problems I expected to see develop between Tris and Four didn't really happen. Four was too much the ‘perfect boyfriend' and not enough a multi-dimensional character. I wanted to see some more feels from him, not just towards/against Tris but the other characters in the book that have a major impact on his life.And then I kept reading and discovered why Roth didn't do the typical and expected relationship drama, and then it was pretty much just all the fucking feels. The end totally redeemed the whole thing, and as much as it ripped my heart out it was exactly the right call to make. Not my favourite of the trilogy but incredibly more satisfying than [b:Mockingjay 7260188 Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3) Suzanne Collins https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1358275419s/7260188.jpg 8812783] for the last installment of a YA dystopia.

Short Review: Not great, but not nearly as bad Amazon Reviews would lead you to believe. Overwhelmingly the negative reviews are complaining about the ending. I am not going to blow the ending, but I thought it was fine. It was not a happy ending, but it is a dystopian book, they are not supposed to have happy endings. I do have a problem with a lack of coherence with the setting. The size of the factions, the level of technology the actual geography (you can see O'Hare from the Hancock building on a clear day) are all problematic to the story telling. But fiction books frequently have problems being fully coherent. Similarly the writing as a bit flat. But there are very good books that are intentionally written flat (The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood is a good dystopian example.)

But when you mix all of the problems together it really shows. It just was not as good as it should have been. I wanted to love it. But I just could not. But it was not nearly as bad as all of the 1 star reviews would lead you to believe.

My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/allegiant/

I picked up this series both because a friend recommended it and because most sites recommend it as a great follow-up after the Hunger Games. It did not disappoint. In fact, in many ways, I like it better.

I was far more drawn to Tris than I ever was to Katniss (and I liked Katniss a lot). And I thought her romance with Four was a far more balanced relationship than either of Katniss's relationships with Peeta and Gale. She's a generally stronger character, both on her own, and with Four. She just felt more real to me in many ways that Katniss did not. I wanted to keep following her story.

Before I got the book, I heard that people had gotten their hands on an advanced copy, and were Not Happy, but I refused to let that stop me. I figured it would probably be something that wouldn't bug me as much, because I'm a fan of realism and of alternative stories. I'm glad I didn't let it stop me, but I was wrong that it wouldn't bug me.

I got the book on Monday, and would have finished last night, but then I hit that part–the part where Tris dies. And I thought for sure she had to be saved, they wouldn't just let her die...but I was scared to read on. So I put it off until this morning. I arrived at work a soggy mess.

The ending is terrible and beautiful and real, and I hate that Tobias is alone, but I do have faith that he will help create a world Tris would have been proud of saving. I ache for them both, and want to go back to before I started. Or perhaps just after she forgave him, and live in that moment, and never finish the book. But it would always have felt unfinished to me. I think she gave it the right ending. To have any less sacrifice for their new world would have felt a cheat. And I'm also glad Christina stopped Tobias from forgetting. That would have been just as horrible.

To those of you I have recc'd this series to, I apologize for the heartache you will go through at the ending, but I hope you'll agree with me once you've finished–it was definitely worth the ride.

This whole series was a bundle of questionable logic, but Veronica Roth's talent is still in crafting action scenes that actually feel tense.

One flaw with the YA trend of trilogies is the pacing of their release dates, and yeah, it was really hard to feel emotion for the deaths in the book because I don't even remember what role they played in the previous one despite the book's constant reminders.

In general, the Divergent series has always been one that leaves me hot and cold regarding the books, with their uneven plotting but swooping endings. This book was no different, but major, major props to Veronica Roth for doing something most young adult authors don't dare to.

:(

The two star rating has nothing to do with the ending. In fact I thought it was a brave move. Weird, nonsensical but brave. I think as a whole, the author was trying to fill up wholes with explanations that made no sense and to many problems were resolved with little effort. I was totally disconnected from the characters and felt the characters were disconnected from one another as well.

For the full review...Follow the link. :-)

Publicado en: El Extraño Gato del Cuento

Cuando se supo que Allegiant tendría dos puntos de vista, tuve unas sospechas, sobretodo conociendo a Veronica: uno que Tobias moría y por eso nos daba su perspectiva y hacerlo más doloroso o dos, que Tris moría y así no nos quedábamos sin narrador o alguien que nos cuente en tercera persona. No sé si fui la única con esa idea, pero vamos, daba que pensar.

Hay muertes en Allegiant, no tantas como en sus anteriores libros (tampoco es que haya mucha gente ya, osea Veronica mató a casi todos), pero son muertes importantes, una casi al inicio, otra que nos rompe el corazón casi por la mitad creo y la última me tuvo llorando durante un buen rato.

Verán, lo que me gusta de la narración Veronica Roth es que en todos sus libros la realidad es claustrofóbica, me gusta que su historia no es como una película de acción de todos esquivan las balas, me gusta su cruda sinceridad al narrar. Y sé que por eso, muchos terminarán mal luego de leer Allegiant. Y así como puede ser muy cruel, el romance de Tris y Four es muy dulce, entre toda la política, rebeliones y muerte, que aunque son pocas, Cuatro y Seis encuentran la manera de ser, aunque sea por unos segundos, unos jóvenes enamorados. De ahí que duela tanto.

La madurez de algunos de sus personajes es palpable, así como el egoísmo de Tris al inicio, no voy a negar que por unos cuantos capítulos quise cachetearla por ser tan fría, tan yo-yo-yo.

Ahora bien, el final.

Aunque cruel, es justo, es una gran prueba de amor. Los últimos seis o siete capítulos temes lo peor, porque es narrado de una manera que te da entender una despedida. Y lo peor de todo es que tienes que leerlo varias veces para entender si lo que dice, o lo que creemos entender, es verdad.

Sabes, Abnegación te enseña sobre esto. Acerca de cuándo dejar que los demás se sacrifiquen por ti, incluso aunque sea egoísta. Dicen que si el sacrificio es lo último que puede hacer una persona para demostrarte que te quiere, debes dejarla hacerlo. Que en esa situación, es el regalo más grande que puedes darles.

(I waffled between 3 and 4 stars on this but I decided to round up to make up for Veronica Roth getting actual threats from batshit fans.)

First of all, when I started reading this I realized that I remembered baaasically nothing from [b:Insurgent|11735983|Insurgent (Divergent, #2)|Veronica Roth|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1325667729s/11735983.jpg|15524542] and VRoth really, really expected me to do so. I had to go back and read a plot summary online because she really just jumps right in there. I suspect this book would reward those who had read the first two books more closely (and/or more recently) than I did?Anyway. I felt super validated to learn that the faction system is part of a genetic experiment, because from Book 1 I've been saying that the faction system is BONKERS and I don't understand how any society would evolve to do that. Well, I guess if scientists brainwashed them with serum. Sidenote: this book uses the word serum a LOT. Uhh... I enjoyed getting to look behind the curtain at the Bureau of Genetic Welfare. I wasn't super into all the talk of genetic purity and serum and whatever. I mean the concept is fine. There was just a lot of talk about genetics. IDK. Not my jam. I did like the talks about life after factions and learning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the different factions. It felt like an extended Seventeen magazine personality quiz. (Which IS my jam.)I liked seeing Tris & Four's relationship and the way they dealt with ~challenges~ and ~jealousy.~ It felt both teenage and mature, appropriate for teens who have been through some tough shit.I guess what people are mad about is mostly that Tris sacrifices herself in the end? But I thought it was appropriate. I mean, she came from Abnegation. Also I just honestly am not that attached to Tris or Four so it didn't have a very strong emotional impact on me. If I cared more about Tris, I'm sure I'd be sadder... but would that make it a bad ending? IDK. I mean I can't talk because I threatened to go into Victorian mourning if the ending of Breaking Bad didn't shake out the way I hoped it would. But since I'm not as involved with this trilogy... eh.What else... Four's grieving process rang very true to me.

Anyway you should probably read this if, like me, you don't want to be left out of the discussion about popular YA books!! Or if you've already read the other two!! But otherwise, I'm not really gonna call this a must-read or anything!!

WHYYYYYYYYYYYY?!!!!!