I have finished Allegiant by Veronica Roth, which is the LAST book in the Divergent trilogy. I knew it’d be explosive. Seriously, I actually didn’t want to read it. It came out while I was on holidays and when I came back…everyone either HATED it or thought it was “okay”. Terrifying, much? I loved the first two. I didn’t want to hate the last one.
But now I have read it.
This will probably be a useless review. But I’ll tell the basics:
First of all, I adored this book! Oh. my. gosh. I cannot tell you how emotionally destroyed I am. I haven’t felt this way before. I mean, I was gobsmacked and hungover by The Hunger Games trilogy, The Fault in Our Stars, Not a Drop to Drink, and This Song Will Save Your Life. They all have wildly different endings. But they all have one thing in common: SOUL DESTROYERS.
I was freaking out that I would hate it. After the things I’d heard…(though, luckily, I didn’t see any massive spoilers). How could I survive an end to the trilogy I’d loved so far? But I loved it. I so loved it. I had a hunch, and I was right. By 80% through, I knew what would happen. And I was right. Did that wreck the book for me? No. Ha. You’re funny. I was too busy screaming.
Characters? They were perfect. I mean, they were perfect in their imperfections. What I love most about this series is that the author, Veronica Roth, sets up characters who are strong: not strong as in “I-will-fight-everyone-with-my-teeth” (though they kind of do that as well). But they’re strong in that they never act out of character. They are like REAL people. They’re well written. Their thoughts make sense in their lines of thinking. Plus, I felt the characters continued to grow and mature and change. Awesome, right?
Tris and Tobias? Ohhh, I love them. I loved their relationship (or lack thereof at sometimes). I love that there was no love-triangles. They knew they were for each other. Okay, yes they fought. Yes, they hated each other sometimes. But they knew they’d have to work for their relationship if they wanted to keep it. I love that there was no easy-love. Ah, just another thing to make them freakishly realistic.
Plot? Like I said earlier, I did have a feeling about what would happen. I was right. It was the most epic twist in the world. I have no regrets for loving this book. But seriously? I was SO emotionally ruined. I cried. I read the book in one day. ONE DAY.
The author is brave to do what she did in her book. But, you know what? The Divergent series belongs to Veronica Roth. She let us see them (thank you so much). I don’t care if she had a drastic ending. I don’t care if that’s not what fans wanted. I care that this is HER series and she obviously did what she wanted. I loved her ending. If you asked me (um, when I was more emotionally stable then right now) how it should end, I think, in all Candor honesty, I would have done what she did. It was right.
The ending was right.
Now leave me alone to die.
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 meaningliess. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend to complexities of human nature – and of herself – while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.
Allegiant made me cry, and it made my sister cry. Well, sort of. I told her what had happened (she's never read Divergent) and she said she was on the verge of tears. Like, umm… What happened at the end.OK, I love Tris. I loved Divergent. Maybe I'm a bit odd, I even loved Insurgent (my mother, however, thought that Insurgent wasn't very good and Allegiant even worse.) Brilliant idea. Absolutely brilliant! But then came along Allegiant. You liked it, I didn't, everyone has differing opinions on it… But they're either "I loved it!" or "I hated it!" I guess mine is borderline-hate. I mean, Tris is awesome. I can't help but not love Tris. (OH MY GOODNESS TRIS IS AWESOME.) And Tobias/Four/whatever is so cool… In the first book, in the second book… In the last book – wait no.OK, maybe I'm a bit blinded by that ending there (WHAT. HUH.) I didn't see it coming, personally, and had to reread that part like… Three times. My mom read it overnight, I skimmed through it in an hour during a car-ride…Maybe I should stop writing stuff before I write my own review XDTabby (http://tabbys-corner.blogspot.com/)
You mirrored my thoughts exactly. When I think about the books, I get a little weepy. It was perfect in every way. Even though Veronica Roth broke my heart into a trillion little pieces. Then turned my brain to mush for three days. I didn't read for three. Whole. Days.(Love the faction clothes)!
I cried ONLY three times at the end. I wanted to read the whole thing straight through, but I kept telling myself, "There is NO more after this!" and made it stretch out over a week. I'm glad I didn't try to cram it in all at once. I felt bad enough when something happened to another beloved character in an early chapter – if I had to process it all at once, the tear volume would have been greater.
Yeah! So glad you liked this Cait! I definitely agree with what you've said – it's Veronica's series; and she can end it any way she wants to. She's the author. Sure, people can have their own opinions about the ending, but I'm in the same boat with you because definitely think she did the right thing. (Okay, I'll admit it, I may be a little mad at her for creating such a heart-wrenching ending, but I STILL think it was the right thing to do). Like you, Tris and Tobias kind of annoyed me at some points, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that you're 110% right – they're teenagers, they're regular people, and nobody's perfect. Brilliant review Cait! Now…if only the movie could come out sooner, right? 😉
I'm sort of secretly mad…but also relieved. I mean, I'm GLAD for Tris' sake, almost. I think it was the right ending (gee, that sounds so horrible of me). It was really hard to think of Tris as just 16 the whole time. Um, the most I did when I was 16 was occasional cook dinner. Not exactly change the world. But I didn't WANT Tris and Tobias to have a smooth, mature relationship. So I was fine with that. Besides, their relationship goes for anyone: friends, family, as well as lovers or whatever. I love how Veronica Roth really talked about YOU being the one to choose if a relationship is going to work. That was awesome. WHERE IS THE MOVIE? I NEED IT NOW. NOW! NOOOOOOW!!!
Awesome review! I loved the book as well. I think people were reacting emotionally when they said they didn't like the book. I didn't like the fact that she died, either, but I know why Veronica Roth did it. But yes, I sobbed my eyes out.
Exactly. And plus, I think a book that evokes such strong emotion (like, heck, it was waterworks here) deserves a medal. A big fat shiny one. In all honest, if I was going to let my read-feels speak, I would be angry that ANYONE died! I mean, come on! Tris' parents could have lived, Al could have lived, Will…the list is huge. But I still think the series is brilliant and basically perfect. *hugs series*
Great review! I cried as well and so did my best friend Catherine and I am pretty sure my guy friend that loaned me his copy did as well although he keeps denying it. And I found myself racing through the last pages to find out what happened at about midnight then promptly burst into tears and frantically texted him ranting and asking why he would let me read that. Then I came to my senses and realized I probably just woke him up or that he wouldn't respond, because you know normal people sleep at midnight, but he surprised me and responded immediately but only to laugh at my pain then stop responding. However, I must say it was worth it. While I'm sure my emotional reaction to this book had to do with my end opinion of it, I think that her death was one of the best parts of the book and there were lots of little things that made me dislike the book. In the end I thought it was still very good (I gave it all 5 stars) it was definitely my least favorite of the three. None the-less I love them all. http://readerwritercritic.blogspot.com/2013/12/allegiant.html
I think it's my favourite of the three! >_< I was just SO emotionally involved 100% of the time. I couldn't <i> believe what was outside the fence! I mean, WOW. o.O Shell shock. It was worse for me when I'd finished, because I couldn't talk to anyone!! It was night-time in Australia, and all my American friends were asleep…and Mime hasn't read it yet. I was just sitting there, crushing the cover, and stewing. XD
Gah. That book. It's amazing how she can make people feel like this (seriously, if she wrote a book about how to write, I would buy it in an instant.) I've never cried because of a book before Allegiant. I can't even put my thoughts together. The characters felt so real. I just… Gah! Those GIFs are so accurate. It hurts. And that ending. Not only does the unmentionable event happen, but then there's the aftermath, and we have to go through all the horror the characters had to go through. It was like, you already ripped out my heart, and now you're going to sit there and eat it in front of me?On a less emotional note, I absolutely adored the parallels between the rest of the books where she's struggling with her own identity (being Divergent and people trying to kill her,) and then the end when she's fighting to save everyone else's. So, while the unmentionable event was totally unfair and ripped us all into pieces, it was also beautiful.
Oh, yes! YES. You sum it up so well. Destroyed my soul…but in a beautiful way. Um, NO, though to all that ending. GAH. Prolong my pain, right?!! I wanted it to end after the unmentionable event. Those short chapters of Tobias'?? I nearly died. I couldn't…couldn't…no. Just no. I was bawling. I haven't cried in a book since the beginning of the year and that was with The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I NEVER cry. And yes, didn't it all feel so real? I was SO emotionally involved in that book, I felt drained afterwards. I felt smashed. (I kind of felt like I knew everyone and then they all went and died.) I loved those parallels too. I also loved the twist of who-was-Divergent-and-who-wasn't. That was REALLY interesting. 🙂
Yes! It was like legitimate grief. I had to go out to dinner with my parents and grandparents about an hour after I finished the book, and being a part of normal society was seriously hard. In retrospect, it was probably a good decision because I wasn't allowed to stew in my little puddle of despair, but THAT BOOK. I was staring off into the distance the entire meal, wasn't speaking, and barely ate anything. When I did speak, it was in that raspy way people talk when they've either just been crying or are just about to cry. It was the STRANGEST thing. I kept thinking about the unmentionable event and convincing myself that it did, indeed, happen. Just thinking about it is making my head hurt! And those chapters? I just wanted to hug him so bad. Then, to top it all off, the book just ends! It's just like you said–all my fictional friends died! Even the ones who were spared in the bloodbath!The Divergent's identities were definitely an interesting part of the book! I also loved learning the science behind how the Divergents were different from those people who were "normal." I don't know about you, but knowing that I'm Divergent brings me a tremendous amount of pride even though I'm the same as everyone else in this period of time. And then that twist was Tobias being ALL Dauntless? That was rough. And then his family… Oh my goodness. And…and… and…I seriously feel like I could talk about this book for ages!
But Tobias and his mum, right? Oh. my. dying. feels. That was the sweetest thing I'd ever read. Because at the beginning of the book I was really disliking Tobias' mother. I mean! She was worse then Marcus! We SAW her in pyschotic action, while we only KNEW of Marcus'. Which makes her worse to the readers, I think. But that twist with Tobias not being Divergent really surprised me. I admire it though. He never "thought outside the box", you know? Like, he would always discount what Tris said. But, ah, I still love 'em all.And yes, yes, YES. I was like a zombie. And I had to go to BED after I finished. I mean, seriously? Biggest mistake of my life. It just keep going round and round my head, and I was seriously zombified. I'm DYING for Mime to finish reading so we can talk about it forever and ever and always… (But in the meantime, I LOVE talking about books with you guys!)
Yes! I think I might have squealed a bit. I could see the hope at the end of the tunnel! And then… I think his parents were different types of evil and different ways of invoking chaos. It totally screwed with my head because in Insurgent, Evelyn was technically on their side until the whole "burn all the knowledge" act she had going. Up until then, Tobias was still unhappy about her abandoning him, but he seemed to have accepted it. And then in Allegiant, she was Jeanine-level evil. I mean, the factionless totally rose up and became just as oppressive as the Erudite (and the rest of the factions) were towards them. So, when she dropped her "empire" and negotiated peace, I was so happy for him (And Johanna with a gun? Was not expected that.) I have to say I did pity Evelyn more than I pitied Marcus, so I naturally hated him more. You could see her hurt in the way she sat on the edge of her chair, the way she spoke, the way she acted, and the backstory told from Tobias's point of view. With Marcus, we didn't really understand why he did the absolutely horrible things he did other than liking the power of bringing pain. And Tobias not being Divergent did make sense. His narration was definitely different than Tris's in the sense of openminded-ness. Ah! Tell Mime to finish so she can join in!
I think that's part of the awesome with books…is every book reaches out to every reader differently. I SAW the ending coming. And I spend the last few chapters desperately hoping it wasn't going to happen. But at the same time, I hoped it would. I don't feel like a lot of authors ever come through on their "threats". But Veronica Roth did. Dang. 😉 I think it was the perfect ending, for Tris AND Tobias. But I'm still crying…!!
(Aren't they awesome? If I'm ever a famous *cough* author, I'm going to dress up like my characters. Heh.) MUSH. Yes, exactly. MUSH. I was SO shell-shocked I couldn't think. I would have liked to never read again…but I have deadlines. So I picked up Brother, Brother, which is a slow contemporary and I nearly died. It just wasn't a patch on Allegiant.
You're definitely smarter then me! All I could think was, "Hurry, hurry, read it all now in one day so no one interrupts you and you discover what all those blimey spoilers were about." I'm exhausted.
Awesome review! I haven't read Allegiant yet, but I know how it ends. It's waiting for me to read but I'm not motivated tbh… I just wasn't a huge fan of Insurgent so I'm not sure how I'll feel about Allegiant. 🙁 I know I'll read it soon though! I'll either love it or hate it. I'm excited to form my own opinion of it, and I'm hoping it ties the series together well for me.
Insurgent was my favourite book the first time, now I think it might even be my least favourite…or at least just totally on par with Divergent. I really adore the entire series though. I think I would have been devastated if I'd known how it ended before I read it.
So annoying, every time I think about this book it just annoys me. So Tris & Tobias are punished yet Evelyn and Marcus are let off scot free and that dude without the eye just forgets that he's bad. Where's the justice in all of this? Anyway, I'm glad the book didn't annoy you as much as it did me.Jeann @ Happy Indulgence
Heh…there probably could have been more justice. I mean, Peter got a "happy ending", didn't he? I admit I wasn't a complete fan of the book ending with Tobias and Christine walking together…it kind of indicated things to me that I wouldn't like to happen. (AKA: Tobias should be single the rest of his life. Christine and him don't fit together…so saith I.) I totally understand why this book is so controversial! But I loved it. 🙂
This made me cry again… Ugh I was such an emotional mess after reading Allegiant! I did love the book, its just, I think this end was fitting. If it had ended any differently (like they live happily ever after and all) that wouldn't have been realistic and that wouldn't have been Tris. She's one of my favourite characters ever, and I hate that she had to die… but it fit the story. BUT MY HEART GOT RIPPED OUT! Okay, just had to get that out in the open…Great review, and I love the GIF's haha
Those GIFs sum. me. up. WOW. I was devastated and simultaneously so in awe. That's a very exhausting thing. XD I have read books like this were they stuck in the "happily ever after" at the end, and I DID love it. Everyone was damaged and broken and ruined, but they still got together with the right person in the end. It's nicer on my poor book-broken heart…
Roth really broke me 🙁 At some point, readers will accept the fact that, YES, this is her book. But still, WHY?! When I learned that Allegiant's got dual POVs, I knew something was up. And that was it, Roth's big bad twist! My Allegiant Review
Ah! Well, you're cleverer then me! I totally thought it was just a nice, quirky thing to do. BUT NO. Veronica Roth had evil intentions obviously. -_- Though, I actually thought Tobias would die, at one stage…but really, it was perfect.
LOVED the ending, but there were just a lot of minor details that bothered me throughout the story..DONT THROW ROCKS AT ME, please?I wasn't much of a fan for the second book either, just because I thought Tris wasn't the same Tris we meet in the first book. She wasn't the tough girl she worked so hard to be in Divergent. In Allegiant, I felt that Four was going through the same thing that Tris was going through in the second book. When we first meet Four he was soo tough, and hard, but I felt like most of the third book he spent being afraid of his father, or following someone else's lead (Tris/Nita). Sorry that I don't agree with you guys, don't hate me (:Lisa http://www.turningpages94.blogspot.com
Haha! Lisa! Of COURSE not. Gosh, we're not monsters here. 😉 I'm totally fine with people having different opinions about books. That's the point of reading right?! Having our own opinions about so many books. I love that. Anyway! You know what I think. 😉 I'm definitely sad the series is over, but at the same time, I feel like it has a lot of closure.
I totally agree with you I felt weird cuz over the 3 books it was like I got so close to Tris then boom she dies I have not finished reading the book someone spoiled it for me and now I want to read it but I dont want to I was like how could she die I felt like I knew her (which is weird) I felt like I lost someone I knew and cried my eyes out (literally). I was so happy at the start of the book I thought they would get back together and live together and all and then im like SHE DIES……………………………. Im angry at my friend she spoiled it for me I knew someone was gonna die but not TRIS I mean they should really call it DIEvergent cuz like all the divergent people with Tris in her little group died ALL Divergent. Now im just like Freaking out.
I FINISHEDTHE BOOK TWO DAYS AGO AMD I AM STILL AN EMOTIONAL MESS! I loved Tris and Tobias was so sad that she had to die but my friends had ruined it before cuz they told me "someone very important dies" at first i thought it was gonna be Uriah but they both died. Even worse, my cousin had read the book and too and we talked about it… and she said she found a interview of Veronica where three years after the epilogue Tobias and Christina get together and the only thing i could say is: NO. NO NO NO NO. If in Insurgent you say that if she dies you die too, when she dies you should stay alone until the day you die to show her that youll always love her. Just like you said, not hooking up with her best friend. Even worse, on instagram, i post a quote of the day and the quote i posted i tagged it "#idratherbewithyou" #fourtris and its so sad because it describes their love for eachother perfectly. And now shes dead. I thpught she was gonna live after resisting the death serum (by the way was AMAZING) so the whole David part was a surprise. I felt so bad because Tobias' worst fear was not beingable to save her and it came true and the last words to eachother were : I love you. I love you, too. See you soon. And its gonna be alot longer than he thought. When i finished i had nothing to distract me so i read the last two pages of every book. Then i went to sleep and i had a dream of Tobias finally reuniting with Tris in heaven and since youre supposed to be able to choose to be the age in which you were happiest in your life, Tobias was 18 again and Tris was waiting for him with her arms crossed and a cold stare to scare him. Then she smiled, said "Hi Tobias, Ive been waiting for you." then she opened her as and then they hugged and kissed and finally had their happy ending. I was so emotional… amd really i still am.
i meant she opened her *arms
My friends spoiled the ending for me but I still read it and I still bawled to be honest I love divergent BUT I really don't like veronica roth now. When I got to the ending I cried so much that my One of my friends came up to me hugged me and asked me this What happened main character die? I couldn't say anything I just nodded and then cried some more which I am betting most of you think I am really emotion but normally I am not. I just felt like I was Tris>3Dauntless forever>3
Allegiant was a cryer fro me too, although unlike you I didn’t think the way you did, until I was sitting on a couch, on vacation with my paperback copy of Allegiant, and I read the ending, and I was stunned. OMG> it was so amazing, but the ending was just terrible.
Rose @ Paranormal Books recently posted…Book Blitz: Rough Edges by Kimberly Krey