Allegiant by Veronica Roth

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


After speeding through the first two books in the Divergent series, I was excited to read the final book. Yet, as I briefly glimpsed through reviews, I could see that for whatever reason, this book was more controversial and seemed to genuinely upset a lot of readers. Being no stranger to reading book series only to find the last book a disappointment (hello, Breaking Dawn), I grew nervous. I wondered how Veronica Roth, after writing two incredible, difficult-to-put-down books, full of interesting characters, plot twists, and a unique premise, could possibly drop the ball so bad that some readers could swear it was "the worst book they've ever read" and plead fans of the series to not read it...

While there are some books that I do wish I could unread, this was NOT one of them. I read through the beginning and was instantly drawn in and pleasantly surprised at the dual-narration switching between Tris and Tobias. I continued reading through the beginning and into the middle, pleasantly surprised, shocked, and stunned at the revelations provided. I did not find it a disappointment, but rather an unexpected twist and I was willing to go along for the ride as characters I had grown familiar with had their worlds turned upside down. I understood the fuss from those who are not as enthusiastic about the book--perhaps this third installment had taken too big of a departure for them, right when they had gotten comfortable with the world of "Divergent", it was ripped from under their feet, echoing what the characters themselves were feeling. While some found this a disappointment, I found it fascinating. I kept on going...

And when I reached the end, I saw yet another major factor in why so many people were upset with this book. I, on the other hand, applaud Veronica Roth for her bravery in telling the story she wanted to tell. What she did with this conclusion is unexpected and upsetting, but for those who can handle that sometimes things do not go according to plan, even in fictional settings, this finale is not one to be missed.

As a whole, I found Allegiant to be a serious roller-coaster ride. Some people firmly believe that authors should "give readers what they want", while others believe it is of the utmost importance for the author to tell the story they want to tell. If you are of the latter school of thought, you will appreciate the risks Roth takes with this book. Be prepared to have everything you know about the series flipped upside down, be prepared to feel skeptical and suspicious, be prepared to feel panicked and on the edge of your seat, be prepared to laugh and scream, be prepared to reach for your box of tissue, and then be prepared to somehow smile through your tears...

I found the writing in this book to be exciting, heartbreaking, and beautiful. In the words of Tobias, “Be brave” and just keep an open mind when you are ready to discover how the series concludes.



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