Review: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

WARNING: Very mild spoilers below. Mostly stuff that's in the summary or pretty predictable from the start, but just to be safe, proceed with caution.

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.

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.

Kim's Review: This was such a perfect ending to the series. Painful, but perfect. The way everything is explained is so realistic - it seems like something that could actually happen in the future, and it is sort of scary to read about. Everything just clicks together, and it's weird to look back at the first book and be like "THIS was happening the whole time???" The whole idea of people "outside the fence," just miles away yet you never even knew they existed, is pretty creepy. It is fascinating to get to read about basically a whole new world and society and what was happening the whole time Tris was inside the fence.

It was a little hard to keep track of all of the new characters, but I still liked them and thought they were a great addition to the series. The only problem I had was that I couldn't really remember who some of the old faction members were, so I found it hard to feel for them because I didn't really "know" them. I suppose that's more my fault, though, for not rereading Insurgent some time in the last five months. Some of the more important supporting characters, like Caleb and Christina, really shined, and I enjoyed getting to see some insight into their characters and actions.

Lastly, I'm trying to keep this review spoiler-free, but THAT. ENDING. I don't think I'll ever be okay ever again. Damn you, Veronica Roth! (But also thank you for allowing me to get sucked into the insane world of Tris and Four - if Christina can forgive Tris, I suppose I can forgive you for the pain and suffering this book put me through. ;) )

So I met Veronica Roth today.

I went to an Allegiant Tour stop today, and got to meet Veronica and attend a Q&A. It was absolutely amazing, and she was so sweet! More under the cut because it has taken me this long to learn that Blogspot lets you do read mores and I want to take full advantage of it. ;)

Happy Allegiant Release Day!!!

IT'S FINALLY HERE!!! I'm so happy! I've been looking forward to reading this book for so long - after some technical difficulties last night, I (Kim) stayed up until midnight last night so I can start reading it on my Nook! I sure hope my teachers don't expect me to pay attention in class today because all I want to do is plow through this book and find out what happens!

Have you gotten your copy yet? What do you think so far? Feel free to talk in the comments below - but keep it spoiler free, please! :)

Review: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

***SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVEN'T READ DIVERGENT!***

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.

Kim's Review: Ho. ly. Crap. This book is FANTASTIC. I was a little worried that it wouldn't live up to my expectations, but it was just as good as Divergent. The plot and twists and everything about it was just perfect. My only complaint is that Tobias and Tris annoyed me a bit with them constantly keeping secrets from each other. I just wanted to scream at them sometimes! However, their less angsty, adorable scenes made up for it. 

Even after everything she had been through, Veronica Roth continued to make Tris strong and not pathetic. I mean, she easily could have spent the whole novel wallowing and feeling sorry for herself, but instead she took action (even if her decisions were sometimes irrational) and made herself useful. 

Another thing I love about Divergent and Insurgent that I hadn't even realized until I saw someone else's review is that, for what seems like the first time in YA trilogy history, THERE IS NO LOVE TRIANGLE. And the story is still fascinating, and even better because of it. I loved having more action-y scenes instead of the main female character dramatically trying to decide between two guys. Bless you, Veronica Roth (and please don't mess it up in the Allegiant - I'm trusting you).

And the ending. THE ENDING. I had to reread the last page or two at least twice after I finished because I couldn't even comprehend it. It's so strange and creepy but PERFECT. I would give this book 6/5 stars if I could.

I love these two books so much. I haven't felt this way toward a book since I read The Hunger Games. What am I supposed to do until Allegiant/the Divergent movie comes out?!

Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

 

Summary: 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, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Kim's Review: THIS BOOK IS AMAZING. I'm not even sure I'm capable of writing a coherent review of it right now, but here goes nothing.

Divergent is set in a dystopian Chicago. Everyone is separated into five factions, which they choose when they turn sixteen. It is told from the point of view of a girl named Beatrice, who, before the Choosing Ceremony, is Abnegation - a faction known for its people's selflessness. She takes an aptitude test to see which faction she would fit in best, and is surprised when she learns she is Divergent, sharing qualities of all five factions and therefore not quite fitting in anywhere. At the ceremony she has to choose a faction or live the rest of her life factionless. Along the way of trying to find out where she truly belongs, she meets Four and is intrigued by him.

I can't say much more without getting into spoiler territory, but I loved this book so much. Ther are a lot of resemblances to The Hunger Games, but there are certainly things that set them apart as well. The future universe and government Veronica Roth has set up is really interesting and I truly enjoyed reading about it. Divergent is action-packed and fast paced; there is hardly ever a dull moment. Some aspects of it is even a bit terrifying.

Also, Four and Tris are so damn cute! I could not get over them. They've got to be one of my favorite book couples, right next to Anna and St. Clair. :) Their scenes gave me butterflies in my stomach more than once. Seriously, where can I get my own Four?

Another reason I loved this book is because it is set in Chicago, where I live. Since I frequent downtown, I loved being able to have a clear vision of all the locations in my head and not having to depend on just the descriptions to set up the mental image. It is sort of strange to think of Chicago being like it is in Divergent in the future - Lake Michigan as more of a marsh, Navy Pier's ferris wheel rusting...this was also a good setting to incorporate the Dauntless's train-jumping, since you can basically always hear a train no matter the time or place. But I'm rambling, so all I'm going to say is that you definitely need to read this book and be sucked in with Tris's adventures!