Allegiant

Divergent #3

by Veronica Roth

La realtà che Tris ha sempre conosciuto ormai non esiste più, cancellata nel modo più violento possibile dalla terrificante scoperta che il “sistema per fazioni” era solo il frutto di un esperimento. Circondata solo da orrore e tradimento, la ragazza non si lascia sfuggire l’opportunità di esplorare il mondo esterno, desiderosa di lasciarsi indietro i ricordi dolorosi e di cominciare una nuova vita insieme a Tobias. Ma ciò che trova è ancora più inquietante di quello che ha lasciato. Verità ancora più esplosive marchieranno per sempre le persone che ama, e ancora una volta Tris dovrà affrontare la complessità della natura umana e scegliere tra l’amore e il sacrificio.

Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia, Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Romance, Adventure

544 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 22, 2013

About the author

Veronica Roth is the New York Times best-selling author of Seek the Traitor's Son (coming 5.12.26), When Among Crows, Arch-Conspirator, Poster Girl, Chosen Ones, the Carve the Mark series, and the Divergent series. She lives in Chicago, Illinois with her husband and dog.

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Reviews

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ten Hours later...

When I don’t like a series ending, I tell myself it’s partially my own fault - that the book suffered from my expectations. In the case of Allegiant, I think it went a little beyond that. Hours after finishing and sleeping on my crushing disappointment, I have to admit that very little of this book worked for me. So I’m turning to the device that I always turn to when I’m stressed or overwhelmed with something: lists. As always in a review of this nature, there will be MASSIVE SPOILERS for all three books in this series. I’m using a cut, and it means very definite business.

Things that Did not Work for Me in Allegiant, a List by Kate

1. The World Building
When you think about both Divergent and Insurgent, there was very little actual world building that went on. We established the faction system and the way it functions in Divergent. We also established the problems inherent with that system. In Insurgent, we explored those problems more by watching the breakdown. And then, in the end of Insurgent, we find out that it’s all an experiment intended to save the outside world from war and violence and poverty.

Then, we get to Allegiant. Everything in the video is a lie (so, in a lot of ways, everything Tris did at the end of Insurgent was for nothing). The outside world is basically Chicago 2.0, only instead of being divided by personality type people are divided by the extent of their broken genes. It’s an interesting thought and a cool platform for philosophizing, but so much is crammed into this book that we don’t have time for those subtleties. Basically, we have one book to learn the mass of information we need to know about the outside.

This info dump is compounded by several things: 1) Everything we thought we knew about the outside is a lie and some things we thought we knew about the people on the inside is a lie, too; 2) Tris knows nothing about the outside so things that we know about as readers keep being off-handedly explained to her and also not explained to her; 3) a lot of what Tris has to figure out is science and history, and there's not the sufficient background needed to help with suspension of disbelief.

This is clearly supposed to be far into the future - at least seven generations? - but fundamentally it’s still the world we know. We knew that because of the fact that Chicago was clearly recognizable. But knowing that everything on the outside is basically still functioning through our government and that the same kinds of issues still cause problems? Something about that made me question every piece of information thrown at me.

There was too much information introduced in this book for it to be the closing of a series and I honestly think this whole series would have benefited from a fourth book.

2. Character Development

a. The background characters

None of the background characters went anywhere significant. I did not learn anything new about Cara, Christina, or Uriah. I could have eliminated all three of them from this book and everything would have been the same. Even Uriah’s injury and death felt like a plot point for Four that was ultimately completely glossed over. Peter and Caleb showed no growth or change. Peter proved that he is still the same coward he has always been (and yet somehow he gets exactly what he wants). Caleb, too, proved a coward. He was given the chance for redemption and he didn’t take it.

As for Natalie Prior, I thought her backstory was interesting. It was one of the few interesting things about the book, though I thought the “love triangle” was unnecessary and slowed the plot down. I also couldn’t wrap my brain around why, when she found out Tris was divergent, she wouldn’t have told her at least some of this information she knew, something that would help her daughter and her society. And even though it was interesting backstory, it didn’t change Natalie Prior’s motivations for saving her daughter and acting as she did.

There was a rash of seemingly senseless deaths in this book. First, Edward dies. But...why? To show that the factionless show as little regard for human life as the Erudite did? For the two page scene in which we don’t know if Evelyn is upset by his death? The same thing with Tori, who died, it seems, simply to provide the moment in which we find out how wrong she was and that her brother now has to deal with her death?

But...why do I care about George Wu? This problem ties back to the world-building problem and the need for another book. We are introduced to so many new characters. Some lady whose name I can’t remember, Amar, George, Nita, Matthew, David, all the people from The Fringe. The people from the Fringe? We barely learn anything besides their names. Amar and George are there, it seems, to provide some familiarity for our refugees, but we barely see them and they don’t teach us anything new about the inside or the outside. Then we get to Nita, who plays a major role and then just seems to disappear. Matthew has a nice little speech about the Terrible thing that genetic prejudice caused to happen, but who is also basically a clone of Cara. And David, who is exactly, exactly like Jeanine. Having so many new people cut out our chance to see the people that mattered.

Like...

b. Tris

Tris came a long way in Insurgent and she learned a lot of things. I thought, overall, she was doing well and continuing that trend (until the end, which ruined everything). But here was my problem with Tris: besides what happened at the end, was she wrong about ANYTHING in this book? It’s like she could perfectly read every situation and every person, and she was kind of a condescending jerk about it. She wants to act like she’s never been wrong, but I remember her surprise at Caleb’s betrayal. I remember that it took a bit for her to figure out Evelyn was Four’s mother. I remember that she didn’t see Al’s betrayal coming, or even Eric’s. I remember that she didn’t see through Evelyn’s plan until it was already happening. Tris isn’t infallible, and I liked that about her.

Those mistakes made Tris human. But in Allegiant? she’s suddenly perfect. She is smart and strong and skilled and canny and selfless to a ridiculous extent. It makes it hard for us to blame Tris when she’s annoyed that people are ignoring her or not trusting her gut. It also makes Four’s journey that much more difficult to handle, because knowing that she’s always right means that he’s always wrong. And he kind of is.

c. Four

I really wish we had not gotten Four’s point of view in this book. I’d say a big portion of the problems I had stemmed from the dual points of view. Fundamentally, we had to learn everything new through both characters because obviously they reacted differently to everything. This really slowed down the pacing and bogged this book down in repetitive backstory.

His sections of the book were indistinguishable in both tone and voice. Though Tris and Four complimented each other so well in the first two books - made an excellent team of equals - they are also very different personality types. Sure, they have similar characteristics - the same kinds of things make them tick - but they go about things in a very different way.

I’ll be honest. I didn't find Four likable in this book. I got flashes of the Four I loved, but he was so mired down in all of his weaknesses that reading his portions of the book was really hard. He is the one that was so mad at Tris in the last book for lying, and he is the one that told her at that he should trust her and not hide things from her. But, what happens? Four finds out that he’s not really divergent (um, ok?), and then he completely breaks down and immediately loses all the growth he’d accomplished in the first two books and does something stupid.

Part of me understands that the point is that Four isn’t perfect; he has four fears, but those four fears are so much bigger and more terrifying than most people’s ten or twenty (or my thousand). He has Major Issues. However, I knew that about him already. We already watched this struggle with the need to do something to make the world better and also the need to protect Tris and be a good man in the face of incredibly difficult choices. We spent a book watching him deal with his feelings for his mother and father, even if we never watched him deal with those things from this point of view. It was wrenching, but it made him grow.

This Four is broken. He has lost all of the defining elements that made him Four. He is weak and indecisive and insecure and, most surprisingly of all, irrational. His participation in Nita’s plan baffles me. Since when has Four ever blindly trusted anyone’s plan (or anyone, for that matter), let alone a stranger’s? Since when does he not at least argue with Tris OR ANYONE about the moral complications of what is happening? It’s one thing for him to go along with Evelyn’s plan (though even then only at first); that relationship and his feelings are complicated. Here, his decision makes no sense. He barely knows Nita. Why is he not working with Cara and Christina and Tris? Why is he not asking that they be involved? It made no sense to me, even in context of losing his identity.

And then, his actions and his part in this plan are ignored? There are no consequences aside from the fact that Uriah is unconscious and ultimately dies. (That entire plot point just seemed pointless. Tris is going to be plenty mad about Four being so stupid already; Four is going to feel plenty guilty about acting like a completely naive hayseed without Uriah having to eat it). Then the issue became about Uriah instead of why on earth he made this ridiculous decision and what he was feeling.

After this incredibly boneheaded and uncharacteristic decision? I don’t even know what the hell to make of what was going on with Four. I did not understand his motivations. I did not understand the personality he suddenly exhibited. It felt like he was simply moving forward the plot instead of being Four. Plus, he spends all of Allegiant being broken down and we never really see him built back up.

3. The Plot

This plot was repetitive. In Insurgent, we have to overthrow the tyranny of Jeanine Mathews. In Allegiant, we have to overthrow the tyranny of Jeanine Mathews 2.0/3.0. It is the same struggle. Of course, on one level that makes sense. Tris is chasing this problem up the chain. She’s discovering that the root of this problem is bigger than Jeanine Mathews and that the outside and its problems never really stayed outside. I did appreciate that aspect.

The pacing was an issue. It was slowed considerably by the excessive amount of info dumping and also the dual points of view. It also felt formulaic. It was so paint by numbers and repetitive that it became predictable, in part because Tris is always right and in part because there’s no time for nuance thanks to all the random information being thrown about and all the random things that keep happening. And yet, even with the repetition and the predictability and the deus ex machina moments, this plot was a confused mess and most of it was completely unnecessary to where we went.

And good lord the ending of no sense. The holes in this plot were insane. The main conflict seems to be that the Bureau, who has controlled Chicago and Tris’s life, wants the Chicago experiment to keep going. Tris wants those people to know the truth and be free. (Four doesn’t seem to know what the hell he wants). In order to keep things going, the Bureau wants to wipe the memories of Tris’s friends and the families of her friends. Her grand solution? Wipe the memories of the bureau instead. Erase their memories of genetic prejudice.

...What?

We know there are antidotes to basically every serum, from the death serum to the truth serum. We also know there’s an inoculation to the memory/Abnegation serum. So why does it occur to NO ONE that instead of say, inoculating Christina’s family and Uriah’s, that they, say, INNOCULATE EVERYONE?! If they inoculate the people in Chiacago, then David and the Bureau can't wipe their memories. At the very least, this seemingly obvious solution buys them time to figure out what the hell to do.

Instead, it’s decided Caleb will sacrifice himself by breaking into a vault of memory serum and releasing it into the air before the death serum can claim him (which everyone completely 100% believes will happen and it occurs to no one that Tris of all people will never ever let him do this).

Four heads into the city to give the memory serum to only one of his parents because he’ll only have time for one but GASP WHICH WILL HE CHOOSE?! Ok. Let’s think about this. The memory serum is intended to allow the two groups in Chicago to come to an agreement. How on earth does giving Marcus the serum help that goal? Evelyn will still remember that he beat her. Evelyn will still remember that he beat Tobias. Evelyn will still want to prove her strength over him because she rightfully HATES Marcus. So clearly Evelyn is the only logical choice because if she can forget what Marcus did to her, what the factions did to her, she can come to an agreement because she’ll have forgotten all the things that motivated her to fight in the first place. Marcus is just a power hungry dickwad, that's fundamental to him like knowing how to breathe. Knowing this (and I don’t understand how you could not, especially in the context of Four’s weird relationship with his mother versus the fact that basically he wants his dad to be dead) all the tension is gone from Four making this decision because we all know there is no decision.

Of course, knowing this, we also know that Four is never going to give his mother the memory serum. What is completely unbelievable in the end is that Evelyn - the same Evelyn who has proven herself to be a dictator and a tyrant, who abandoned Four, who lied to Four, who tried to push away the only person who has ever supported Four and believed in him in his entire life, the same person who has been motivated by nothing but hate of the factions with seemingly little thought to her son - is magically made reasonable by love of her son.

...what?

This makes no sense in the context of what we know about Evelyn based on what we’ve seen her do. She doesn’t even argue with Tobias. It’s just sobbing hugs and forgetting everything she’s done so she can have the PROSPECT of her son one day being in her life. I’m supposed to believe this because we had a scene with her staring at the blue vase she gave him? And, of course, they go out and shake hands with Johanna and Marcus gets his just desserts because everyone knows he is an evil scumbag bent on power and everything magically works out fine despite the fact that people were rioting in the first chapter and the rest of the factionless are just going to forget their anger because they love Tobias...oh wait.

Meanwhile, back in the compound...

4. The Message?

I knew in my gut as soon as I started reading the second instance of Tobias’s point of view that Tris would die. But still, I hoped I was wrong. I wanted to be wrong. And I wanted to be wrong because it doesn’t make any sense with Tris's growth.

Every. Single. Book. Every single book Tris goes off to do some sacrificial act to save the people she cares about. That is basically all she does in Insurgent. And what is her lesson at the end of Insurgent? She wants to live. She doesn’t want to die - she wants to fight and save the world. But we all know as readers, from the moment they mention that stupid vault’s booby trap, that Tris is going to walk into it. We know she is. And...I hated it.

First of all, it completely screwed the little character development we’d seen from Caleb. Oh, so Tris points a gun to your head to make you give you the backpack? And you believe her? Stupidest Erudite EVER. Because why would she shoot you, you idiot, if she is about to walk into a death serum pressure cooker TO SAVE YOUR LIFE? It was believable when Tris said she’d shoot David to keep them from getting the password. But she doesn’t want Caleb to die. When he lets her have the backpack - when he lets Tris walk into that chamber? - I have never been so disappointed.

I was disappointed in Tris too, because she stole Caleb's redemption. Maybe he lives and redeems himself in some other way, though considering he was an accessory to the slaughter of an entire faction, betrayed his sister, and is generally of weak character, why would anyone believe that he can redeem himself in any other way? So at gunpoint, she steps up to make this sacrifice and we all knew she was going to do it all along and how did Tobias not?

I don’t mind character deaths in books. I think, when handled correctly, they are touching scenes that teach the reader something. I think about Dumbledore dying and my chest aches. I think about so many other deaths in books, from Rue in Hunger Games to Bridge to Terebethia, and I know that deaths of characters you love can matter and make a book beautiful and better and teach you things about yourself and the world and love and all of it.

But the death has to matter. And Tris’s didn’t. In the (very rushed) end, we find out that people can depend on each other? Can mend each other? We find out that Four is still grieving Tris but is maybe starting to move on, that he doesn’t talk or think about her much because of how much it hurts? Is Peter right? Tobias is young. Someday he’ll move on and he’ll remember Tris, but he’ll keep living. And it’s true; moving on is brave. That’s what life is and what it requires and we have to be grateful for the moments we spend with the people we love and the impact they have. But I needed so much more from Tobias at the end to make his loss of Tris worth that message.

I hated, too, the way Tris’s death was handled. Because what was Tris doing? She was running into her mother’s arms and asking if she could be finished. Wanting to be done, implying a choice, even though she JUST told Caleb to tell Tobias that she didn’t want to leave him. If she’d gone down fighting, I’d have bought this more. But she seemed to welcome death - to want it - and that reverts her straight back to the things she supposedly learned she DIDN’T want in Insurgent

I don’t understand why Tris’s death did anything to make that message more real. If anything it makes it less so. It’s easy to band together in grief - to find the people who understand and cling to them and form a stronger bond while you do. We saw that already with Christina and Uriah. I think this book wouldn’t have been able to gloss over everything if Tris had lived. Like Uriah’s injury and demise, a lot of this ending was hurriedly tied up with her death. We didn’t have to see what really happened in the aftermath. We didn’t have to deal with the choices for society. Tris’s death was sand for the characters to bury their heads in.

This book didn't have a hopeful ending because nothing really changed. 90% of the characters are dead and everyone forgives everyone almost everything because they care about them? This is the foundation of rebuilding and stability upon which these characters and this world can grow? I’d have given up Tris (and Tris and Four) if it left Four and the the people she cared about with strength and hope and a better world, but I didn’t see that it did.

Things that Worked for me in Allegiant, a list by Kate

1. There was a lot of making out.

2. Though I wanted more from the ending, Four's pain was certainly poignant.

[Ain020596 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may never be happy ever again.

The fun and laughter is over. I have finally read Allegiant, and I feel empty inside. Empty but accepting, and understanding.

This book makes Mockingjay feel like Dr Seuss. I had a few problems with it (mainly that it spelled out a bit too much for the reader, lacked finesse with the handling of themes, and was sometimes pretty predictable) but the character development was breathtaking, the plot was heart-pounding and since it's a young adult novel, I think Veronica Roth did a pretty damn decent job:)Most readers are going to love it.

You know what? Who gives a shit about the technicalities. We're all here crying (read: sobbing our eye sockets dry) because of that ending. Veronica whispered threats into my ear, aimed a gun at my head, looked away for a moment to lull me into a false sense of security before SHOOTING MY PUPPY IN THE FACE.


(this is basically me throughout the last half of the book)

Don't misunderstand, this book was great! READ IT NOW. But it's like half of me wants to worship this majestic object and the other half wants to fling the beast into the faces of my enemies.

Just like the characters in the book, the grief wipes away any deep philosophical mulling I might have about what happened in the plot. All that matters is the grief and the death in the end. Veronica makes that point pretty damn clear. War is never romantic. Period.

Hell, the lesson I've learnt from 1984, V for Vendetta, Hunger Games and Divergent? Romance and anarchy do NOT MIX, 0/10, WOULD NOT RECOMMEND. Going against your government? STEEL YOUR HEART AND VAGINA GIRL, TOO DAMN BAD. Because the subsequent grief... man. I'm still crying.



To all those currently reading the book, see you in hell, comrades. And to those crying and limp on their beds now, welcome my friends.


This part is for those who have read the book. I disagree with a hell lot of complaints made about this book, and this is why:


Okay, straight up, I know most of us are upset (read: brutally slaughtered) by the character death at the end. However, I don't think that just because we hate the death doesn't mean that this book "totally sucks". Veronica Roth, unfortunately, does not owe us a HEA. I'm perfectly fine crying on my bed yelling "you HORRIBLE HORRIBLE WOMAN YOU RIPPED MY HEART OUT HOW COULD YOU" while sobbing into my pillow, but inside, I'm able to distance myself from my personal bias and see what this book is trying to say. Because of this, I just want to put my thoughts out there about what some people are saying.


The genetic project that created the genetically damaged people is legitimate

A dystopia is the complete opposite of a utopia, which is a perfect society. More fundamentally, dystopias form as a result of utopian societies gone wrong.

Looking at our world right now, it's easy to see the flaws in people. We look at the government and see selfishness. We look at people around us and see pride. In fact, everywhere we look, we see the flaws in humanity. And most of us are not at peace with it. During the American government shut down of 2013, the approval ratings for the republicans was an astoundingly bad 12%. We as a society see that selfishness, that irrationality and pride and it makes us angry. 47% of people said that congress would be better off if nearly every member was replaced. This is our real life response.

It is not difficult to see a society dedicated to getting rid of these traits. In fact, it's shockingly, astounding easy to. That's Veronica's point. That's her utopia going bad. The failure of the genetic experiment is her commentary on human beings non acceptance of human nature. We do not accept selfishness, stupidity, pride, as part of us. We want to get rid of it. We vilify it. And when faced with the chance to be rid of it, we would probably take it.

And by essentially playing God, in our rejection of the darkness in each and every one of us, we created bigger monsters.

The forming of the factions were a perfectly valid solution to the problem caused by the genetically damaged.

This is absolutely crucial to understand.

"This doesn't solve the problem at all! Doesn't it just breed MORE genetically damaged individuals? It doesn't make any sense!"

This train of thought is exactly Veronica's intention. Put yourself in the shoes of one of those who were not genetically damaged. Who were still perfectly imperfect. The government is going to close off those twisted human beings and basically breed them in large labs, letting them multiply?

Why not just kill them all?

After all, they aren't actually human. They aren't God's intention. They are unnatural. Inhuman. Man-made.

Or are they?

As a result of human's tampering, human beings have have created unnatural versions of themselves. The reason why the genetically damaged are prejudiced against and disadvantaged in this society is because they are regarded as less human. All those people in those factions, in the eyes of everyone else who knows of their unnatural state, are considered nothing more than experiments gone wrong to so many.

The Civil Wars were to eradicate the experiments.

However, human beings have a conscience. Most of us know, deep down, that the genetically altered deserve a chance to make their own choices. Society had made a mistake in playing god once, and suffered horribly for it.

Society would not make the same mistake again. The American Government in Allegiant would not make two wrongs in hopes of getting a right. And eradicating an entire generation of living breathing beings is most certainly playing god, and most certainly on par as wrong.

And if they could not kill the genetically damaged, they sure as hell would try and find a way where the genetically damaged could survive, thrive and find their own humanity. These subsequent projects involving factions were society's grappling apology. They are trying to fix what they have done. You do not get to erase the past.

Correlating with this thread, society would NOT try and correct these genes again. Firstly, you cannot CREATE genes when they have been removed. Secondly, to alter the genes AGAIN would be playing god, would be being foolish. Why would a society which has already suffered the repercussions of playing god repeat the exact same thing again? And if they could not fix them, and they could not kill them, what other choice did they have?

This entire book revolves around the question on whether the gentically damaged were less human, and it left YOU to decide for yourself.

How could they expect the genetically damaged to just fix themselves by creating random divergents?

This concept is more difficult to grasp because it requires knowledge in biology. Populations can fix themselves as a result of natural selection and selective pressure.

Basically, the genetically damaged are less likely to survive, while the divergent are more likely too. As a result, the divergents would be more likely to survive into adulthood, reproduce and eventually there will be a larger proportion of divergents as compared to the others.

The Divergent themselves crop up as a result of genetic mutation or genetic healing. Your genes can change. The world didn't start with one basic template for every trait that ever existed. The different hair colors, different physical traits today more likely began as mutations and then thrived under natural selection and selective pressure.

This should have been explained better in the book, absolutely.

The whole shebang with the memory serum raises a hell lot of important questions and are not supposed to be a pretty solution wrapped in a silk bow.

The conflict Tris faced with the morality of the memory serum is real. Is it right to remove one's memory? Removing one's memory brings with it dozens of ethical issues.

Does it remove Free Will? Are the memory-altered the same people as they were before then? Can you convict a person who has done a crime even if they don't remember what they have done? Who has the right to alter someone's memory? Is it playing God? Has technology gone to far today, and should society limit what it could do? Do the ends justify the means? And does the "Greater Good" even exist, or are things either just right or wrong?

These questions are for all of us to think about. It's not just a problem-solution thing here guys. We cannot look at it simply, or we'll be missing the point completely. It's not about leaving them to kill themselves: It's about giving them a choice to make their own mistakes and staying true to who they are. Personally I don't feel like Veronica Roth handled these themes with as much finesse as I would like, but for a YA novel I'll let it go.

Evelyn's decision to choose her son over everything she's worked for was monumental.

Again, if you look at it simply, you will not see what is trying to be said. For me, I think Veronica is trying to show you the power of maternal love (a very strong theme in Harry Potter as well), the complexity of humanity, the ability to change your decisions and actions, the effect of abuse and how the abusee can turn into the abuser, and finally the sharp contrast between Evelyn and Marcus.

Both Evelyn and Marcus are genetically damaged people, aka deemed less human or inhuman altogether. For Marcus, he is the perfect example of how the genetic alteration experiment has created monsters. Marcus is twisted and rid of humanity. He, we can easily deem as inhuman. But one man's twisted character does not determine those of his kind. Evelyn is just as genetically altered, and yet she overcame her genetic deficiencies. She made herself. Her genes did not determine her actions despite the fact that she was designed and made that way. Her decision to choose her son was not simply a cheesy act of love. It was an epic bitchslap to her genetic makeup. Evelyn defied her supposed destiny and carved out another on her own.

(Actually, I was pointed out in the comments that Marcus was Divergent, something I completely forgot! That just draws an even sharper contrast between Evelyn and Marcus which better questions just how much control our genetic makeup has over our actions. Evelyn, despite being inherently inhuman, was indefinitely more human than Marcus, who was altogether healed. This just shows us how evil can exist in any of us, just as good can.)

This raises one more big question. Is Caleb's betrayal justified because he was genetically altered? Are any of the actions of the genetically altered justified? Or were they just as much their choices instead of simply their genetic code?

More questions.

And finally, Tris' death. Hell on roller skates, mop my tears for a sec.

To be honest, I don't want to ponder too much about her death because its purpose feels highly subjective to everyone's personal interpretation to me. However, I feel like it was right that she died as who she was and not a shadow of herself. Tris' ultimate sacrifice for love and the greater good was who she is. If we were to have our Happily Ever After, we would have with us a false caricature of Tris. This is who she is, and we cannot deny our loved ones their own choices and their very nature.

I felt that her seeing her mother at the very end was absolutely beautiful, and negates any argument that says that she died meaninglessly. She died still swinging and living life true to who she is, and she reunited with her loved ones. Hell, this means she probably reunited with Uriah too in the end, and that makes me cry all the more harder.

Well these are my thoughts, feel free to comment below on your own! This is a support group my friends, we're all in this highly-traumatized, post-Allegiant state together:)


________________________________________________________


*Here lies the memory of late happiness, aka the life I had before reading Allegiant*


.
I AM SO EXCITED



2013 CANNOT COME ANY SOONER!

*Edit:*

It's already 2013! WHERE IS MY COPY? We don't even know the title! WHAT IS THIS HELL?? WHY DO YOU FORSAKE US VERONICA???

WHYYYYYYYYYY??



*Edit*



THE TITLE IS HERE.



I LOVE IT! And I'm so bloody excited! AAAIIIIIYEEEEE--



*Edit on 20/10/13*

TWO. MORE. DAYS. GUYS.

Let us form a circle and dAAAAAANNNCEEE!!!

[Andi · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book starts off with this epigraph from the Erudite faction manifesto:

"Every question that can be answered must be answered or at least engaged. Illogical thought processes must be challenged when they arise."

And then fantastically misses the mark.

Allegiant was so chock full of plot holes, unrealistic situations, contrived character "development", laughable explanations, and a whole load of "wtf" moments. And that's not even including the disastrous ending of this book. How this book managed to have an epigraph about being logical is a complete mystery to me.


****INCLUDES MASSIVE SPOILERS****



Right from the get-go, the book wastes little time with the petty conflict between the factions and the factionless. The narrative spends a few convenient moments agonizing over the factionless vs. factions dilemma and then decides to venture outside the fence.

Which, you know, is totally fine because we all assumed that at some point the narrative would come back to resolve that conflict in a reasonable way later on.




One dead character and a relatively easy stroll through the fence later, Tris and company encounter THE WORLD OUTSIDE THE FENCE.

Behold, the moment we have all been waiting for.

As it turns out, the world has apparently been so full of assholes that the government decided to eliminate the genes in citizens that caused dishonestly, selfishness, cowardice, stupidity, and aggression. Unfortunately, this backfired and just created more assholes that were more asshole-y than before.

So how does a rational government fix this problem? Easy! Just construct gigantic city-sized behavioural experiments all across the country! Get volunteers who had their genes screwed with to have their memories wiped and stick them into a city and force them to choose a faction. Eventually these people will reproduce enough times until they finally manage to have "genetically pure" (a.k.a. Divergent) babies that are free from messed up genes.

I mean, duh. That's, like, the most logical thing ever. Because its not like bad genes pass down bad genes or anything! Silly science!

In fact, this department is just so full of geniuses that they decided that instead of using the genetic engineering prowess they already had to modify the genes of the genetically damaged offspring, they were just gonna wait around for 8 generations until the problem just miraculously fixed itself.



Don't worry. Their efforts aren't wasted. I've already nominated them for the Nobel Prize in What-The-Fuckery.

From then on, the book actually gets worse.

Instead of trying to resolve the old conflict between the factionless and the factions, the book tries to take on a whole new conflict between the genetically pure and the genetically damaged, making the plot unnecessarily convoluted and leaving little to no room for proper character development.

Tris and Four's switching POVs only disorient the reader further because as the book continues, the characters voices lose their distinctions and start to sound more and more like each other.

While Tris may have been tougher in this book than in Insurgent (which is literally the only redeeming quality I'm willing to give this book), Four's character gets a complete top-to-bottom deconstruction.

Gone is the tough, strong, badass we got to know in the previous two books. Instead, Roth replaces Four with a bumbling emotional man child who fails to make rational decisions and think straight. His judgement is often clouded by his own insecurities and growing fears. Before we knew Four as being a character who would never let his fears control him. In Allegiant, Four's fears have his neck in a leash and tug him in any which direction and he willing goes without even putting up a fight.

Which now brings me to the disastrous ending of this book.



Suddenly, tensions are rising between the factionless and the Allegiant (the group who wants to re-establish the faction system) and Evelyn decides she's going to use the Erudite death serum to wipe out her opponents. But the Department of Genetic Welfare is having none of her shit so they decide that they're just going to wipe out everyone's memory so they don't kill each other.

(Can I also point out here that they used this memory-wiping serum before to trick the general population into thinking that the genetically damaged are alone the cause of the world's problems? So you know, there wouldn't be massive protests or anything when the government decided to deliberately waste money trying to solve a problem they knew was fucked to begin with.)

A race against the clock ensues where Four goes back to Chicago to try and wipe the memories of his parents to stop them from fighting while Tris stays behind to try and steal this memory serum and use it on the Department themselves. The book gets a little preachy right before this part where the characters start talking about how erasing someone's memories is inherently evil---unless you have good intentions, of course.

The Department also has good intentions for using this serum on Chicago and saving the lives of thousands of people, but fuck logic. Our heroes would way rather just watch the people they love kill each other.



And how exactly does the book wrap up the supposedly exciting and suspenseful conflict between the factionless and the Allegiant that has brewing in the background this whole time? Easy! Just have a nice Eaton family reunion where Evelyn magically just decides that the years she's spent neglecting her son and fighting for her own idea of justice is utterly useless because she's been transformed by *~The Power of Love~*. No need to rip apart all of Chicago like she's been planning to her whole life.

All she needs is her son.



A few supporting characters die in the book, but you don't really care. If the author didn't bother spending enough time developing that character, why should readers even flinch when they drop dead? Of course, the book makes these deaths a big deal but you're sitting there like



Back in at the Department of Genetic Welfare, Caleb is picked for the suicide mission of breaking into the top-security vault to steal the memory-wiping serum. This is only fitting as Caleb is literally the only character who needs to be redeemed for his betrayal in Insurgent. I mean, the tagline of the book is "one choice can define you" so if Caleb doesn't own up to this moment he's basically going to be a selfish, heartless, coward for the rest of the story.

Oh wait. This book hasn't sufficiently fucked up already so instead of using a perfectly good opportunity for a back-stabbing character to redeem themselves, it's just going to unnecessarily sacrifice the freaking main character because life is cruel and heartless goddammit!



I could literally write another essay on why this particular ending sucked balls, but before some anon messages me saying "omgg it's veronica's book and her ending was so tragic but so byootiful don't you know you're not allowed to hate it??!111" let me explain myself.

I have no problem with happy endings, bittersweet endings, sad endings, or even unresolved endings AS LONG AS THE ENDING MAKES SENSE WITH THE BODY OF THE WORK. This is literally all I ask of any author of any novel.

From just a character perspective, it makes sense that Tris would sacrifice herself for the greater good. That's just what she, as a selflessly reckless person, would do. But considering that there was a perfectly good person involved in this ending that needed to be redeemed (*cough Caleb cough*) who didn't offer to sacrifice himself to save his sister, I'm questioning the true motive for why this ending was picked.

We already know that Tris is a character who's willing to sacrifice herself for the greater good. Did we learn any new information about her character when she decided to make this sacrifice? Wouldn't we have gained a better perspective of Caleb if he had made this choice instead? And most importantly, wouldn't sparing Tris's life allow the final conclusion of this trilogy to be more sound, less rushed, and less overshadowed by the her death?

Tris's sacrifice comes off as being meaningless because she doesn't save anyone from dying. Had she failed to using the memory serum, the worst thing that would have happened was that Chicago would have been reset and the main conflict would have disappeared completely. And that doesn't even matter in the end because all the major characters that we are supposed to care about were already inoculated against the memory serum anyway. In fact, by stealing the memory serum, Tris effectively tosses up the fate of Chicago in the air. If Four hadn't *~magically~* convinced his mother to stop fighting then the city would have been in shreds and more people would have died.

The careless way her death is written and revealed makes the ending look like it was purely written simply for a cheap shock value. Cue the forced emotional and dramatic ending where readers drown in a puddle of their feels as we're forced to read Four's tragic reaction to her death.

The last few chapters, including the epilogue, are incredibly rushed. Literally every single issue in the growing mountain of problems that accumulated over the course of this book are immediately solved without any further complications or commentary because deus ex machina.

EDIT (7/11/13): The ending is far from being the worst thing about this book, but I did read the author's blog post about what she was aiming for. Keeping her intentions in mind, I still think this ending failed in it's execution. Primarily, the inorganic way that the events are revealed crushes the effect this ending was trying to achieve.

EDIT (9/11/13): Another blatant plot hole I'm baffled over: Tris discovers that her mother was brought in from the outside to rescue Divergents who were being killed by Jeanine's predecessor. Then later on, it is revealed that the Bureau supplied Jeanine with the attack simulation serum she used to massacre the Abnegation. So the Bureau is apparently so cautious and protective of every Divergent life that they are willing to send in one of their own to save as many of them as possible, but helping Jeanine massacre an entire faction that contains Divergents is totally ok with them? Why is this link between the Bureau and Jeanine established but never explained at length? Did it show us anything other than the fact that this book is riddled with more plot holes?



2/10

would not recommend

[Nataliya · Rating 1 out of 5]

If in your story the word 'genetics' could have just as easily been replaced with the word 'magic' or 'voodoo' or 'pepperoni', your premise may seriously need some rethinking.¹

¹ Why do I care? Well, education took me on the path from biology to medicine, and so I don't take f*cking with genetics lightly.

Well, now against all odds (and against my self-preservation sense) I finished this series. And it was not very good. Really, it wasn't.

It could have been somewhat salvageable - if only the author was able to recapture the unabashed mindless fun entertainment that 'Divergent' was able to pull off. But, alas, it lost the fun aspect completely, and what was left when entertainment was removed turned out to be insufficient to fill the resulting void.

Instead, this book just serves to cement how this series was poorly thought through from the beginning, unsure of its own premise, uncertain of its message, unsure of where it was supposed to be headed, disjointed in its ideas and concepts, and never becoming a coherent whole.

Just to clarify - my disappointment has nothing to do with the widely publicized "controversial" ending - or at least not with the part of the ending (a certain character's fate Tris dies - and that part was not that unexpected given her semi-suicidal inclinations and sudden introduction of Tobias' perspective in the story) that has quite a few people freak out. No, my biggest disappointment is with the fickle way this series reached its resolution.

You see, far from trying to resolve any of the old conflicts built up in the previous two books, this story decides to just abruptly swing to another issue - 'genetically pure' vs. 'genetically damaged', carelessly dismissing the dystopian Chicago world as though it had never happened in favor of the new development.

As much as I was making fun of the ridiculous premise of this faction-based encapsulated society, I really did not appreciate sudden treatment of it as little but an unfortunate afterthought, a setting that doesn't matter much, a place that we abruptly leave and only visiting again as a "by the way", thus making all the buildup of the (admittedly, ridiculous) conflicts of the previous two books absolutely pointless.



Instead of resolving the issues and conflicts with the established characters and developing these characters further so that they in the end would not look like cardboard cutouts, we are introduced to the slew of new characters which basically are just mashups of the old characters and are there for reasons unclear - but I'd at least like to assume are different than Roth simply getting distracted by the new shiny idea.

And the end of the huge conflict is done with a Whimper of all Whimpers - the slaughter facing the city is stopped by little else than basically a family reunion. Because Love heals, my friends. Because as long as the character's parents face their conflicts, the entire world becomes a better place to live. And no, this is NOT done from the perspective a a five-year-old. And suddenly the world becomes a better place, just because two adults have finally had a conversation. Because everyone else will just blindly follow the two semi-questionable leaders.



We also get a few heavy moralistic lessons and insights into the natures of what's good and what's evil. What we learn is that Good is what Tris believes in and agrees with. Anything that she is not personally invested in is therefore Evil. For instance, it's only EVIL to erase memories of those she cares about. Even if the justification for both acts is identical - to prevent violence and deaths.

By this book, Tris is not only the 80-pound badass of all badasses out there; she is infallible, flawless, selfless, unerringly perceptible, basically a new Messiah or, if you are as dorky as I am, basically an incarnation of Neo from the Matrix minus the ridiculous but cool black leather duster. And I found it to be eye-rollingly annoying.



This book is mostly told in alternating chapters by Tris and Tobias. It does help to read the title of each chapter to remember who the narrator is supposed to be because otherwise their voices are completely indistinguishable. Quite a few times I got halfway through a chapter before remembering that the narrator had changed. That does not a skillful narration make, my friends.

Overall, this series started ridiculous but fun, quickly deteriorated and finished on the note sour enough to give me a semi-permanent scowl. Nothing too memorable, honestly, except for very poor use of genetics. 1.5 stars.

And for the inevitable few fans of this book and this series who will disagree with my opinion by insinuating that I'm not that bright and actually quite crazy, I have the retort by Dr. Sheldon Cooper, PhD:

.................

------------
And if you care:

My review of 'Divergent'.
My review of 'Insurgent'.

[Danielle. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Veronica Roth:




Well, I tried writing this review without there being any spoilers, but it’s rather impossible – for me, at least. So, readers beware.

Veronica can do so much better than this, so so much. The second Tobias’ PoV was introduced I knew Tris was going to pull some heroic sacrificial bullshit and get her ass killed. I fucking knew it. Not a tear was shed from me… not a single fuck was given. Yes, dear readers, call me a Satanist slash sadist for all I care. I saw no point in this move – perhaps Roth wanted to be unique and inspiring with her story; nevertheless, it was still unnecessary.

Apart from that, Allegiant is an entirely different story, entirely different. The book was confusing. I wasn’t pissed whilst reading, I wasn’t saddened, hell, I wasn’t even bored. I was reading this book with a blank expression. Constantly I kept forgetting I was reading a book that’s a continuance of the Divergent trilogy. The terms “Divergent” and “Divergence” were a reminder that I was, indeed, reading the final installment. I’m sorry to say this, but: this was the dumbest book I’ve read in 2013.

Allegiant was a hot ass fucking mess. The character development as well as the world-building was tragic. It was not explained how Tris survived the death serum, we were only given half-assed, clouded ideas. The romance fell off a cliff and shattered on sharp rocks at the bottom, the relationship between Tris and Tobias failed to impress me. The whole BOOK failed to impress me. It hurts me to say this because I adore Veronica Roth. No one, and I mean no one can change my mind about this book: you can write a mile long essay about why you felt this book was perfectly wrapped and poignant, you can say how wrong I am, you can say just about anything and I still wouldn't give a flying Ford Anglia.

I remember Roth wrote a blog post about wanting Harry Potter to be killed off because "it would have showed the greatest act of sacrifice and love". I don't know what her fucking deal is with killing people off because "it shows real love". No, it doesn't. That's not always the route to take; there are other ways of showing true love and sacrifice. There's always another way.

The minute the characters went out the fence, the story fell even further into the pit of stupidity. Allegiant tried to be preachy. The government (or should I say the Bureau) in here plays (or is) God. We are introduced to superfluous explanations on why we have the factions and the factionless. We learn about Genetic Purity and the Genetically Damaged. Genetic Purity meaning Divergence; Genetically Damaged meaning belonging to one faction with fucked up genes. We also find out Tobias is, in fact, not Divergent, but Genetically Damaged which gives Allegiant, yet, ANOTHER twist that's pointless with dramatic arguments. Come the fuck ON. I am not impressed.

OH, how can I forget? Tris' mother was part of this Bureau. HOW FUCKING EXCITING OMFG!!1!!11!!! /sarcasm
What else do you want to throw in to make this all the more amazing and special?

Honest to God I wish I had something nice to say about Allegiant. There's an attempt at a love triangle here between Nita and Tobias, there's an attempt at something unique with this story, but the alternating PoV between Tris and Tobias and everything I've stated above ruined everything. Also, I didn't like Tobias' voice here, Roth did not do a good job with portraying a male protagonist. I kept hearing a female voice in my head, constantly thinking it was Tris'. Did Veronica have this all planned out since the first book? If it was then it wasn't very good and thorough. This book is a flat out FAIL.

[Rimsha Salam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Click Here to see the full review :)

After Reading:

I just don't know how I feel right now!

Before Reading:

Edit#3:
Here's another awesome cover by a fan <3 brilliant work !!!


Edit#2:
Ok this is so freaky 600 likes guys awesome!!! :*

Edit#1:
They are probably looking for a title other than those above that's why they haven't named it yet!


who rated this? I mean seriously the second part isn't even out yet and people rated a book that is probably not even written yet!

I think the cover of this book will have Erudite's or Abnegation's symbol on it!


I am so exited freaking can't wait for it!!!

Edit:
me waiting......2


Edit:
I found this fan made cover on google isn't it amazing!
[image error]

And this one is just freaking hilarious!

Rimsha@Ramblings of a Bookworm

[K]

Mid-book review cos I'm struggling to finish this. So far Katy Perry does a good job summing this book up:

"You change your mind
Like a girl changes clothes.
Yeah, you, PMS
Like a bitch
I would know
And you over think
Always speak
Critically

I should know
That you're no good for me

[Chorus:]
'Cause you're hot then you're cold
You're yes then you're no
You're in then you're out
You're up then you're down
You're wrong when it's right
It's black and it's white
We fight, we break up
We kiss, we make up
(you) You don't really wanna stay, no
(you) But you don't really wanna go-o
You're hot then you're cold
You're yes then you're no
You're in then you're out
You're up then you're down"



Update May 2013: The cover's actually good, though I have to admit, some of the fan made covers were gorgeous. I'm not too sure about the water symbol. I was hoping they had all 5 symbols and had them crashing together to create a new symbol. Y'know new world, new symbol??

Update Apr 2013: Allegiant?? Really? Did they mean Allergen[t]? Y'know, the factionless' quest to rid themselves of fleas permanently. Grab your nets and bugs spray! I can't say that I like being wrong but still looking forward to how things end.


Hmmm...all the possible titles:

-Option 1: Emergent They finally go through the fence and face the real world

-Option 2: Resurgent All the dead find some way to rise again

-Option 3: Convergent The distinctions are abolished and the factions finally come together

-Option 4: Indulgent Tris and Tobias finally give in to their inner desires and get it on

-Option 5: By popular demand, we have Detergent. After 2 books of nothing but blood, sweat and tears, these people are filthy I tell you! They need all the help they can get to remove all those tough stains. Blood can seriously be a bitch to clean!

Cast your votes today to avoid disappointment!

Click here for my review of Divergent.

[Diane ϟ [ Lestrange ]]

one of the coolest thing I saw at tumblr. haha

______________________________

Q: Anything else you want to add about the trilogy?
VERONICA ROTH: The third book will be called Detergent , and the tagline will be One Choice Can Disinfect You. Okay, that’s a lie.



LOL...

[Jesse (JesseTheReader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I understand why people are so upset with this book, but I personally thought this book was raw, realistic, and heartbreaking.

[Emily May]

On this highly productive Friday afternoon, you will be delighted to hear that I have made - wait for it... a book-themed faction quiz!

You answer the questions, keep a note of your answer number, tally up your score and find out which reader faction you belong to! It's revolutionary, really. No peeking ahead at the scores either; this is serious, people. So...

What’s your favorite genre?

1)Classics
2)Mystery/Thriller
3)Science-Fiction
4)Romance
5)Non-Fiction
6)I read everything

Do you ever read more than one book at a time?

1)Just one at a time for me.
2)Hell yes. I live on the wild side.
3)At least five.
4)One or two.
5)Honestly? It varies.
6)Sometimes. I need to mix up my genres.

There’s a new bestseller in town, what do you do?

1)Wait to see what my friends think.
2)Gimme gimme gimme!
3)Assess the positive and negative reviews equally.
4)Cautiously check it out.
5)Wait until the hype has got too unbearable… then give in.
6)Pretend to not be interested - how plebeian - but read it in secret.

Pick a classic:

1)Little Women
2)The Great Gatsby
3)War and Peace
4)Pride and Prejudice
5)The Picture of Dorian Gray
6)Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland


The movie version of your favorite book is out, what do you do?

1)I’ll stick with my books, thank you very much!
2)Get tickets to the midnight showing.
3)Read the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, then consider it.
4)Take this opportunity to re-read the book, then maybe see it.
5)Depends whether Jennifer Lawrence is in it.
6)Flip a coin. Heads and you’ll see it, tails and you’ll stay in and watch Grey's Anatomy.

When a book ends with a cliffhanger, you...

1)Shrug and find something else to read.
2)Freak out!
3)Mark the sequel release in your planner.
4)Cry. But are secretly pleased a book can affect you like this.
5)Stalk the author on twitter, looking for tidbits on the characters’ fate.
6)All of the above. In reverse order.

Someone asks you what the last book was that you read. It was Twilight (come on, you were curious!). So you say...

1)Nothing. You change the subject.
2)The latest Stephen King, of course *eye twitch*
3)Oh, some book about negative relationship psychology among young women. You wouldn’t know it.
4)[said really fast]Twilight, but only because I was curious, bored, caffeine deprived, PMS-ing...
5)Twilight.
6)Haha! The last book? I read like ten at a time, you’ll have to be more specific.

How fast do you read?

1)Not that fast. I have other obligations too.
2)I speed through those books. Publishers can hardly keep up with me.
3)I aim for 500 words per minute.
4)Not fast. Not slow.
5)Frankly, it depends on the book. And my mood.
6)I read fast unless it’s a book I REALLY love or REALLY hate.

Which of these best describes you at the library?

1)Perusing the ebook selection. You want to save the planet.
2)Dancing between the aisles and pretending you’re a wizard.
3)Asking the librarian to order in a bunch of obscure titles.
4)Carrying out the entire “What’s New” section.
5)Being annoyed that Game of Thrones is on the sci-fi shelves. It’s fantasy! Why does no one seem to know the difference?!
6)Browsing EVERY section for hours and annoying the people you’re with.


Okay, now add up your answer scores:
1 = 0 points
2 = 1 point
3 = 2 points
4 = 3 points
5 = 4 points
6 = 5 points

RESULTS:

0-8 : ABNEGATION
You are a selfless reader (most of the time). You don't like to read more than one book at once and your friends' opinions on books are extremely valuable to you. You're not one to go in for all that bookworm drama and you remember that life exists outside storybooks... you just prefer being inside them. Your faction leader is Juliet Capulet. She, like you, was never afraid to give up all else for the people books she loved.


9-15 : Dauntless
You're a brave reader who loves to throw yourself into multiple books at once. Books are thrilling adventures for you and whatever genre you pick has to be filled with fast-pacing and excitement. You are extremely enthusiastic about sequels and movie adaptations of your favourite books. Your faction leader is Katniss Everdeen. She fought in The Hunger Games and you've always known you'd have made a great tribute.


16-23 : Erudite
Being as smart as you are, books have always been your natural companions. You are happy to read many at the same time and always consider the positives and negatives noted in reviews before wasting your precious reading time. You probably feel just as comfortable reading a huge classic as you do checking out the latest paranormal YA. Your faction leader is Sherlock Holmes. Because... duh.


24-31 : Amity
You are one of the kind-hearted, sensitive lovers of peace and happy endings. It's possible that you're something of a romantic and dislike dark and depressing novels, but your pleasant personality means you'll give everything a chance to prove you wrong. Your faction leader is Jay Gatsby - a kindred spirit who only ever wanted to get the girl he loves, throw parties and read fabulous books.


32-38 : Candor
You are a proud speaker of the truth. No bullshit, you're just comfortable with who you are and don't feel the need to pretend the pageturner you're reading is a Russian classic. If you write book reviews, then it's likely that you deliver a hard dose of truth and don't lose any sleep over it either. Your faction leader is Tyrion Lannister, because someone has to be the voice of wittily-applied reason amid the drama.


39-45 : Divergent
No one really knows what's going on with you - you like a bit of everything. You try many different genres and your reaction to them changes with your mood. Or just with the weather. I guess, in the end, you just love all kinds of literature wildly and unpredictably. Genre is a silly way of categorizing things anyway. Your faction leader is Severus Snape, because no one had any idea which side he belonged on either.


...........................................................................................

This quiz was written by me, whilst sat in my pajamas eating leftover Thai food. It is not remotely official. In fact, it is so far from official that you should really take your result with a pinch of salt and a shot of tequila (#TGIF). But I am extremely bored (obviously) so if you are feeling some blossoming indignation over your result, feel free to send your hate mail my way. *eats another wonton*

[NickReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

If only this ended differently.

[miguel · Rating 2 out of 5]

:(((((((((((

My Fan-Made Cover: (Before the real title, Allegiant, was revealed.)

[Mitch · Rating 1 out of 5]

Obviously, I just don't get it.

What a Divergent fan apparently sees:
531 pages of awesome!

And what I see:
Faction crap. Faction crap. Faction crap. Tris and Four. Faction crap. Faction crap. Tris and Four. Some nonsense with genetics. Faction crap. Wtf moment. The end.

~

Admittedly, I've always been a skeptic of Veronica Roth's books - Divergent was nonsense dressed up as a dystopian, Insurgent pretty much failed at everything except piling on the bullshit - but, as I predicted in my Insurgent review, there was just something about Roth's end game that had me curious. Something I thought I'd either love or absolutely despise. Well, after finishing Allegiant, I think I've finally figured out why these books never clicked for me like they have for a lot of other people - Veronica Roth has some really good ideas and a good message, but the way she constructs her world to develop that message is just so heavy handed to the point the whole thing ends up flying in the face of common sense.

Here's the thing, Divergent as a series is built around one very simple, very obvious proposition: we should all be treated as individuals rather than stereotyped into some faction, Dauntless or Erudite or Candor (except Roth's doing the stereotyping anyway, like what's up with only the Erudite wearing glasses?). Don't believe me? That's straight up paraphrased from one of Tris's many lines to Four. The idea itself gets no argument from me, not when it's like one of those universal truths only a douche could disagree with, but, problem is, rather than writing the kind of story that makes me want to believe it, Roth writes the kind of story that so obviously shoves it down my throat in the most unpleasant way possible it hurts - starting with the whole faction system, which, at the risk of sounding repetitive, makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Now, I'm not saying for a fictional book everything has to make perfect sense, but in this case, it's not so much that the factions make no sense (even after all the mumbo jumbo experimental crap Roth's concocted to force some logic onto the system - crap I saw coming ever since Insurgent's out of nowhere ending) as much as the factions are so obviously written the way they are to reinforce Roth's message of how stereotyping is bad that they make no sense outside of that context. In other words, Roth needs them so Tris can repeatedly tell me how everyone should be judged for who they are rather than for which faction they belong to (or, as is the case later on in this one, rather than for how their genes are), and not because the factions do anything for the whole exploration of human nature thing everyone tells me this book is really supposed to be about. Maybe that's not a flaw for anyone else, but as I see it, the whole thing is just a critique of a straw man spread out over three books padded by filler to make the straw man's existence nominally logical but not really, and that for me is the ultimate waste of time.

Nowhere is any of this more obvious than with the whole genetically damaged versus pure thing Roth's got going throughout the middle of this one. I hate to say it, but the damaged versus pure storyline is even worse than the regular faction A versus faction B storyline we've had for two books now, not only because it's basically the same thing she's been trying to sell for two books now only now a hundred times more obvious what she's doing (People are unique! The status quo is bad!), but also because to cover up how shoddily constructed THAT backstory is we've had to pile on even more bullshit and crap to hand wave it away that the whole thing falls apart like a house of straw anyway and the only thing left is a good idea surrounded by a whole lotta nonsense to validate it. I mean, the whole genes personality persecution angle? What? Does it make sense outside of Tris saying how people shouldn't be persecuted based on their genes? And doesn't it get on anyone else's nerves that Tris is always right, 'the system' is always wrong, yet despite how bad everything is certain characters still want things to stay the way they are? For apparently no reason whatsoever? Yeah. No.

Basically, I only liked two things - Tris and Caleb's relationship, and the ballsy ending (for like five seconds). For a last book so artificial most of it is spent on (poorly done) exposition to explain it all away, Tris and Caleb to me felt like the only thing real about any of it, the one character development success in a sea of plot development failure. And the ending, in retrospect, was the one last Hail Mary that could've done anything for the book, because let's be real, the fate of the factions was so tediously mired in poorly done backstory segueing into genetic nonsense the rest of this wasn't going to do much of anything anyway, so how else was Allegiant going to end with a bang? Too bad that's all it does though. Bang. Now go wonder how the heck all the pointlessness managed to get swept under a rug. While telling yourself how a better book wouldn't have had to resort to such a cheap tactic.

Bottom line, look, I admire creative world building, but it has to be organic, not so obviously constructed for the heroine to score sympathy points for being obviously right that there's just no payoff when the artificial construct's finally destroyed - finishing Allegiant feels like ending a pointless exercise that went nowhere.

[Miranda Reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

50% tedious, 50% exasperating - I'm 100% done with this series

Me, ten pages in.

The only positive from this series was that I finally managed to finish it.

To channel my undoubtedly unorganized and ranty-rant, I will focus on the "romance", the lackluster plot and the oh so many over-the-top quotes.

The "romance" - aka, ohdeargawd. What has YA come to???

Honestly, what was up with Fourtris this book?

"I don't just stay with him by default as if there's no one else available to me. I stay with him because I choose to, every day that I wake up, every day that we fight or lie to each other or disappoint each other. I choose him over and over again, and he chooses me."

I don't even want to touch on how if she has to choose to like him every day then THIS IS NOT A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP.

But that wasn't all...cause now we have a whole new dimension to their relationship (aka, they were making-out all the bleeping time).

I swear, if I have to read one more over-the-jeans-butt-touch I will go insane.

Literally every few pages, there's another passionate, yet chaste make-out session followed by accusations of jealousy, trust issues and other petty squabbles.

The Lackluster Plot - aka, seriously? This is REALLY the direction we're going?

And the plot - Oooo, that plot - really rustled my jimmies.

The whole pure-genes can be found only in the Divergent people thing was such a complete waste of page space - any middle school textbook can explain why this is such utter rubbish.

The fact that the scientists studied the cities for generations and yet could not get the pure genes prejudice thing out of their thick skulls frustrated me beyond belief.

I suppose some explanation is better than no explanation but still... to slog through three books and get that for a reward?

And then, Tris's big plan was erase everyone's memory? I cannot conceive of any way that could possibly work long-term.

For one, these so-called scientists that managed to create serums to erase memory but not language, life skills or personality couldn't figure out how to treat the messed up genes? Am I actually supposed to believe that?

And secondly, all that memory-erased-folks have to do is talk to another city and all those prejudices are back in place.

The Quotes - aka, how was this typed with a straight face??

Maybe I'm just jaded at this point, but every quote I read just seemed too, too much. So much drama and angst and tension - I just couldn't handle it.

I mean there's this:

"Knowledge is power. Power to do evil...or power to do good. Power itself is not evil. So knowledge itself is not evil."

And this:

"I belong to the people I love, and they belong to me--they, and the love and loyaty I give them, form my identity far more than any word or group ever could."

And this:

"The first step to loving someone else is to recognize the evil in ourselves, so we can forgive them."

And this:

"If someone offer you an opportunity to get closer to your enemy, you always take it."

Overall

I'm so glad this series is over...wait. What? There's a companion novel? Motherfudger.

Audiobook Comments
The only positive from this book was that Emma Gavin read it. She did her best with this steaming pile of malarkey.

YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads

[Federico DN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartcrushent.

While the outcast Factionless take power, a cryptic video message arrives from outside the borders. What lies there beyond the barriers of the city? Or whom? The truth can change everything, and not everyone is ready to accept it. A new civil war of catastrophic proportions threatens to destroy what little remains from the faction society. Tris, Four and a couple of their loyal friends venture into the unknown to try to save their city from self-destruction. How is the war going to end? And when?

This was one weird ending to the series, a dystopia over another one. The journey to the outside bringing a whole new world of characters and subplots. David, Nita, Matthew, Amar, among others. The Bureau of Genetics, Chicago, the genetically-pure vs the genetically-damaged, Natalie’s journal, the fight for the death and memory serum, and the infamous ending nobody wanted.

The answers to the mystery of divergency both satisfying and unfulfilling. Happy for the final resolution between the factions, and devastated because of the events in the Bureau. Tris and Four as always fighting the good fight and giving all they got to defend those they love, literally. The ending one of the most painful things I’ve ever read. (Seriously Roth WTF!)

An unforgettable ending to one of my most beloved YA series, alongside Percy Jackson and Hunger Games. I remain, by far, with that perfect first book, followed by the second, and lastly this third one, that I almost regret reading. Anyone who has read it perfectly knows why.

*** Allegiant Part 1 (2016) is a visually stunning adaptation, yet sadly the weakest of all the movies and a major disappointment. The screenplay felt convoluted, the pacing chopped and the acting subpart. Other than the visuals, there’s not much I can rescue, not even by Woodley or James. It’s no surprise that because of the unfavorable reception this was the last film and Part 2 never happened. Part of me wishes for that second movie, but I’m also grateful that I never got to watch it. That ending is not something I wish to relive twice.



-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[2013] [531p] [Dystopia] [YA] [Conditional Recommendable] [Tori <\3]
-----------------------------------------------

★★★☆☆ 0.1-0.4 Four
★★★★★ 1. Divergent
★★★☆☆ 1.5 Tobias Tells the Divergent Knife-Throwing Scene
★★★★☆ 2. Insurgent
★★☆☆☆ 2.5 The Path to Allegiant [1.5]
★★★★☆ 3. Allegiant
★★☆☆☆ 3.5 We Can Be Mended [2.5]

-----------------------------------------------

Desgarradorente.

Mientras los maginados Sin Facción toman el poder, un video con un mensaje críptico llega del exterior. ¿Qué es lo que existe detrás de las barreras de la ciudad? ¿O quiénes? La verdad puede cambiar todo, y no todos están dispuestos a aceptarla. Una nueva guerra civil de proporciones catastróficas amenaza con destruir lo poco que quedó de la civilización de las facciones. Tris, Cuatro y un par de sus fieles amigos se aventuran en lo desconocido para intentar salvar su mundo antes de que se autodestruya. ¿Cómo terminará la guerra? ¿Y cuándo?

Este fue un extraño final para la serie, una distopía sobre otra. El viaje al exterior trayendo todo un nuevo mundo de personajes y subtramas. David, Nita, Matthew, Amar, entre otros. La Oficina Genética, Chicago, los genéticamente puros contra los genéticamente defectuosos, el diario de Natalie, la pelea por los sueros de la memoria y la muerte, y el infame final que nadie quería.

Las respuestas al misterio de la divergencia a su vez satisfactorias y carentes. Feliz por la resolución final entre las facciones, y devastado por los eventos en la Oficina. Tris y Cuatro como siempre luchando la buena pelea y dando todo de ellos para defender aquellos que aman, literalmente. El final una de las cosas más dolorosas que leí jamás. (En serio Roth, ¡qué demonios!)

Un inolvidable final para una de mis más amadas series de lo Joven Adulto, junto con Percy Jackson y Juegos del Hambre. Me quedo, por mucho, con ese perfecto primer libro, seguido por el segundo, y por último este tercero, que casi me arrepiento de haber leído. Cualquiera que lo haya leído sabe perfectamente por qué.

*** Leal Parte 1 (2016) es una visualmente impactante adaptación, aunque lamentablemente la más floja de todas las películas y una terrible decepción. El guion se sintió artificial, el ritmo cortado y la actuación mediocre. Más allá de las visuales, no puedo rescatar mucho, ni siquiera de Woodley o James. No es de sorprenderse que por la desfavorable recepción este fue el último filme y la Parte 2 nunca llegó. Una parte de mi desea esa segunda película, pero también estoy agradecido que nunca llegué a verla. Ese final no es algo que quisiera revivir dos veces.



-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[2013] [531p] [Distopía] [Joven Adulto] [Recomendable Condicional] [Tori <\3]
-----------------------------------------------

[J.m. Darhower · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five motherfucking stars. If I could give this ten stars, I would.

Veronica Roth, I want to high-five you for your courage to end it as you saw it ending and not cave to 'standards' or 'expectations'.

It was HARD to read. I'm not going to sit here and lie and say it was all sunshine and roses. I sobbed more than once. I stared blankly in disbelief. I GRIEVED. And then I hugged my Divergent books, because wow. Just fucking wow. I can't even say anything else. Not at all what I expected (because it's YA, I suppose) but looking back at the beginning, I now wonder WHY I didn't expect this. Maybe I have an advantage, having read the books back-to-back, but hindsight is 20/20, and I see warnings of this happening from the very beginning.

Okay, I was wrong. TWENTY motherfucking stars.

FOUR owns my soul.

[Joey Reyes · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel disappointed. And betrayed.

Mockingjay. The Death Cure. Requiem. I can't say I didn't see it coming. But I was really hoping Roth would prove me wrong. I was really hoping...

I had my hopes set so high, and it just...I just feel really crushed right now. This makes me question ever reading another dystopian trilogy.


Let's start with the whole genetics thing. That was really stupid. Sorry to be candor but it was. I mean, seriously? All this time I thought being Divergent was incredibly cool because you get to be different but in reality it comes down to...genes???!!!

Are you kidding me?!! That's not even logical at all! How does being "genetically pure" result into Divergence?? Divergence is supposed to mean there's something in the way you think and act that can't make you fit into one category...not something in your GENES.

Second of all, what up with the whole GD and GP thing? I wasn't looking for a war between the two. I wanted to see what would happen to the faction system, not this genetics bullshit. Chicago was an experiment - are you kidding me?? I can't even...Chicago was supposed to be a DYSTOPIAN world, a lifestyle, a settlement because of war - NOT an experiment.

I mean, the video told us that the faction system was built in order to stop war and peace, not for any of this genetics thing - which I still have so much against. It just doesn't make any sense!! Honesty, Courage, Bravery...these are VIRTUES that are TAUGHT and LEARNED, not something we are BORN WITH.

Anyway, let's forget about the Genetic thing 'cuz I'm probably gonna rant until I have no more space left if we don't. Let's talk about the plot - or the lack of it. Honestly, the pace was slower than that snail in Monsters University who missed his first day of school. I mean, in Divergent and Insurgent, there was action! War! And in Allegiant it's all



Anf last but definitely the least, the ending. I honestly feel like Veronica made Tris die so they could pass it off as "a non-cliche ending" when in reality it's an ending that basically defies Tris and is completely unnecessary and it all honesty I AM JUST SO MAD AT V. ROTH FOR DOING THAT because IT WAS PERFECTLY CLEAR THAT CALEB COULD DO IT AND IT MAKES NO SENSE FOR HER TO SACRIFICE HERSELF BECAUSE CALEB COULD'VE AND I WOULD'VE BEEN OKAY IF THERE WAS NOBODY ELSE AND IT FITTED THE STORYLINE BUT IT SEEMED LIKE TRIS JUST WANTED TO TAKE THE GLORY AND IT'S SO ANNOYING BECAUSE



I mean we could've gained a much better perspective of Caleb WHOSE BETRAYAL WASN'T EVEN PROPERLY EXPLAINED AND MY FRIEND HAD A BETTER HEADCANON AND SHE'S FIFTEEN (Caleb couldn't compete with the other Erudite initiates, so he grew desperate) and did the plot and the readers gain something with Tris dying?

I honestly don't think an author should kill the main character unless absolutely necessary. Was this necessary? No, it wasn't. It was poorly planned, poorly executed, and ENTIRELY useless.

THE ENTIRE ENDING WAS OVERSHADOWED BY HER DEATH AND IT DIDN'T FEEL LIKE A RESOLUTION BECAUSE NOTHING WAS RESOLVED EXCEPT FOR THE FACTION THING WHICH JUST HAPPENED SO MAGICALLY


I don't understand how Roth thought this was a successful way of ending the series that defined her. This was one of my favorite series - no, scratch that, this was my favorite series - and now I'm questioning even giving it that title. When people asked me what my favorite book was I would proudly say Divergent and now I'm not sure what to answer anymore.

Veronica Roth, please just do us all a favor and rewrite this book.

Your fans - who've been waiting so much - deserve so, SO much better.

Please.

Read more reviews at Strange & Unorthodox!

[karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

do i understand why people are all angry at this book?

oh, yes. i understand.

but i loved it.

i loved it for two reasons.


reason number one:








reason number two.

there were things about divergent that were completely unrealistic but i accepted them so that i could enjoy the book. i always thought the factions were silly and reductive and were more like limitations and rules in a game a young child designed. they didn't really make sense, but when you are playing a game with a little kid, you play by their rules or it gets really loud. and as long as you go with the flow and just enjoy the ride without stopping to think "this doesn't really make any sense…" the book is incredibly fun. and so much literature is suspension of disbelief, isn't it?? you accept that in the 1500's there's a potion that can make someone appear to be dead. you accept that a single night of ghostly visitations can change a man's entire character. you accept that a man can put on some costume jewelry and a scarf and pass as a gypsy fortune teller. and that suspension of disbelief is not a problem for me, especially in YA dystopian lit.

but! what allegiant does more or less resolves the problems of the factions and they finally make sense. the explanation raises additional problems, yes, but i really appreciated that something that had been problematic for me from the get-go finally began to become clearer. anything goes in a monitored construct, after all. and as something that was genetically manipulated rather than just arbitrarily chosen, it makes it easier to swallow. now of course, those bratty twins nature and nurture are going to make some noise, but there's plenty of room in the corner for them to play until you're finished reading this book

this book is a bit confusing because not only do we have to contend with the dissent between the factions and the factionless, but now we have all-new mirror dissension between the GDs and the GPs and we are asked to keep everything straight in our heads. the fact that these two situations are mirroring each other is a fantastic echo because of the nature of the two communities; that one is supposed to be "better" than the other and yet is still suffering its own internal strife. a little heavy-handed commentary on human nature, you say?? well, certainly, but it still makes for some good action sequences.

it's a fun little journey through the trickiness of science and natural selection and free will and serum after serum after serum. is it 100% convincing?? no, but i think it stays true to the world roth has built, and her characters feel genuine and three-dimensional, and tris is still one of the great characters in YA lit, even though she seems to have gotten a little too textbook superhero in this one, and doesn't have the elements of her character that made her so likable before. like where she was occasionally uncertain, or flat-out wrong. but no matter - she's still a powerhouse.

giving four a voice for the first time in this one (except for those little novellas) is interesting. it shows the disparity between how he appears to others and how he is really feeling. he is so much less certain and capable than what he is broadcasting to the world, and especially to tris. and she comes across as an even stronger character because of this.

and yeah - her death. it's a heartbreaker, for sure, but she dies while being completely true to who she is, and her death is a good one, a useful one. and honestly, a more dramatic one than tobias dying. knowing what we know of four's character from the inside, now, it is clear that tris could have lived without him. she was willing to give him up because of his actions in this book. she went back to him, sure, but i believe there was enough in her character to stand alone, while four had only really ever unpacked himself for her, so for him to suddenly be without her… well, it's more powerful.it just is

so, yeah. i liked this. i liked it so much more than that weird bloated and meditative insurgent. i agree with many of the criticisms of the book, but it did not stop me from loving it and applauding it as a perfectly fitting conclusion to the series.



come to my blog!

[♥ Becky 22 · Rating 2 out of 5]

UPDATE: Veronica Roth just announced that 'Allegiant' will be from Tris AND Four's perspective!!!!!

There's this post on Veronica Roth's blog, where she says that she would have preferred it if Harry had died in the last HP book, because it would have been "by far the most powerful moment of the entire series. And beyond that, an incredible act of heroism."

...This scares me. A lot.




Please, Veronica, don't kill Tris and DON'T KILL FOUR. Please. PLEASE. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE.



Here's a link to her blog. Veronica Roth is absolutely amazing and I admire her so, so much.
http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.de/





Fall 2013..? Fall 2013???

[Jessica (Goldenfurpro) · Rating 2 out of 5]

AFTER READING (EDIT)
Okay, I know I had another one of these earlier(as in a few months earlier), but I wrote that when I was really emotional so I'm back so that I can clarify some things!

The ending was not the only reason why I was so upset about this book.
Yes, I cried. And yes, it still makes me want to cry and while I believe I forgive Veronica Roth for the ending, I am still grieving. The reason as to way I am saying this is because I don't want to seem like someone who gets upset at a book because they didn't get a happy ending.
But if Tris had to die, couldn't she have died some other way?! Tris deserves to go out in a grand (well, as grand as death can be) and brave way. I appreciate (that's a bad word for it. I would have actually appreciated if she didn't die at all) that she did it for her brother and that does show bravery, but she was shot by some stupid doctor guy was not even a character until this book! And why did he shoot her at all? Wasn't her genes special to him or something? So, yeah, I would have LOVED IT if she didn't die but, Veronica, I know you wanted it to happen, but couldn't it have been done differently?
There were other reasons as to why I couldn't get into this book like the others in the series.
1. POV
You've probably heard this already (and probably know from experience), but Tris and Four sounded exactly the same! This took away a lot from the book for more because it made the narration dull and boring.

2.Nothing really happened (until the end)
Seriously, most of the book was the weird introduction to the experiment thing and Tris and Four fighting each other.

3.It was anti-climatic
After the ending to Insurgent, I was expecting a torn apart world on the outside, but I get a weird experiment that makes zero sense? And why isn't the outside more futuristic? It's been centuries, why are you guys using 21st century technology?

Anyway, I am STILL upset about the ending, but these are some of the things that really affecting how I felt about the book. (There were a few things I did like too! I'm not all I HATE EVERYTHING!)
If I loved everything in the book and then there was that ending, I would have still given the book a good rating due to the rest.
But since I was not a fan of the other parts...

AFTER READING
My emotions are all over the place right now, so I apologize if my "review" doesn't make any sense.
Let me say this: I found this book to be disappointing.
I am a huge fan of this series but this one just wasn't as strong as the others! (I don't know how else to explain it)
Don't even let me begin on that heartbreaking ending!!! (If you read the book, you know what i'm talking about)
This book also damages my view on the whole series! How am I supposed to go back to Divergent knowing that Tris is going to die?! And even the whole experiment thing! How am I supposed to go back knowing that?!
I know you must be wondering why this book has those 3 stars when I am bashing it, but I honestly don't know what to rate this book!
I absolutely LOVE this series, but this book...

I don't know if I'll ever recover from it.

BEFORE READING
EDITING!!!:
OH MY CHEESE!!!!!!

THE COVER IS HERE!!!!
Is it possible that this cover is awesomer than I pictured it?!?!?!?!(yes, i'm aware that awesomer is not a word, but IT SHOULD BE!!!)
*bows down to cover*

(But what is the symbol? It doesn't look like any of the symbols...)
Yay! More Edits!:
Apparently, the title is Allegiant...
al·le·giance
n.
1. Loyalty or the obligation of loyalty, as to a nation, sovereign, or cause. See Synonyms at fidelity.
2. The obligations of a vassal to a lord.

Well, thank you ,Goodreads, for tricking me multiple times into thinking that the title would be Convergent.
Well played, Goodreads, Well played...

OH LOOK!!ANOTHER EDIT!!:
It was Convergent!!!! For just a little while it was Convergent!!!
I'm onto you "Divergent #3"!!
I know what your true name will be!!

(haha! That rhymes! Kind of...)

TWO EDITS IN ONE DAY, MUST BE A RECORD:
Okay, okay, FIRST it was supposed to come out in April!
THEN it was supposed to come out in September!
NOW IT'S OCTOBER?!!!!!
*bursts into tears*

YES, I'M EDITING AGAIN:
OH MY CHEDDAR NUGGUTS!!!!!!
THERE'S A PLACEHOLDER NOW!!

Yet there's still no title...

ANOTHER ONE OF MY NUMEROUS EDITS:
This is fan-made but it's so awesome!!!!!! (I DID NOT MAKE THIS!!)

I hope the real cover will be this cool!! XD

EDIT NUMBER THREE:
September?!
SEPTEMBER?!!?!!!!!
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BOOKS COMING OUT IN APRIL?!
I CANNOT POSSIBLY WHAT UNTIL SEPTEMBER
OF NEXT YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*cries*

ANOTHER EDIT:
Wait a minute, wait a minute
Why does it say 'Title Not Yet Announced'?!
It said CONVERGENT only an hour ago!!!!

EDIT:
The title is here!
CONVERGENT- 1.Coming closer together, esp. in characteristics or ideas.
2.Relating to convergence

Okay, It's an amazing title but it's not as good as 'Detergent' XD

Original "review":
WHY MUST ALL OF THE AMAZING BOOKS COME OUT AFTER THE WORLD ENDS?!
WHY?! WHY?! WHY?!
WHY MUST THE WORLD TORTURE US SO?!!

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF.

Fuck this book and everything it stands for.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

edit: i've had a few hours to process this book. all i can say without spoilers is that i wish i had never started this series. i enjoyed the new characters and it was definitely entertaining. but veronica roth is a cruel woman.

the constant switch between POV's was a little annoying, but i do appreciate seeing things from tobias's perspective that we wouldn't have been able to see otherwise. my review with spoilers below is pretty harsh.


HUGE SPOILERS -- YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

i am so f*cking mad right now. stayed up all night reading this and i am just stunned. i can't say the book is BAD, but i hated the ending. sure, authors can write whatever the hell they want.. but as a reader, i am so angry at veronica roth for killing tris!!

the book itself was entertaining. i was with it every step of the way.. until tris died. i hate unhappy endings! and i was so so so invested in tris as a character and in her love story with tobias. it breaks my heart that it had to end this way. why, veronica?? WHY???? it seems like a cheap gimmick to me. a way for her to be "unexpected" and "risky". i did not find the ending of tobias necessary or satisfying at all.

that said, i did bawl my eyes out at the epilogue zip-lining scene. i didn't cry when tris was shot. i teared up a bit during her last conversation with caleb. but the part that really got me was when tobias asked to put the urn on his back. it was his last moment with her physically with him. the thought still gives me chills and deep sadness. veronica does have talent, i don't deny that. but i am so angry that she thought it necessary to leave tobias in pain.

i am more upset at tobias's fate than with tris's. tris was the strong one and she could have survived without tobias, in my opinion. but to leave him with no one to love is just cruel. amar even said that tobias didn't really have friends. at the end of the book, christina is his closest friend. but that friendship is clearly not enough. i don't see him falling in love again. i see him living a lonely life. it is even implied with his living away from any friends. he may do good work. he may help lots of people as a politician. but tobias, himself, will never be happy. and that is what makes me so mad. veronica roth may not have killed tobias physically, but she killed him emotionally, which is much much worse.

please, someone write a good fanfaction where tris does not die! i need to erase the memory of this ending. if i had memory serum right now, i would take it. death would be better than what he ended up with. RIP TOBIAS EATON.

p.s. the reasoning behind tris taking caleb's place in the suicide mission was so flawed. she didn't want him to die bc abnegation philosophy says that you should ONLY let someone die if they do it show you their love. if she really loved caleb, she should have let him die instead of suffering with the pain of guilt. if he felt so guilty for ALMOST having her killed at erudite headquarters, how much more must he be suffering with her actual death on his behalf?? not to even mention tobias. i feel that her act was actually selfish. because SHE couldn't live with the guilt of having her brother die for her, tris did the honors. although veronica tries to argue that this is different from her erudite compound suicide mission because she didn't WANT to die this time, it really isn't. she didn't learn her lesson. she betrayed tobias AGAIN

[Kai Spellmeier · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I wonder if fears ever really go away, or if they just lose their power over us.”

I loved this book. I loved all three books in this series and I believe that the GR rating is extremely unfair. Then again, I get it, folks. It was a tough one.
This novel was as thrilling and emotional as the first two. I loved every minute of it and can't criticise a single thing.
Veronica Roth is one of my favourite and most hyped authors and I can't wait to read what she'll write after this trilogy. She writes like a champion, creates thrill and suspense that leaves me wrecked and makes my heart beat fast and faster. Her characters are complicated and and emotional, brave and broken, but most of all real and relatable.
Now I get why so many of you wanted to throw that book across the room and repeatedly kick it. I can't exactly tell you that I was happy. But I was satisfied. It was a fitting conclusion to this amazing story.

Find more of my books on Instagram

[Sasha Alsberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Veronica Roth took a risk I've never seen a YA author take and I applaud her for that. I'll miss this book series so much and the characters I've grown to love over the past 2 year <3

[Ferdy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Spoilers

FUCK THIS BOOK! I absolutely fucking HATED it, to say it was a huge disappointment would be an understatement. I actually quite enjoyed Divergent even though the world building was largely unimpressive, and I wasn't a fan of Insurgent, but I was really hoping that Allegiant would amaze me. It didn't. None of it worked for me — the story, the world building, the main characters, and especially not that bastard awful ending. I think a lot of readers will be divided on Allegiant — some will find it brilliant and moving whilst others (like me) will find it nonsensical, fucked up, and depressing.

Random, ranty, and repetitive thoughts:

-Insurgent left off with everyone finding out the truth behind why the city (Chicago) they lived in was sealed off. There was also a major change in power, with the factionless overpowering the factions and taking charge.

-Allegiant mainly focused on what the world was like outside of the factions/Chicago. There were revelations about what the factions were designed for, and the true meaning of being Divergent. Sadly, I found most of the explanations silly and convoluted. All the politics and history of the outside world was boring and far-fetched, I didn't find any of it interesting or realistic. Don't even get me started on the nonsensical science and technology, and those motherfucking serums.

-Allegiant felt like a completely different book from the first two… Which were all about the factions, the factionless, the control for power, and the speshulness of being Divergent. Whilst this one more or less forgot about all of that, and instead changed into an unrecognisable, ridiculous story.

-A VERY LONG run down of Allegiant:
Evelyn/the factionless took over the factions/the city, Evelyn acted like a power-hungry dictator, Tris and Tobias weren't happy with Evelyn's ways. After seeing Edith Prior's video they wanted to go outside and discover the truth - Tris, Tobias, Caleb, Christina and a few others managed to escape.
In the outside world they were met by Tobias's old mentor (Amar) who was meant to be dead (he faked his death), he drove them to a compound (the Bureau of Genetic Welfare).
The head of the Bureau (David) revealed the truth to Tris and co — that their city was an experiment, and they were being observed by the Bureau and government. Why? A long, long time ago the US government for some bizarre reason selected people with certain personality traits (fear, selfishness, dishonesty, low intelligence, aggression), and manipulated their genes so those undesirable traits could be eradicated. But oh noes! Instead of correcting their genes it damaged them, this made humanity worse for some dumb reason or another, and caused the Purity War, which resulted in the destruction of half the US population. When the war was over the genetically damaged (GD) demanded a solution — so the Bureau got a bunch of GD people, they altered their genes again (wouldn't that solve everything?), and placed them in a secure environment in the hope that the GD (who I presume now have corrected genes? Yea, I don't get it either) would produce genetically healed individuals.
The Bureau waited and observed for generations until the genetically healed humans aka Divergent aka genetically pure aka GP could be born. Yea, I have absolutely no idea know what the plan was after that since there appeared to be plenty of GP in the outside world, so the Divergent didn't seem all that vital.
Almost forget, the faction system was the behavioral modification portion of the experiment. The factions were meant to incorporate a ‘nurture’ element to the experiment — because apparently mere genetic correction wasn't enough to change the way people behave. So yea, that's that.
Tris and co were suitably shocked. They wandered around the compound for a while and then Tris/Tobias's genes were tested just because reasons. Tobias found out he wasn't Divergent, he was actually GD. Tobias for some odd reason was really upset about that even though he was still the same person he'd always been. He barked at Tris because he was resentful that she was GP - yea, any excuse for Tobias to be emotionally abusive to Tris.
Then some other GD (Nita) approached him and told him how GD suffered in the compound and the rest of the world, and that the GP were evul fuckers that treated the GD like shit. Naturally, he believed every word she said despite not seeing any sufficient evidence. And Tobias who hadn't suffered any classism, unfairness or hardship from the GP acted all hard done by and decided the GP needed to go down.
Nita, Tobias, and the other GD planned to steal all the memory serum from the Bureau so they couldn't use it to reset (wipe everyone's memories and give them new ones) Chicago/the factions. Why did the Bureau want to reset Chicago? So that their experiment wouldn't be ruined, and to prevent war and death. Apparently, erasing someone's memory is worse than preventing a war and thousands of deaths.
Tobias found out Nita was bullshitting, and she didn't want to steal the memory serum, she wanted to steal the death serum or something so she could kill all the GP. Tris was pissed because the GD's plan almost killed her and her friends. Tobias acted like a dick and twisted things around to make Tris out to be the bad guy even though he was the one who fucked her over, lied to her, betrayed her, and almost killed her and her friends. Typical Tobias. Of course, doormat Tris went crawling back to him and they made up.
Tris then found out the Bureau/GP were planning to reset Chicago in a couple of days because war was imminent between the factionless and factions. Tris was pissed because how dare they erase memories to save everyone's life! So Tris and the gang came up with a dumb plan to take down the Bureau/GP - instead of their city's memories being erased, they'd erase the GP/Bureau's memories and teach them that there's nothing wrong with being GD and that everyone has personality issues or some BS. The only problem? The mass memory eraser thing was locked up somewhere and they had to break in… But the security measures would release death serum if anyone broke in. So Caleb volunteered to sacrifice himself because he was feeling guilty about his past fuck ups. Meanwhile, Tobias went back to Chicago to stop the war and he managed to do that really easily by simply asking his mum to stop. Ugh.
Tris felt bad that Caleb was giving up his life so she went on the suicide mission instead. She survived the death serum, but was shot by David (the Bureau head) just as she set off the memory eraser thing. Everyone in the Bureau lost their memory and they were taught about GD/GP equality and shit. Tobias found out Tris died and was shocked and emo for a little while.
Two and half years later there was peace between everyone — the government backed off, Chicago/the factions were self sufficient and under new leadership, the Bureau was doing agriculture research (from genetics to agriculture? Yea, that makes sense), the GD had hope and were living normally, Tobias was chilling it as a politician of sorts, he was also flirting with Christina, he mostly forgot about Tris, and then he scattered her ashes. The end.

-The dual POV didn't work for me, Tris and Tobias sounded way too similar to each other. The addition of Tobias's POV made the series less about Tris and her journey and more about Tobias and his issues. Yea, that's not what I signed up for. The fact that I hate Tobias didn't help matters either.

-The characters were a bit of a mixed bag. Tris and Tobias really bugged me, there was nothing remotely endearing about them. Tris was a self-sacrificing-know-it-all-martyr, what she did at the end ruined the entire series for me. She wasn't a hero, she was a selfish, arrogant cow that only cared about her own feelings. I can't believe Tris offered to take Caleb's place on the suicide mission, it was sickening after the way he treated her.

-Tris's death was so fucking pointless. It was done just for shock value and so the ending could seem all bold and moving. Well, it didn't work on me. It was fucking BULLSHIT. Not just because Tris was an insufferable martyr but because it was so fucking lame. Speshul snowflake that she was, Tris survived the death serum (who knows why, it was never explained) but then some new, crappy non-character (David) shot her just when she'd completed her mission and wiped out the Bureau's memory. Ugh, what was the motherbitching point?!

-Tobias was even worse than Tris. He was a huge hypocrite, all he did was bang on about Tris lying when he lied far more than she ever did. Why didn't Tris point that out? After lecturing Tris about honesty and promising that they wouldn't hide things from each other, Tobias carried on lying and keeping secrets, and was only honest when it suited him.
I hated that Tris let Tobias treat her like rubbish for lying when he was so much worse than her, and I hated that she let him get away with his hypocrisy. His mummy and daddy issues grated on me too, it just made him really emo.
I found Tobias really stupid and naive for the most part — he believed whatever people told him, he never investigated for himself, and his blind faith in strangers caused a lot of damage. It was his fault that Uriah died, and he wasn't even punished for it (sure, he was moping for a little while but that doesn't equal a punishment).
I hated how Tobias disregarded everything Tris said, even though she'd been right in the past he still never listened to her advice. Instead he threw a hissy fit whenever she tried to make him see sense, he just couldn't handle his girlfriend being smarter than he was. He's one of the worst YA heroes I've ever come across.

-I was disgusted by Tobias pouting, having a hissy fit, and having a go at Tris when he found out he wasn't actually divergent and that his genes weren't perfect. Why did he make such a big deal about it? He was still the same person, he was still healthy?! Tobias found any excuse to bitch and moan, and talk down to Tris. Ugh.

-Why did Tobias believe any little thing he was told? It would be one thing if he trusted and believed someone who he knew well… But he literally had one conversation with that rebel GD (Nita), he didn't know her at all yet he still believed everything she said. How could he have trusted her so easily? She was no better than a stranger! How could he help her take down a bunch of people who'd not actually done any wrong to him purely on her word? He was an idiot.

-Tris and Tobias had one of the worst YA relationships ever. All they did was argue, and it was mostly down to Tobias, his lies, his vile attitude, and his self pity. It was one rule for him and another for Tris - he could lie, he could keep things from her, he could lash out, he could feel sorry for himself. But Tris couldn't. Whenever she was justifiably angry with him, he turned things back on her and acted like she was in the wrong. He had too much pride and only cared about his feelings. He didn't give a shit about Tris or what she was going through. It hadn't even been that long since her parents died but instead of being sensitive and supportive he acted like a dick. Why would she want to be with someone that treated her that way? Maybe, that was why she risked her life, to get away from him.

-I liked most of the secondary characters, they seemed more tolerable than Tris and Tobias. I especially enjoyed Christina, Uriah, Matthew, Cara, and Amar.

-One character I really despised though was Caleb - he was weak and cowardly, he didn't redeem himself by the end. He was a rubbish brother to Tris, he betrayed her, and helped her nearly get executed yet he was acting like the victim. He didn't deserve her forgiveness, she'd done nothing to deserve his disloyalty.
I really wish Tris had killed him after he betrayed her in Insurgent, he didn't deserve her understanding and he definitely didn't deserve her sacrificing herself for him. What kind of idiot gives up their life and love for someone who treated them like that? In Insurgent Caleb chose Erudite and Jeanine over Tris, he did NOTHING when she was about to be executed, he didn't care that his sister was going to die at his hands. So why the fuck would Tris not only forgive and forget that but also end her life so he could live?WTF?!
What was with all the forgiveness and sacrifice bullshit?! I noticed that it was Tris doing all the forgiving, sacrificing, and being compassionate — so was the lesson that when guys screw up, women should just understand and get over it?! None of the male characters acted so selflessly and forgiving. Yea, it was just the doormat heroine. Ugh.
Basically, Caleb was happy to let Tris die for him, he didn't even seem bothered when she died… Where was his grief and self-hatred for his dead sister?!

-Why would Tris give up her life for Caleb after all he did, he wouldn't put his life above hers so why the hell did she?

-If Tris's mum was meant to protect divergents then why didn't she protect her daughter and get her out of the city when the whole Jeanine/Erudite take over was going on?

-Tobias stopped the factionless/Allegiant war by asking his mum to drop all her beliefs, and years of planning so they could be mother and son again… Why would she give in when the factionless was all she cared about? She never even seemed that interested in Tobias before so it made no sense her choosing him. Also, if it was that easy to stop the war and fighting why didn't he try to reason with her before?

-The resolution between the factionless and the factions, and the outside world and Chicago/factions, and the GP and GD was underwhelming. There was so much build up, secrets, backstabbing, and tension between each of them yet they managed to sort out their issues very easily considering how much history and bad feeling was between them. Yea, I wasn't impressed with that, I expected more fighting, negotiations, difficulty, and discord before any kind of peace was reached.

-If the Genetic Bureau were observing Tris's city and watching out for Divergents (who they desperately wanted because they were GP) then why did they do nothing when all the Divergents were being killed off? The whole point of the experiment was so Divergents could be produced so why didn't they better protect them?

-What was the point of the experiments? They were still plenty of people who were genetically pure on the outside. Also, there were loads of people outside that were still genetically damaged… So their GD problem wouldn't actually go away if their experiments were successful.

-Instead of wasting money and resources on the experiments… Why didn't the government help the poor, improve society through education, and invest in better living conditions?

-The GD were meant to be angry and violent because of their genes but it seemed like they were that way because they had nothing going for them, and were treated like second class citizens, and were left to rot. Why couldn't educated scientists realise that?

-In some ways the world in Allegiant was advanced with all the different kinds of weapons, the serum, the genetic work, etc.. And in others it was primitive (violence, hunger, couldn't control the fringe or fix society). It just didn't mesh well.

-Why the hell would scientists/the government genetically manipulate a chunk of the US population without first doing trials on a small, select group of volunteers? Medicine and scientific procedures are tried and tested before they're used/performed on the general population. The foundation of the world building was so unconvincing — something as big as genetic manipulation wouldn't be done on the population without knowing what the immediate and long term outcome would be. Ugh, it was such bollocks.

-I can't believe Tobias never killed David, the guy killed the girl he loved and Tobias did NOTHING. So what if David no longer had any of his memories, it didn't change the fact that he murdered Tris!

-Why didn't the Bureau just erase and reset every GD's memory and teach them that they needed to rebuild society instead of living in poverty and squalor? That would have made the fringe/GD more active and eager to work in society… It would have been better than them being violent, bitter, and resentful.

-Veronica Roth said she wouldn't kill of Tobias because it would anger fans yet she thought it was cool to kill off Tris?! It's obvious fans would be more pissed that the heroine died instead of the love interest!

-Ugh, the epilogue was so depressing. Tobias basically got over Tris's death, and his memories of her dulled, and there were hints of a relationship between him and Christina. Yuck, I would have been more happy if Tobias had died a horrible death instead of him living happily in the new and improved world.

All in all, I LOATHED Allegiant. It was so much worse than the final Delirium book, which I didn't think was possible. The only thing that I thought was good were some of the peripheral characters. The rest was rubbish: the plot was dull and had loads of holes, the world building was ludicrous, the main characters were terrible, the romance was dreadful, but most of all the ending was horrible. I doubt I'll read any of Veronica Roth's future releases, and I doubt I'll watch the Divergent movies.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out Scott Reads It!
Allegiant was one of my anticipated books of 2013, I really didn't know how Veronica Roth could wrap up the series successfully. Allegiant was panned by fans and many fans felt that this book ruined the entire series for them. Then there's me, one of the few "black sheeps" who actually enjoyed this book and felt that it was extremely necessary that it ended this way.

Allegiant is nearly impossible to describe because there's just so many subplots going on at the same time. At any given moment, there are at least 5 or 6 different storylines that Roth is telling and it's a bit overwhelming at times. This is definitely the most complicated of all of the books in the series and I guess it makes sense, given the fact that Roth needed to somehow conclude the series in a satisfying way.

Finally readers will learn what being "divergent" really means for Tris and Four. Tris and Four's relationship is definitely tested in this one and there is a lot of bickering between the two. I just wanted them to make up and just resolve their differences; it does make sense that they are constantly on edge due to hectic nature of their lives. When there aren't fighting (which wasn't very often), there were some very sweet moments between the two. The romance in this one is pretty light, but we do get to see more of what's going on in Four's head.

I completely understand why Veronica Roth decided to write in Tris and Four's point of views, but it wasn't up to par with the high quality writing that was evident in previous books. There were times when Tris and Four sounded way too similar and I had to flip back to the beginning of the chapter to find out whose point of view I was reading. There were other times when I had really enjoy Four's point of view because it was extremely revealing and it was completely unbarred. The reader slowly learns to understand why Four is such an enigmatic force and why he keeps himself so reserved from Tris. I really felt like Four's point of view was extremely vital to understanding who he is and how much he cares for Tris. I do wish that the writing was tighter in some of Four's chapters to make his voice more distinct for the reader.

The side characters in Allegiant have been called undeveloped and unimaginative by so many reviewers, but I disagree. All of the secondary characters (both new and familiar faces) place an extremely important part in helping Four and Tris make decisions. The secondary characters help raise the stakes, they help Four and Tris realize that everything isn't going to end perfectly like they had hoped. Each character has their own specific purpose and rightful place in Allegiant, it was truly something special to see my favorite characters from the series interact with new characters.

I have to address the way Allegiant ended because it's caused so much controversy Veronica Roth received death threats after fans had read the ending. IT'S NEVER OKAY TO SEND SOMEONE DEATH THREATS, I thought that was common sense, but apparently not. The ending of Allegiant is so ballsy and was such a risky move on Veronica Roth's part; Roth had the guts to pull off something most authors wouldn't even dream of doing. This is why Roth has sold millions of books because she pushes the limits and is always creating ingenious plotlines. Anyway, I felt that this ending felt inevitable, Roth even said that she always felt like she knew it would end like this. After a bit of pondering, it all made sense to me and I felt like Roth had been leading up to this ending ever since Divergent. In fact, if you read Insurgent, there's tons of foreshadowing that hinted that Allegiant would end like this. Allegiant's ending felt necessary to me and I really feel that this is the ONLY ending that truly would have worked. While I didn't love the ending, I felt that Allegiant's conclusion was extremely effective.

Though Allegiant is extremely slow-paced and slugs due to info-dumping, I really enjoyed the final installment in the Divergent trilogy. Allegiant didn't provide readers with the happily ever after that readers were looking for, instead it provided readers with an extremely realistic ending. As much as I would have loved Four and Tris to ride into the sunset on an unicorn, Allegiant had to end in such a manner. Allegiant has solidified my love for Veronica Roth's writing abilities and it ended on a satisfying note, in my mind. I really look forward to reading Roth's future books and I hope that Roth will continue to defy all odds with her incredible books. There's no denying that Veronica Roth is dauntless after reading Allegiant, it takes an extremely brave and daring individual to write an extremely controversial ending without fearing retaliation from fans.

[Shelley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ms. Roth is indeed dauntless. I know it is her story and she can tell it the way she wanted; I wish she showed a bit of more of abnegation and provided a final book that did not make me want to regret reading the whole series. No movies for me.

[❤Ninja Bunneh❤ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Usually I write a long-ass review on books I've read. In this case, I have no words. Completely not what I expected and I'll leave it at that.


Zero Ninja-Bunnehs

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoiler free review (read before release date)

Life damages us, every one. We can't escape that damage. But now I am also learning this: We can be mended. We mend each other.

Brace yourselves initiates. I'm an absolute emotional wreck right now so this review could very well turn into a mess of incoherent babble. I'm still reeling from that climax. It burned with the finality of a dying match, an inevitable conclusion to a well-loved series, an end I didn't see coming despite all the theories I discussed and argued and imagined with fellow fans. 

It hurts. It physically hurts. Roth grabbed my interest with Divergent, she made me question how much people can truly hide about themselves in Insurgent, but she tore my heart out and ripped it into shreds before my very eyes with Allegiant. There is a beauty to the pain though, and even though my emotions have wreaked havoc in me to the point of exhaustion, it was a bittersweet ending, because Roth doesn't leave us with an endless amount of unanswered questions. She doesn't give us a happily ever after, she shows us the ravages of war, the losses that will always accompany it, the reality of a dystopian world and yet altogether, manages to evoke hope for a better future. I can't say you will feel the same way as I do but I understand why she did it. It was risky, maybe even stupid but I think I love her more for it. Take this as a warning: many characters won't make it. If you don't like that but still need to read the conclusion, proceed with caution. I am weak-willed and when I found out this had been leaked, I jumped at the chance to read it. I don't regret my choice. 

I adored how much Roth explored the characters in this book. I learned so much more about them, the character depth was phenomenal. They were well fleshed out, the armour fell and I got to see the hidden character behind it. I guess that's what grief does, it breaks you and in doing so, others get a glimpse of what's truly inside through the cracks that marr the people left behind. This was especially true of Tris and Tobias. The dual POV was a refreshing, because both characters noticed things that the other missed. We're given a more well-rounded picture of things in Allegiant. Especially the inner workings of Tobias. I knew he was flawed, even more so after completing The Transfer; Allegiant helped to solidify that though. The anguish, the emotional scars due to his tragic past and his fears are all touched upon in Allegiant. As we all know, Tris tends to see his brave side but in Allegiant, we along with her come to realise the constant struggles he faces. The inner turmoil he goes through is made evident and I loved that. It made him more real, a character we can associate with, a character we can love, flaws and all. I also loved Roth's exploration into the relationship between Caleb and Tris after his betrayal. It really struck a chord in me, as I presume it will do to all those with siblings. I've always seen Tris as a character who is very sure of herself in terms of how she judges character, but Roth invites her to question this throughout this novel. I shan't elaborate because I feel I can't without revealing spoilers but I thoroughly enjoyed the journey they make together. 

The plot was well paced, there were occasions near the beginning where it seemed to be just filler and a large amount of info-dumping. I was getting slightly disappointed but this changed very quickly and in my opinion, Allegiant out-performed the plots of the first two novels. I guess that's a sacrifice one must make to ensure that the world-building is sufficient. There is so much happening in this book, it was enthralling. I could feel it too, the build-up to the climax, relishing in it. Everything that happened up to now in Divergent and Insurgent all leading to this. It had a very distinct cinematic flavour to it. Roth doesn't take the shortcut with this one, she throws challenges at the characters, makes them question what they believe in, what is right, and what is worth risking their lives for. And they do, they truly do risk everything. (sob)

I cannot recommend this book enough, it will enrapture you, swell up emotions you didn't even know you had inside of you, and unleash the rabid fangirl/fanboy out of you. A pulse-pounding thrill-ride of a book, Allegiant will quench the undeniable thirst aroused in you when you finished Insurgent as it did me. With an agonisingly poignant ending to the series, I am certain I will remember the feelings it managed to evoke out of me for a long time and it will be a permanent addition to my favourite books list.

Finally, I'd like to add that I applaud you Veronica Roth, for not stringing me along and giving me a vague, half-assed ending which I'm sad to say, has happened before by other authors. It was a tragically gorgeous finish to the Divergent series. 

Roth actually elaborated on the ending in her blog post after I wrote this review so I've linked it here for anyone who'd like to access it. It does contain spoilers however so do so at your own risk.

[emma · Rating 1 out of 5]

if there is one thing YA dystopian authors love to do, it's write the worst book you've ever read and go "boom. series over"

part of a project i'm doing in which i review books i read a long time ago