Review - Allegiant

Allegiant 

by Veronica Roth 

Divergent Series #3 
Category: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction - Dystopia, Fantasy
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books 
Release Date: Oct 22, 2013  
Edition: Hardcover
Page Count: 526
Source: Library

 “I fell in love with him. But 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.”

Goodreads Synopsis: 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.

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

Review: Of course, I had to finish reading the series once I had already read the first two books. Now, I was very hesitant to read this one, and it took me awhile to get through it, but it was not because it was not good. A friend had already told me how the whole series ended, so it took me awhile to get through it because I knew what was coming. (Don't worry, I am not going to give any spoilers!). Despite that, and the length of time it took me to get through the novel, I am still very glad that I read it. Finishing a series seems like it can be a very stressful thing for an author. While I have read tons of reviews about people being upset with the ending, I feel that Roth did a wonderful job. She did what had to be done, and I can respect her for that. 

This book made me love Tris even more than I had in the first two novels, and I already liked her quite a bit. At this point it has become quite obvious that she has grown so much since the very beginning of the series. Though she is still struggling to forgive her brother and decide what is right, she seems to finally come to terms with who she is, and who she wants to be. She has gotten passed listening to what everyone else seems to think is right, and has begun doing what she believes is the right thing. Ultimately, she becomes the ideal heroine for me, and that is something that I am very happy about. 

Tobias frustrates me a bit in this book, but I guess that makes sense. Roth did a great job of making her characters real, and it makes sense that Tobias would act a little oddly when he is told that he is "genetically damaged" instead of purely divergent like he had grown up to believe he was. He has to deal with his views on that, and it ultimately leads him to make some bad decisions, and later have to beg for forgiveness for them. Still, I believe that this all needed to happen in order for the story to make sense and go the way that it needed to be. Despite everything, I still absolutely love Four; he is an amazing character. 

Their romance finally gets back to a place where I am happy with it, though it is not easy for them with Tobias messing up some things. Still, they did agree that they would not lie to each other anymore, and it is great that they went through with this promise. I was a little concerned at some points that it was not going to happen, but this shows their obvious growth as a couple. Despite the problems they have, there is still so much chemistry between the two of them, and I could not help but love them. They have their problems, but they also make each other whole, and that is a very important thing to find in book couples. 

Overall, I was very pleased with this book. It was nice to get more insight on Tris' mother, and how much she had to do with the foundation of everything that Tris knows as her world. Some of it was surprising, which was also nice. Not everything was laid out for the reader, and instead you have to keep reading to find out the truth. Roth gives us more information about why the factions are there, how they were created, and what goes on outside the walls of Chicago. Roth did a wonderful job building two completely different worlds, and then throwing her characters into both of them (mostly blind). I would certainly recommend this series to everyone. Definitely read the books before seeing the movies, too. 

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Review - Insurgent

Insurgent 

by Veronica Roth

Divergent #2
Category: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction - Dystopia, Fantasy
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Edition: Hardcover
Page Count: 535
Source: Library

 Goodreads Synopsis: 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.

I had high expectations for Insurgent before I even checked it out of the library. I read the first book in two days and completely fell in love with it. I just KNEW it was going to be one of those series that I would talk about over and over again. After enjoying the first book so much, I was a bit worried that book number two would not be able to stand up to the high standards I now have for Roth's work. However, I was thrilled to find that it was still very well written, and a good book. Sure, it was not as good as the first book, but I find that it is usually difficult for that to happen in any series. The first book opens you up to the world and characters, making it difficult not to enjoy it. 

As we start out the second book of the series, it is obvious that the characters have grown since book one. It would be impossible for them not to after what they went through in book one. Tris still seems to struggle with determining who she is though, especially when she sees what some of the Dauntless have been capable of. Along with that, Tobias is obviously struggling a lot as well. Dauntless has been his home for a bit now, and he has realized what people he lived with were capable of doing, and now he must figure out what to do about it. It is obvious that a lot of the characters are dealing with a great deal of stress in book two. 

The romance in this book is completely frustrating. While Tris and Tobias obviously still love each other, they are having a very tough time showing it. They are both so independent that it causes quite a few rifts between each other when they do not feel the need to share important information with the other. At one point, Tobias believes that Tris has become too careless with her own life, and gives and ultimatum. Their relationship is back and forth and very rocky throughout the whole book. While it makes perfect sense, it's still plenty frustrating for those of us who love their relationship! 

Ultimately, the only thing that really bothered me about Insurgent was how much the characters moved around through the novel; mostly happening at the beginning and quickly. It makes sense that it would happen, of course, since they are trying to stay safe from the Erudite and Dauntless. First, they use the train to make it to Amity in hopes of being safe, and meeting up with the others that managed to escape. Then they have a short run in with the factionless, stop by Candor headquarters where they stay for awhile, some of them end of at Erudite, and then ultimately they go back to their home at Abnegation. It's a bit of a whirlwind! Still, as long as you can get through the constant change of location, the book is still a very good read and leaves me satisfied with the series. 

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Divergent

Book Review: Divergent 

Honestly, I was not planning to read the Divergent series (crazy, I know). One of my friends told me how the third book ended, not knowing that I had been thinking about reading them, and then it just seemed sort of pointless to pick the first book up. One of my students was finishing the series though, and kept telling me I just HAD to read it. When I took my students to the library one week, there was a copy there so I picked it up. I like to read while my students do, modeling what good readers should be doing in the library. Needless to say, I could not put the book down, and I am incredibly happy that I did decide to read the series after all. You can find Divergent here and here.

Goodreads Synopsis: In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Short and Sweet?  I believe that when I looked at this book in the bookstore, the cover said something like "for those who are fans of The Hunger Games." While obviously this is true, saying you would like another dystopian novel, I must say that the Divergent series is SO much better than The Hunger Games. If you liked THG, you will LOVE Divergent. The world that Veronica Roth has created in her series is amazing, and you slowly find out more and more about the world that Beatrice Prior lives in as you move through the three novels. The factions were obviously developed with much thought in mind, deciding on which human qualities needed to be developed and "fixed." The characterization is wonderful, and it is obvious that a lot of thought is given to even the smallest of characters throughout the novel. They all play their role, and they do so very well. Roth gives a wonderful revelation of a young girl trying to figure out where she truly belongs and who she is, all while trying to help save what is left of her world in the process.

Characters:
Beatrice "Tris" Prior: When it comes to futuristic, dystopian novels, I believe that Roth has given us a wonderful female protagonist in Tris. It is wonderful to see this era of books coming forward that show the girls being the ones capable of saving the world (and without actually NEEDING the boy). While her relationship with Tobias in the book is amazing, it is obvious that she is strong on her own as well. I feel like this is something to admire in a female lead. Tris is flawed, there is no doubt there, but that just makes her character even more believable. We are allowed to see her inner struggles with figuring out where she belongs, deciding if she made the right decision on her faction, and ultimately doing what she has to in order to save those that she loves. Her lack of self-confidence is frustrating, but it also keeps you cheering for her character as the novel plays out.

Tobias "Four" Eaton: If I had to pick a favorite male character from a YA novel, Tobias would be at the top of that list. We first meet him as Four when Tris enters the Divergent cave, and he captures our attention right away. He has his eye on Tris from the very beginning, and it is wonderful to find it is due to her strength and bravery, and not just her looks. Tobias is complex, mysterious, and trouble. Unlike the "perfect" love interests we often seen in young adult novels, he has real issues and demons he has to deal with, and we get to see him struggle through them. In the novel, he reveals that everyone has fears, no matter how tough they may seem to be, and maybe that is not something to be ashamed of. Overall, I think that he is a great male character than anyone would want to read about.

Rating: 5.0/5.0

As most of you probably know, there is a movie coming out for Divergent as well. It is due out in theaters on March 21st, and I cannot wait to see this one, either. They released the final official trailer last week, and it looks like they are going to do a wonderful job incorporating all of the big moments from the novel.