Allegiant

Veronica Roth

Average Rating 8/10 (1 Review)

A What if your whole world was a lie?

The thrillingly dark conclusion to the No. 1 New York Times bestselling Divergent trilogy.

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.

Review by Chrissi (300414) Rating (8/10)

Review by Chrissi
Rating 8/10
We see that the entire society is more controlled and manipulated than it appeared in the first or second book, with the outside world observing the city and interacting with them to provide the serums. This treachery, allowing large numbers of people to be killed, including her parents, shows Tris that all is not well within this system either, driven as it is by belief that it is the ‘genetically pure’ who offer salvation for humanity. History has once again been denied as the theory that genetically pure people did not cause or fight wars or kill each other.

This is probably the most disappointing of the trilogy, as the great secret is revealed to be yet another level of control and manipulation. The cities, with the factions, were an experiment in social engineering and as such have been under constant observation since their inception, and it turns out, the populace has had its collective memory wiped to undo some aberrant behaviour in the system. As events progress within the city, it looks as though more death is inevitable as those with power seek to keep it. Tris and her friends find themselves looking to overthrow another belief system in an attempt to save the lives of the people within the city.

I know that many fans would disagree with me when I say that I admire that the author was brave and did not attempt a happy ending for everyone. After the events that they live through, it would be unrealistic to expect that all of the characters get a happy ever after, and whilst I admit a lump in my throat, I like the end of the trilogy.

There are echoes of other YA fiction, particularly the Hunger Games in this series, but it is better written and seems better planned as a whole, giving it a greater cohesion and an effortless flow. I did find the use of two voices in the last book to be distracting, especially with some of the angst going on, but on the whole the first person narration is thoughtful and engaging. A good ending to excellent series.
Chrissi (30th April 2014)