Allegiant (Divergent Series, 3)

I want to start off by saying two things; one, there will be spoilers, and two, I didn't like this series overall. I found the first book interesting, but halfway through I was asking myself, "now what?" There wasn't lead up to anything, Tris was just trying to get into Dauntless, and it looked like she was heading that way, she was Divergent, but it didn't mean anything. All of a sudden the Dauntless become an army and people die and some secrets start to arise. Even the plot at the beginning seems forced. The faction system really doesn't seem flawed and there is a general happiness. Obviously the factionless seem like they will be an issue, but oppressed people always are. The second book starts to reveal more secrets without providing answers. Everyone is rallying against Janine, woo hoo, right? Tris is a prisoner, which isn't surprising since she doesn't come across as smart that often, although we are constantly told she is. Janine dies, factionless rise to power, and Evelyn is an evil dictator. Were you surprised? I saw that one coming from a mile away. the hole series was predictable (don't even get me started on the big reveal that Four is actually Tobias, as soon as the existence of one other Abnegation-turned-Dauntless was revealed it was clear they would hook up). By the first page of this book I knew Tris had to die and Tobias had to live. there was the shift to two narrators which means we have to get rid of our primary one. This book was considerably less predictable in the details because they did not follow from the rest of the story. We are basically told everything we thought before was a lie, like second semester of Organic Chemistry. There is a bunch of weak science, sob stories, more people dying. Basically if there is someone you really like, they die. Now, it sounds like I should be giving a one star rating for this, but I liked not knowing what to expect for once. I finished the book and did not have the same reaction as to Harry Potter and the Hunger Games, I didn't want a stupid happy ending. Tris died as a sacrifice (which was predictable, the series did lead up to that), but the greatest part about it was that it was unnecessary, she had gone off the deep end and pulled the exact same stunt she did with the Erudite, and this time it killed her. We finally have a protagonist that cracks under the pressure of grief and becomes human. Katniss went insane, but she always kept a sense of good judgement and it payed off, Tris thought she was doing what was best all the time, and it didn't pay off. She wasn't strong without Tobias, because he was the only one who believed in her, she never fully believed in herself, and that is why she died. Yes there is bad science in this book, and it was frustrating as all heck, but it is easy to attribute it to the plethora of lies being told. Honestly, I was glad that by the end of Insurgent Tris didn't "wake up" with a gun in hand like Janine finally mastered the simulations and she was now part of the Erudite army of mindless slaves and had just killed Tobias. Although, maybe that would have been a cool end. It really is the conclusion to a different story, but I feel satisfied, though frustrated, and the epilogue didn't make me want to destroy my tablet. The serums were overplayed, the history lessons were too similar to Hunger Games and very forced, and technology didn't seem to have advanced enough for some 300 or so years into the future. I recommend reading this book to finish the series, it is worth it for that, but it really isn't the best book. I almost didn't read it because the rating was so low, but I am glad I did, so maybe my five stars will help bring up its rank so people at least notice it.

Oh my goodness, this book. I'd read mixed reviews before going into Allegiant (although I somehow managed to avoid spoilers even though I was still active on websites where this book was discussed... thanks for being awesome, internet people!), so I was a little afraid this book might let me down. But it didn't. It definitely didn't. The beginning was a little slow for me, and other parts seemed really rushed, but I think part of that was from having to create an entirely new part of this world. Everything Tris and Tobias know is questioned, and everything has to be rebuilt from the ground up. I think there was a lot more telling in this book instead of things being inferred, but I'm not really sure how else it would have been done all in one book. The world-building was a little lacking in this book compared to the other ones, but it didn't bother me as much as it typically would. I did really enjoy that this story was told from two perspectives though. It was a little jarring at first - since the first two are solely from Tris' perspective, Tobias took a little bit to get used to. But then, I don't think this story would have worked any other way. Divergent and Insurgent were definitely Tris' story to tell, but this one belongs to both of them in so many ways. Tobias has issues that he has to deal with, and Tris has her own problems, and it wouldn't have made any sense for Tris to really be able to explain Tobias' problems and thoughts and actions. It was a risky choice, but I think it's one that definitely enhanced this last book. As I was reading this book, I felt like it had a Maze Runner feel to it. I don't want to spoil anything for either series, but I think people who have read The Maze Runner will understand. One of those "society isn't always what you think it is, we're doing this for your own good" kind of things. The pacing in this book was definitely very fast-paced, but I think the rest of the series is too so it wasn't off-putting. The whole series is a gigantic roller coaster ride, and this book was true to that. Especially with all of the feels. Oh, the feels. So many emotions on opposite ends of the spectrum that I should have been prepared for but wasn't really. So thanks for that, Veronica. You win. I don't want to say too much about the ending, because it's one I think everyone should experience on their own (if you haven't had it spoiled yet, keep avoiding those spoilers!), but I will say that I thought it was excellently done. It was risky, and I know quite a few people were outraged by it and hated the book because of it. I, however, think it remained true to the characters. After reading it, I don't think this series could have ended any other way. If you've read Divergent and Insurgent, you will definitely want to read Allegiant! It has its flaws, but I think it wraps up the series well. I mean, even the epilogue is true to all of the characters. Usually I hate the epilogues, but I enjoyed this one. Any fans of The Hunger Games or The Maze Runner series would most likely enjoy this series, as well as any fans of YA dystopias. 4/5 for this final book in an amazing trilogy!

This review contains hints at SPOILERS, but not direct spoilers–I can only advise that you read at your own risk . . . If I seem to not make as much sense as I normally do, know that I have just within the past ten minutes set this book down, and I’m still going through a little shock/trauma/grief over it. I feel this book, this ending so deep within me that I don’t know if I’ll be able to properly separate myself from it to type clearly, so please bear with me. Now, let me start off my own thoughts by telling you that I know it has raised some rather harsh reviews from readers, and I understand why in only one aspect–that the ending is not what anyone wanted. But I think that was part of the point that was being made. Life isn’t fair, and people have to die. When I read a book and ultimately suffer the loss of a character–a person within the story that I am close to, a person I identify with and spend the entire series growing alongside, a friend–that has a tendency to invoke a complete and utter devastation to my psyche. So yeah, the series didn’t end how I wanted it to because I would NEVER actually want to lose that friend. But you know what? It made sense. It really did, which is why I can accept it–as slowly and painstakingly as my heart feels like it’s been ripped out and boiled in acid, I can accept it. There were times when reading through the story I was getting so frustrated–at Tris, at Tobias, at EVERYONE–I was sighing and groaning and nearly pulling my hair out, pausing to cover my eyes like I couldn’t believe what was happening. But there were those times when I was so happy for Tris & Tobias, so excited for the next piece of the plot to come and then BAM! The next moment I’d be reeling from death and action. So much feels in this one book that left me analyzing myself, and how I would feel and how I would react, and who/what is right or wrong? What would I do? A true roller coaster of emotion that I will return to read again and again. And that’s part of what I like to judge a book on–the ability the story has to make that connection with me on more than just a reader-story level. When there’s no disconnect, when there’s a bond that ties me personally to the lives within the book and I genuinely feel attached to the characters, I know the story is worth it–to me, at least. I really do realize that there are a lot of people who are upset with this book out there, and I’m not just here to pledge my blind allegiance (see what I did there?) to this series because of the books that came before–I truly love this story and was so wrapped up in it that I felt akin to what the characters themselves were feeling. I know that in my personal experience, every book I have ever read that has tied me irrevocably to its story forever has been one that has lost integral characters in the ultimate struggle, in the end. It keeps me feeling human, because it’s rare that everything you want will work out perfectly, tied up like a pretty package with a little red bow on it. Sorry if this review seemed a bit preachy–remember when I warned you at the start about my working to process what happened? It may all still be . . . processing. But I firmly and without any regret–having used about fifteen Kleenex to wipe up all my tears–give Allegiant one of the most deserving 5/5 stars I’ve yet to commit ;)

I've decided to give Allegiant 3.5 stars, but can't give more than that. I just read on Veronica's website the reason why she decided to do what she did, but I don't agree with her choice to do that at the end of this story, and I am disappointed that she felt she had to. Now to what I liked and did not like about Allegiant, the 3rd and final book about Tris, Four and the Factions that began with a bang in Divergent. I absolutely loved Divergent. It was so different, unique and mysterious. Insurgent, the 2nd in the trilogy was good too, building up to what the factions are all about, and what is really outside of Chicago's walls. Allegiant started out rather slowly. After learning about the "Allegiant", who they are and what they stand for; Tris, Tobias, Christina, and even Caleb (and others) get to leave the city, and the group learns what the factions are all about. Once they are installed and living (temporarily?) in the Bureau building, while learning about their actual reality (and I'm not going to go into detail so as not to spoil anyone), what being "Divergent" actually means, the story takes a drag. It seemed like Roth was continuously beating us over our heads with the correlation between the difference in the Divergent (genetically pure or GP) and the GD (genetically damaged) and how that compares to our own society between the "haves" and "have nots". I get it, I get it,, I don't need 100+ pages explaining that to me over and over again. Roth also tells this book from alternating POV's between Tris and Tobias. However, their voices were too close to each other, it was sometimes difficult to remember who was speaking and I'd have to go back to the beginning of the chapter sometimes to figure out who's head I was in. She should have just reserved her alternate POV's for the very end - I think she would have had even stronger shock value then anyway. However, once we get past Roth's ramblings about the fact that the GP are superior than the GD and that we need to start some type of revolution, yeah, once that was done, the story picked up and got very exciting. I was on the edge of my seat.. what will Tris do? What will Tobias do? Will they make decisions that affect each other? Will they stay together? What plan of action will they all decide to take? Tris is known for rushing into things, not thinking them through completely and putting herself in tough positions (like almost getting killed several times). I think she really starts to think about who she is and what she wants out of life, once she realizes where she (and her mother) actually come from and why she makes the choices that she makes. Tobias, on the other hand makes some really stupid decisions that keep him out of Tris's favor for a good part of the middle section, and Tobias does have some beautiful lines though. "Her eyes drift to mine, and her stare carves me into a smaller man." -Tobias "Sometimes I still forget to look for the gentler parts of her. For so long all I saw was the strength, standing out like the wiry muscles in her arms or the black ink marking her collarbone with flight." -Tobias And while these moments were at times beautiful and other heartwrenching particularly between Tris and Tobias, nothing could have prepared me for the ending. Again, as I stated earlier, I am disappointed in Ms. Roth, and think she should have made a different (and I feel better) decision. Were it not for that beautifully written Epilogue (and again, I can't go into any detail without spoiling it), I think I would have questioned my reading this book and whether or not reading the entire series was worth it! I still sometimes think about that.

I literally JUST finished Allegiant and had to head out to see what others were saying about it. I was completely shocked to see all the negative reviews. Most of them I have to believe are provoked by the way it all ends, and I have to completely disagree with them. Tris' final decision makes perfect sense to me, given who she was written to be at her very core. SPOILERS AHEAD From the way Insurgent ended, I knew we were in for a wild ride once Allegiant was in our hands, but I certainly didn't see the true nature of the dystopian world coming the way it did. Genetic manipulation and the chaos it caused leading the US Government to make some radical choices, allowing the pursuit of science and perfection to turn them into god. When that failed, their answer was to start all over by resetting the entire city's memories. Someone has to stop them. And of course Tris, our ever selfless heroine, does just that. Tobias, Christina, Marcus, Uriah, and the rest of the Allegiant cast journey though the discovery of the true reality of who they are and why the Factions and their city of Chicago are so important to those outside the fence. But it's the bitter reality of finding out his, and others, genetic makeup isn't perfect enough for the government that brings division and confusion to Tobias, even among his friends. Thankfully, this group is strong enough to believe in themselves, in who they are as people, without allowing those who think otherwise to divide them completely. At least not for long. Tris and Tobias continue to struggle through their relationship and they both make painful decisions but they are finally able to come to the understanding that life does that to couples. Just like in reality, they realize that holding a grudge against someone you love isn't the right answer. Life is painful, and the only way to survive the pain is to agree to give forgiveness before it's even required. And there is a lot to forgive in Allegiant. Tobias' poor choice leads to the eventual death of a friend, and Tris' wise decision leads to the ultimate sacrifice. Something all us readers should have seen coming. Painful and heart wrenching as it was to read, every character held true to who they were written to be. Having the book written between Tobias and Tris' point of views truly only made sense in the end, but that's where the real power in this book comes through. Dealing with the loss of war, rebellion, and the death of those who believe in the cause enough to give their lives for it takes the last chapters of this whole trilogy to a new level. Tobias' character is pushed to the limit, and we get front row seats as he shows us the real strength it takes to move past the loss of someone you love, and the courage it takes to allow those who've hurt you the most the opportunity to make things right. I do agree with those who are comparing this final book in the Divergent Series to Mockingjay of the Hunger Games Trilogy, in that, despite the tragic ending and saying good-bye to several beloved and vital characters, Allegiant, though horribly painful to finish, left me feeling much more satisfied and convinced that those who were left will indeed succeed. It was a brilliant end to the story of Beatrice Prior, and a fresh beginning for everyone who survived. It will be a long time before I can emotionally handle re-reading this series, but it will forever be one of my favorite book series to date. Thank you, Ms. Roth. You've not only written an amazing trilogy, but you've given us a lot to ponder. And THAT is the mark of a brilliant dystopian series.

I probably need to say that this review will probably be a jumbled mess. Bear with me please. I don't normally feel the need to state this, but with all of the controversy surrounding this book, I want to make sure you know this review is spoiler free. I’m sure you all have seen tons of press about Allegiant. This was probably the most anticipated book of the year for most people. It definitely was for me. So I’m sure you saw the Allegiant countdown widgets on everyone’s blogs. I’m sure you saw dozens of Waiting on Wednesday posts about this. There was a mishap with some supplier somewhere and some people got copies super early, which means spoilers were leaked. And then release date finally came. Now normally, I go to my local book store and pick up books that I’m highly anticipating so that I can have them on release day, but the last one I bought was almost half price on Amazon compared to my local book store on release day. (Yeah, yeah, Amazon’s the devil. Well not to me. I heart Amazon.) And so this time I preordered Allegiant through Amazon instead of picking it up on release day. This meant that tons of people got their hands on Allegiant a couple of days before me. Enough time for spoilers to begin amassing, comments to begin piling up, and opinions began to be formed. And well, I say all of that to say that I was extremely nervous going in to Allegiant. I’m not normally one of those people who dreads reading the last book in a series just in case it doesn’t go the way I want it to. I’m more of the type that dives in head first because I can’t wait to experience it whether good or bad. But all of the hype and comments had me stressed to the max about this book. Let me be clear, I didn’t read any spoilers, but I did read some where others had read spoilers and based off the spoilers decided not to even pick up the book. All of this buzz and conflict had me a bundle of nerves. (Didn’t help that I was already having some anxiety over some real life things as well.) Ultimately I picked up and finished Allegiant. The beginning was going just fine. I wondered to myself “what are all of these people complaining about?” And then I hit the middle and I started getting frustrated with these characters *clears throat and cuts eyes* (**FOUR!!!!!). I really wanted to pop them him over the head. And I don’t know if it was the negative hype, my personal frustrations with characters making some really dumb decisions especially when those characters are supposed to be smart, or if it was my general anxiety, but during this part of the book, I really just wanted to throw the thing across the room. The ending wasn't the part that frustrated me the most. It was the middle. But nevertheless, I moved passed the frustrating middle business and things got better for me. And then the ending happened. I probably would have been frustrated with it had I not been warned that many people hated it, and therefore I lowered my expectations. But the ending really just wasn’t that big of a deal for me as far as getting angry or upset. It made me sad. I teared up, but I found the ending to be solid and acceptable. Four and Tris start off Allegiant in a rocky kind of place. She lied to him about several things in Insurgent, and so he’s got some trust issues based off that. But they have a talk about how they both need to do a better job being honest with each other, and so things get better. They find themselves on more stable ground. My favorite relationship oriented quotes: “We’re not people who touch each other carelessly; every point of contact between us feels important, a rush of energy and relief.” - Four “I Feel the urge, familiar now, to wrench myself from my body and speak directly into her mind. It is the same urge, I realize, that makes me want to kiss her every time I see her, because even a sliver of distance between us is infuriating.” - Four I was as I mentioned above extremely frustrated with Four at one point. He made a decision that was contradictory to a conversation that he and Tris had. Then he semi-rectifies it and talks about it with her. But he doesn’t listen to her. Turns out she was right. I know that’s a sticky place to be—situated between your own judgment and the judgment of someone else that you highly respect and trust. Truthfully I felt like the Four from Allegiant, and even Insurgent really, wasn’t the same person from Divergent. He felt like a completely different person. His mannerism. His speech. His attitude. His decisions. They all felt like they were coming from two different people. Maybe that was supposed to be the difference between him being Four and him being Tobias (I hate that name by the way). But I would think that Tobias would be a more complete person and Four would be just one side of himself—just the Dauntless side. But that wasn’t the case at all. Maybe the Tobias part is the part that carries the baggage from his past which weighs him down and causes him to question and doubt. Whatever the cause, and not just because of the name, but Four is a much more likable and understandable character than Tobias for me. One of my favorite aspects of Allegiant, and something that I don’t point out in books that I read enough, was the quotable moments that seem more like life lessons. Here are a couple of examples: “I need to deny them the power to control me. I need to know that I am stronger than they are.” – Four, discussing his fears. “And as I stare out at the land, I think that this, if nothing else, is compelling evidence for my parents’ God, that our world is so massive that it is completely out of our control, that we cannot possibly be as large as we feel.” – Tris, which makes me think of Romans 1:20 (NKJV) – “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” “I feel like what I have become is halfway between my mother and my father, violent and impulsive and desperately afraid. I feel like I have lost control of what I have become.” - Four “So how can I hold Tobias’s desperation against him, like I’m better than him, like I’ve never let my own brokenness blind me?” – Tris, forgiveness—something this world could use a little more of. “I used to think that when people fell in love, they just landed where they landed, and they had no choice in the matter afterward. And maybe that’s true of beginnings, but it’s not true of this, now. 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.” – Tris, love isn’t just about how someone makes me feel, it’s more, it’s deeper, it’s harder than just that. Yet it is utterly simply at the same time. Other memorable quotes: “I sigh. I may like to run, but I hate climbing stairs.” –Tris, a throwback to the Abnegation days of climbing to the choosing ceremony from the very beginning of Divergent. “There’s no need to giggle...” – Caleb (you need the context to find this funny) “Be brave.” - Four Ultimately I think that the Divergent series reminds me a lot of The Hunger Games series not just in concept, but in how I felt about both series as a whole. I LOVED the games. And I LOVED the Dauntless initiation process. But I hated the political part of both of these series. I disliked the whole war idea and taking down the corrupt government. While I do really love the idea of how much one person can make a difference, this side of the series—the war and politics—wasn’t what I fell in love with. I wanted more initiation. I wanted more Dauntless. While I love Tris and Four, I think I would have been happier with the series if we’d followed other characters through their initiation process rather than follow Tris and Four through the rise and fall of multiple corrupt governments. Whereas with The Hunger Games series, I loved both The Hunger Games and Catching Fire because both of these had a the games in them, I didn’t really like Mockingjay as much because it focused on the politics. Unfortunately for the Divergent series, Divergent itself was the only book in the series that focused on the initiation process. And therefore, both Insurgent and Allegiant felt lacking to me. I don’t typically read reviews before I write my own, but I broke my own rule in this case and I can’t think of a better way to describe this than she did. Jen from YA Romantics said in her review of Allegiant on Goodreads that Divergent felt more Dauntless and Allegiant felt more Abnegation. That’s the perfect way of describing these two books. The ending of Allegiant was very Abnegation—true Abnegation. I strongly wish I could discuss this is greater detail with you guys, but I can’t spoil it for anyone who hasn’t read it. I’m surprised I haven’t spoiled anything in this review as it is. Anyway, I think Allegiant gets 4 Stars. It’s still a well written book. It still sparked emotion within me—even if mostly anxiety. Have you read Allegiant? If so, what did you think? (Please keep comments spoiler free!) **I refuse to call him "Tobias" except when referring to the differences in his personality.

SPOILERS BELOW!!********************* 4 or 5 stars? Well, I am heartbroken. For sure. But, I am not sure I am completely disappointed. Did I get what I hoping for out of this book? No. I must have read Divergent and Insurgent at least 7 times. I read them quickly, with excitement and adrenaline, and I read them slowly trying to relish every word. As I read Allegiant, I sometimes rushed along with the momentum, thinking that I will re-read and take the time to truly think about each sentence next time. But, I honestly do not think I can re-live that again. I forced myself to finish the book, not wanting to believe what had happened. I wish this book was released after the Divergent film, because I am not even sure I can put myself through this tale again knowing of Tris' death. Do I think it was the wrong ending? I'm not so sure. I like happily ever afters. A lot of reviewers have applauded this ending for being messy and brave, and difficult. But, we have plenty of dramas and heartache in our lives. When I read a book, or watch a movie, I do steer towards feel-good ones, even if they are not realistic. It is a nice escape, and I don't think there is anything wrong with wanting that. I also think, that in this case, it would have been interesting to see Tris face a normal life. As long as we have known her, she has had a fire within her to do something big and meaningful. And she was amazing! But, her whole existence was to be an instigator. To intervene, make bold choices, to take risks, make sacrifices, and try to fix things. She was told over and over again that she was unique, special, and powerful. I think it would have been more challenging for her, more brave even, to just be normal in the end. I say this because I think that is a part of the process for most young adults becoming adults. So many of us are told that we can be whatever we want to be, and do whatever we want to do, and that is great. Every child should have the self-confidence to follow their dreams. But, the reality is that we do not all grow up to be the astronaut, the NFL player, the movie star, or the Nobel Prize winner that we dreamed we would be. Instead of feeling like failures, or being disappointed with ourselves, at some point the majority of us have to be brave enough to be ok with just being normal. We have to find contentment and happiness with what we do achieve, and choose to make a difference in even the smallest ways, because it is cumulative. I think that would have been Tris' grown up moment. She was not invincible, and she could have chosen to be content with the work she had done, and worked toward change in a less self destructive way. It would have been a significant character development to show, and she never got there. So, I regret that for her. But, she was a hero. Maybe that was the best she could offer the others. And it certainly was the most harrowing and dramatic contribution to the story. There is a part of me that does find closure with this story though, and respect for Veronica Roth's story telling. Tris' motivations were strongly linked to her mother all along. While she also thought about what her father would want her to do, with every new revelation she made about her mother in Divergent and Insurgent, you could see her direct her actions toward emulating her. Throughout Insurgent, she was focused on finishing her mother's work. In Allegiant, as she uncovered the rest of her mother's story, it was clear what she truly felt she had to do. She had no other choice. It was always her driving force. I thought her mother's choice to be "normal" and live in Abnegation instead of finishing her work to help the genetically damaged in the Fringe was extremely compelling. I don't know if Natalie was taking the harder path to turn away from the conflict outside and try to be "normal", or if it was easier for her to choose that path and relinquish herself from the feeling it was her obligation to save the world. She still made a difference. She still saved lives and helped others. But, she helped herself too. I admire her for that. But, at the same time, it was clear that she had unfinished business, and Tris felt a deep devotion to completing that work. It was something that Caleb was never going to be capable of doing, so it had to be Tris. It had to. And it required sacrifice. That was her choice. Would it have been nice for us if she had released the serum, AND lived and reunited with Tobias? Yes. But, here is why I think that maybe wasn't the right way to go: Veronica Roth said that she first wrote Divergent from Tobias' perspective. Now I believe that this whole story is really about Tobias, and his growth. Not Tris. I really do. And, now that I see that, I think it was incredibly interesting for Veronica Roth to write the first two books from the perspective of a different character. To experience Four/Tobias through Tris' eyes, and then to experience him through his own voice, was a very complex and deliciously addictive ride. It was so multi-dimensional. She told his story from the way he saw himself, but also from how others saw him. From how someone who chose to love him saw him. In a very twisting way. I can't think of another character sketch (or really a fictional biography) told just quite like this. Tobias was always a broken person, way before he was told he was genetically damaged. I feel like this story is about how Tris facilitated him living through this tragedy and developing into the person he wanted to be. The leader he was meant to become. He had to learn to LET GO. Forgiveness, love, and trust. She completely affected how he interacted with the people and situations around him. This was about him making peace with a traumatic past and becoming an adult. And I never looked at this story like that until the end. I am grateful to Veronica Roth for creating such an interesting tale that was powerfully told. Even if I don't think I can reread and relish it all over and over again like I hoped I could. I actually think my main disappointment with Allegiant was that Uriah's story fell short. I thought he was a very interesting and important character in Divergent. I was upset that his character was cut out of the film. In Insurgent, he was mysterious and delightful, and he helped us bear the phase of Tris, the downer. I loved that he was Divergent, but that he seemed different from the others. He was smart, and thoughtful. I was so sure that he was going to play a key role in Allegiant, and I am let down that it was only his body and memory that played a significant part. I really wanted to see more become of him. But, now that I feel like this was always about Tobias, I guess that really wasn't very important. Can't believe it is over! Worth the read, but keep tissues by your side!

I finished this last night and afterwards I felt just dead inside. I absolutely hate when a series ends leaving me feeling unsatisfied and even, in this case, angry. I feel kind of betrayed by the author. I loved Divergent. The book had its faults, but I really fell in love with the whole story, the characters, the romance between Tris and Four, the Factions, etc. I read and re-read Divergent probably 8-10 times. I bought the audio book version as well. I was SO PSYCHED about the movie! I bought Insurgent and devoured it as well. It didn't have quite the same magic for me that Divergent did, but I still loved it. So I was REALLY psyched to read Allegiant. And maybe my hopes were too high. I don't know. That doesn't change the fact that this book utterly and completely disappointed me. SPOILERS AHEAD For real, SPOILERS! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK! [ **What's outside the fence?** I was really excited, after reading the 'cliffhanger' ending to Insurgent, to find out what was outside the fence. I had my theories, and I was right about some, wrong about others. I was expecting the cameras and Truman Show-esque thing, but I was not expecting all the genetic manipulation crap. As soon as our heroes get outside the fence, there are chapters and chapters of info dumping and, to be honest, it's kind of dull. We learn that Chicago (and some other cities) were created as 'experiments' because of genetic manipulation gone wrong. Supposedly these cities were an attempt at creating more 'genetically pure' people (aka Divergents). This is so far-fetched and bizarre, but I was willing to go along with it. **Tris and Four** I wasn't against the dual perspective, though once I finished the book I realized why she HAD to write it in a dual perspective. However, I don't think it was done well. There were several times where I would get halfway through a chapter and not remember who I was in the head of at the time, mostly because the two narrators had identical voices. Tris has always been an interesting character to me. I really liked that she was tough, but a little vulnerable and naive. I liked her progression through Divergent and Insurgent. She doesn't really progress much here. We've always known Tris is a selfless person who is more than willing to sacrifice herself for the greater good, or for her loved ones. That doesn't change here. More on that later. She does become kind of arrogant and holier-than-thou here, and it really started to bug me. She's 16, but she often acts (and everyone treats) her like a grown-up. She is pretty much always right in Allegiant and she makes sure everyone knows it. Four was awesome in Divergent. He loses all of that awesomeness in Allegiant. He becomes quite whiny and pathetic to the point where I actually wanted Tris to break up with him. She probably should have, considering some of the stupid and completely out of character stuff he does. I really hated seeing him reduced to this quivering mess of a boy who does nothing but wax poetic about his mommy and daddy issues. Four was always strong, and he is the polar opposite of that here. I did enjoy the progression of their relationship though. Some people have complained about the scene where Four accuses Tris of being jealous, but I actually liked it. I like that they, FOR ONCE, acted like TEENAGERS. Unfortunately that was a tiny part of this book, and for the rest of it they act like 30-40 year old worldly adults. **THE END OF THE CONFLICT** So we have Four's mother Evelyn running Chicago like a factionless tyrannical dictatorship. Johanna and Marcus running the Allegiant, trying to reinstate the factions. Evelyn has been portrayed as a nearly heartless person, hell bent on making all the Factioned people clean toilets like the Factionless had to do for so many years. At the height of the conflict, she is willing to allow a "Death Serum" to kill pretty much everyone in Chicago in order to avoid going back to the Factions. This is when Four arrives and says "Hey Mom, I'll be your son again if you stop acting like a monster" and she goes "Okay." She then negotiates with Marcus and Johanna. Marcus wants to take over as evil dictator and Johanna says "Nah, you're not gonna do that" and Marcus just says "Okay." Conflict over. WHAT? WHAT???????????? **Mass Murder** Roth has not shied away from killing off characters in the first two books, but I felt like most of that had a purpose. Tris' parents in the first book, Al (due to the guilt over his own actions towards Tris), Jeannine in Insurgent, and more. Deaths in Allegiant come just as rapidly and have even less meaning. Tori dies in a very sudden manner, and then is mostly forgotten about. She was referred to as the leader of the Dauntless, but she is killed and then is nothing more than an afterthought for the rest of the book. Uriah's death is given a lot more page time, but only as a way to make Four feel like total garbage for getting involved in the rebellion and to make Tris "right" once again. The biggest death of all was Tris, and this was the biggest disappointment to me. I will be straight up honest - I LIKE a happy ending. I read YA because I like knowing that things will most likely end up happy overall. I read romance because I know there will always be a happily ever after. HOWEVER, I can deal with a bittersweet ending so long as it feels satisfying and feels like closure. Tris' death was NOT that ending. Caleb's betrayal was a huge part of Insurgent, and that continues on in Allegiant. He has a LOT to atone for in Allegiant and when he volunteers for the suicide mission to help save everyone, he does it because he wants Tris to forgive him. And he doesn't want to live with the guilt of what he did. Instead of letting him, Tris forces him to let her go instead. I understand this. Tris forgave him and doesn't want him to die because he feels guilty. I get it. HOWEVER Caleb doesn't get that opportunity to redeem himself. While I understand that Tris acted the way she had to act, that doesn't mean Caleb can't take a bullet for her. That doesn't mean he can't force a redemption. Instead, Tris dies in a completely unsatisfying scene that left me going "WHAT THE HECK JUST HAPPENED?" Caleb lives and basically still is the coward and traitor. Caleb NEEDED to redeem himself. He needed to take that bullet for Tris and die. Instead, we get this messed up ending where Caleb lives. Peter lives (gets his mind erased BY HIS OWN CHOICE and gets to start over). Marcus lives (just disappears somehow). David (Tris' murderer) lives (also gets his mind erased and even though he's an evil murderer, no one cares because he doesn't remember). Almost all the bad guys live and get to have perfectly happy, normal lives. This is NOT SATISFYING. THIS IS POINTLESS. Sorry, but this book was awful. I wanted to love it. I REALLY wanted to love it. I was willing to deal with all the weird genetically damaged stuff. I was willing to deal with the complete dismantling of Four's character. I was willing to deal with a lot, but Tris' pointless and needless death... NOPE. This death felt like it was here for shock value only. So the author could be "edgy" and "different." Unfortunately, all she did for me is ruin the entire series. I won't be re-reading Divergent or Insurgent anymore. I won't be re-reading Allegiant. And I definitely won't be seeing the movies that I was once so excited for. Knowing how depressingly it ends ruins it all for me