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Monday, January 6, 2014

Review: Allegiant

Posted by Charlene // Tags: , ,
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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18 comments:

  1. Even though I liked this book and the direction it went in more than you did, I completely get your problems with it. I know very little about science, so I didn't have too much trouble with that aspect of the book even if some of it seemed it might be a little off. But I definitely had problems with Tris and Tobias' relationship again in this book (as I did in Insurgent). Sorry you didn't like it more!

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    1. I am glad that you enjoyed this one more! It's sad to go through three books and be dissatisfied with the ending. Probably if Tris and Tobias worked better together like I feel like they should have, I could have enjoyed this one more - since I can overlook finicky science facts over lovely romance. :D

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  2. I am reading this for Bout of Books so I should be finished with it in a few days. Then I'll hope back over here and read your review!

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    1. Ah, I look forward to your review!

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    2. Finally read it and wrote review. It'll be up on Saturday. Man I just didn't like it at all. It was all over the place for me and of course the ending just wasn't necessary to me. Dying to know how that's going to work out in the movies.

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    3. I was thinking the same thing about the movie! I wonder if they will try to change the ending so it's not such a downer! But I guess if the movie doesn't do well then they won't have to worry about adapting the rest of the books...

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  3. I am struggling to finish this one for the same reason..I have trouble with the plausibility of the world building as well! Hms I am going to go ahead and try to finish it but I am definitely not loving it so far.

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    1. I am interested in reading what you think of it! I don't have high hopes that the ending will change your mind about the book though...

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  4. I'm not all that bothered about this one to be honest - even though I've given the other books four stars I think that may have been partly based on the hype - and your review only makes me pretty sure that I don't need to go hunting for this one =)

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    1. I wasn't either actually after Insurgent, but I had an opportunity to read it, and I thought I might as well know how it all ends! But I don't think it's really necessary to read it - especially if it ruins your view of the first two books (it did for me!)

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    2. I do like to finish series... especially when they're only really trilogies or a small number of books. So I'll probably read it eventually, but I'm in no real rush. I'm going to move onto the next big YA thing: The Bone Season! ;D

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    3. Yes, I think catching up on other reads is a great idea! I have yet to read Bone Season - I will wait for your review and let it determine when I should pick it up. :)

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  5. I definitely get where you're coming from- Four became so...weak? (dont know the right word to put here) in this book...I wanted the Four from Divergent, but he just became so much more sappy? lol don't even know how to explain it.

    I actually liked the ending though- although I didn't really feel too emotional either. I just felt like it was a fitting end, considering Tris' character.

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    1. Yes! I wanted to see Four take charge more - he got so defeated after the whole GD thing!

      I can see where the ending fitted Tris' character, but with the Genetic issues being so unimportant to me, it does seem like such a waste that it ended that way.

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  6. I haven't even read Insurgent yet. After finishing Divergent, I was looking forward to the next books, but then I bought Insurgent, I didn't have time for it, and my mom and dad got to read it first. Both of them said it wasn't as good as the first book, so I guess my enthusiasm just died down. If you're saying that Allegiant is even more disappointing, then I don't even know if it's worth continuing with this trilogy. Maybe the author tried too hard, don't you think? Like... the first book was so successful and people compared it to The Hunger Games, sometimes saying that it was better than Suzanne Collins' trilogy, that she might have felt pressured to write the next two books faster. It might be possible that what she really had to say was said in Divergent, and Insurgent and Allegiant were written because they had to be written.

    Oana @All Fantasy Worlds

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    1. I completely understand - I probably wouldn't have gotten to it as quickly as I did, if i didn't have the opportunity to listen to the audiobook since I heard how some people were unhappy with it. I think you are right though - maybe the idea for this world - inspired by the Hunger Games - was so intriguing but she couldn't find a way to fully explain it or make it work. It's too bad, actually that she couldn't have just made it a one-off book!

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  7. I haven't read this one yet because I'm certain I'm going to feel exactly the same way you did. It's good to see I'm not the only one! However, I'll get to it someday, I suppose. :)

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    1. Yes, it seems like a lot of people were disappointed by this last book. It's too bad, but if you get around to reading it, I hope you really have nothing else to read! :)

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