Allegiant by Veronica Roth (Divergent #3)

Genres: Young Adult, Sci-fi, Dystopian, Romance
My Rating: 5 out of 5

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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 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.

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This book was amazing! It easily made up for any issues I had with book 2. I absolutely loved the characters and the story since book 1, but in this one it seemed to grow so much more depth! Veronica Roth's writing was always good, but neither of the first two books made me think, or made me feel, like this one did.

The story took a lot of turns that I did not see coming. The breadth of the story has grown beyond anything I had anticipated. Looking back to the problems of book 1, they seem so meaningless in comparison to the things Tris and Four had to contend with in this one. And it brought everything together. I remember, when Divergent was first released and started gaining popularity, there were a few negative reviews where the readers could not find the society depicted at all believable. They claimed the concept just would not work, and there was no way anyone would have built such a society in the first place, knowing how doomed it would be. Well, I hope those people are eating their words now.

In Insurgent I became very frustrated with Tris and Four's relationship. After Divergent, I thought they were the epitome of all YA couples. But in Insurgent they had a lot of issues and argued and disagreed a lot, and it really upset me. But in Allegiant, I can see how this just makes their relationship all the more real. That is what love really is in the end, and I think not enough YA books acknowledge that. Its not just passion and feeling. Its commitment and loyalty.

"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."

[And then of course there is the issue of Tris' fate. I have to say, the fact that Tris did not survive actually made me love this book, this series, and Veronica Roth even more than I already did. Its exactly what Tris would do, and there is no way around that. Sure, I suppose Roth could have come up with a third alternative, so that neither Tris nor Caleb had to die. But why deny Tris' sacrifice? She did a beautiful thing, and she did it for all the right reasons. I have never read a more selfless and well-written death. The only thing about it that upset me, is the fact that it left Four alone. The fact that they are not together forever is a great injustice. I am a little sad that his memories of Tris were beginning to fade by the end, but he has learned to move forward and honour her memory at the same time. The way that he decided to scatter her ashes while riding the zip-line was just so amazing and perfect and brave, and I love Four all the more for it.]

"[My mother] taught me all about real sacrifice. That it should be done from love, not misplaced disgust for another persons genetics. That it should be done from necessity, not without exhausting all other options. That it should be done for people who need your strength because they don't have enough of their own."

This book, and the series after being disappointed with book 2, exceeded all my expectations; it blew my mind more than once. I am very sad that it is over. I don't know when will be the next time I will read a YA series quite like this one. I just wish more people had been willing to accept what happened to Tris. I have no doubt that is the reason for the drastic difference in the average Goodreads rating. I don't know if Roth has plans to write more, but I hope she does.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth (Divergent #2)

Genres: Young Adult, Sci-fi, Dystopian, Romance
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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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.

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I rarely have as high hopes as I did for this. Its not a good idea to let your hopes get so high but I couldn't help it. I ended up not getting what I expected. I was so unjustifiably upset while reading this that it can only be because of my ridiculously high expectations. I couldn't get over how sad everything was. Everything was going to sh#*s and I wasn't enjoying it. Tris was being a big baby and antagonizing Four at every opportunity, Four was being stiff and stand-offish, no one trusted them, the world was falling apart, and I almost cried. But its Insurgent! I had to finish it.

Things ended up getting better, and what Tris and Four went through together in the Erudite headquarters seemed to strengthen their bond again. But I am still really disappointed in them both. I know Tris' parents

died and she couldn't deal with it, but it really didn't make for good reading IMO, to see her falling apart. I blame her behaviour for most of her troubles with Four, but he is not without fault. I was really upset about the way he treated her after their meeting with the factionless. He brought her because of her perceptiveness, but then he didn't even ask for her opinion, and when she gave it, he ignored it and accused her of being biased. What?! Tris and Four were always the epitome of YA couples for me. The couple that all other couples were compared to. It hurt me personally, to see them fighting. I really hope it means that they have worked through all their problems and it will never happen again.

But needless to say the writing and story were great. Besides all the confusion at the end, and Tris and Four's relationship, I was impressed with where this went. Lots of action, and twists and turns. Even though the ending was way too abrupt and I didn't fully understand it, it was ambitious and I did not see it coming.

“We're all right, you know,' he says quietly. 'You and me. Okay?' My chest aches, and I nod. 'Nothing else is all right.' His whisper tickles my cheek. 'But we are.”

Divergent by Veronica Roth (Divergent #1)

Genres: Young Adult, Sci-fi, Dystopian, Romance 
My Rating: 5 out of 5

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In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, 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 to determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating 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 a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

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Oh my gosh! This was so good! When I finished this I let out a sound that sort of sounded like a dying cat, and my husband thought I was choking. Haha, I was just so excited I couldn't hold it in and I half squeed, half had a fit. Its the best book I have read in a long time, and definitely the best of all recent dystopians I have read.

I'm not a big The Hunger Games fan so this beat it easily. My previous favourite of recent dystopians was Matched. Its of a very different sort from this so I still love it and hold it very highly. But Matched is primarily a romance, while Divergent is a great dystopian on its own, while still having a great romance. Its world was unique and interesting, and well thought out and organized.

There was so much action, excitement and danger you don't even have a chance to breath. And all the characters were realistic and fully developed. And of course Tris and Four were awesome, as separate characters as well as a couple. A lot of the time YA novels have a love interest who has no purpose other than being a love interest. Divergent does not suffer from that. Really, I cant think of a single bad thing to say about this book. I can't wait to see the movie!

"Fear doesn't shut you down; it wakes you up. I've seen it. It's fascinating. Sometimes I just want to see it again. Want to see you awake.”