Review: Allegiant

Allegiant (Divergent #3)
by Veronica Roth

Plot Summary:

One choice will define you.

What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Review:

After reading the second book, Insurgent, I was a bit disappointed with where this series was heading, and unfortunately Allegiant did not turn this around for me.  The further explorations of this dystopian world was very interesting, but I really didn't feel it was believable - especially the attitude that analyzing human nature by genes is a valid way to assess the potential of a human being.  It's not nature over nurture since both are important in contributing to a person's personality.  I am disappointed by how unscientific these scientists in the book are.  Especially since they are supposed to be so advanced and have made such breakthroughs.

Tris and Tobias were also disappointing to me in this, because they again act in ways that are really frustrating.  I continued to lose sympathy for them in their predicaments, especially with Tobias in a certain plot development.  It didn't help that I felt like there were a few too many passages where Tris and Tobias described how the other looks or smells.  It's kind of annoying and there are lots of bigger issues here. With the writing, I also had an issue with how many similes were used - it felt unnecessary and ridiculous and almost like padding out a story that really could have gotten to the point sooner.

No spoilers for the ending, but it is a very difficult one to come to terms with, and yet because I felt so disconnected to the characters, there wasn't really a huge impact for me.  It's a surprise, but I didn't feel emotional over it.  Unfortunately with all my disappointments over the characters and the plot, and the uneven pace of the story, I really couldn't connect to this last book in the Divergent trilogy.  But I am glad that I finished the trilogy and got a resolution.

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Review: Insurgent

Insurgent
by Veronica Roth

Plot Summary

One choice can transform you--or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves--and herself--while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable--and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

Expectations

Having really enjoyed the first installment - Divergent - I was looking forward to more action, answers and healing after those devastating final chapters of Divergent.

Review

Well, there were parts that I really loved, but also parts that really frustrated me.  I don't think I quite realized how the people in this world are different from us before - it seemed like it was dystopian future (just us in the future), but there is a lot more to why this society came to be.  And those answers only came towards the end of this book, making me wonder why certain characters can act so illogically sometimes.  Tris and Tobias are the main protagonists, but I was getting fed up with their actions many times, and wished we could follow someone else.  But as the story progressed, I found it interesting how the author shows that characters who are allied with certain factions, don't have or use the attributes that are normally associated with a faction they are not a part of.  So while it seemed odd and annoying that characters can't think through a problem and come up with, what seemed to me, the obvious solution, it works for the story and especially when the revelations are made in the end.  I just had to get through characters I liked in the first book, become a little annoying in this one.

This book delves much more into the politics of the factions and has Tris and Tobias navigating through many of them, and the main problem of this book is how to combat the power of the Erudite.  There is a lot of action and suspense in this story, and further character development, so as the middle book of a trilogy, I think it is a great set-up for the last book.