Book Blog #72: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Title: Allegiant
Author: Veronica Roth
# of Pages: 526 (ebook)
Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopian
Rating: ★★★☆ ☆
Synopsis: 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.
Review: Jeez. I don't even know how to say what I want to say. But somehow, I'll manage.

Let's just say that I STRONGLY disliked the first half of the book. The cover is a beautiful, of course, but everything else is so...meh. There's a lot of kissing, too much, in fact. And I usually LIKE romance (although it might not be apparent from what I've said in other reviews).

And I nearly died from a heart attack when I saw that there was POV switching. POV SWITCHING!!! In case you don't know, I hate POV switches. With a passion. The reason; a lot of authors can't pull it off. It makes the writer seem indecisive and lazy because he/she can't decide which POV do. If you can't decide, write in third person!

HOWEVER! I can also understand why Roth wrote from both Tris's and Tobias's point of view. Tris's death would be hard to write otherwise, though Roth could have done the whole book in Tris's POV and then switched to third person or Tobias's POV for the epilogue. So although Roth's use of POV switching is partially justified, it still does not hide the fact that this book wasn't written as well as Divergent (and even Insurgent). I found myself having to go back to the first page of the chapter a lot because I couldn't remember who's POV I was reading from (unless there was a context clue, like talking about Tris/Tobias in third person, if that makes any sense at all). That alone is concerning to me as a reader because it's telling me that both characters are behaving in a similar way. This wouldn't be a problem in some cases, but the fact still stands that the two characters are of OPPOSITE GENDERS! They should behave differently, even if it's only slightly.

Tris's death came so suddenly, it didn't quite sink in until the epilogue. And at that point I was like, "Oh, so she really IS dead!" I was slightly surprised because Roth doesn't seem like the kind of author to kill off her beloved main character, but I didn't feel anything else. That was a little disappointing; I would have appreciated a really big, heart-wrenching moment.

One thing that probably contributed to my reaction to Tris's death was how Tobias learned of it. Cara said is so simply and quickly, I almost missed it. And I didn't feel a lot of emotion from Tobias, maybe because Roth was trying to convey emptiness? But I couldn't feel that either.

Allegiant is barely hanging onto it's third star. I was extremely tempted to give it two. But I decided to be generous since it's the last book and all. Roth shouldn't have made Divergent into a trilogy. The first book was wonderful; I really enjoyed it! But the plot went down hill from there. It really should have ended where it started; Divergent. So for everyone who has made it this far, read it, but expect to be disappointed. If you haven't read the series yet, I would recommend reading the first one and then walking away. Don't even bother with Insurgent and Allegiant.

Book Blog #71: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Title: Insurgent
Author: Veronica Roth
# of Pages: 525 (ebook)
Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopian
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: 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.

Review:  There are two reviews below. The original was not written directly after reading, so it may not be accurate.

Original Review: January 16, 2013

I never liked sequels, so I think that's why I didn't enjoy this book very much. I read is book a while ago, but I remember being obsessed, just not as much.

Second Review - November 10, 2013

Well, it defiantly wasn't as good as Divergent. The plot was a bit all over the place, and the romance was really cheesy at times (to the point where I was cringing).  And it seemed more cliché than usual.

For example, there was the part where the Amity inject Tris with that...stuff and she becomes extra happy and nice. And the she says that part about how she isn't very nice, which is why she likes Tobias so much (sorry if this is confusing). And then after the serum wears off, Tobias mocks her and says, "'It's just...I'm not very nice either, you know. That's why I like you so-'" (Roth 69). What I found a little peculiar was that I similar situation occurred in the Maximum Ride series when (spoiler alert) Max is loopy from laughing gas and tells Fang that she loves him THIS much while spreading her arms out really wide (as far as I remember). And the Fang teased her for it, JUST LIKE TOBIAS DID TO TRIS! I'm not sure if it's just an extremely cliché thing, or if one of the authors copied the other. It could be both.

But it wasn't all bad. I was able to read it in two days, which is extremely fast for a five-hundred page book. The ending had a pretty awesome cliff-hanger too.

My recommendation? If you've already read the first one and you loved it, just finish off the series. Who knows, the last book might blow my mind!

Book Blog #70: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
# of Pages: 487 (paperback)
Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopian
Rating:★★★★☆
Synopsis: In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, 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.
Review: Below are two reviews; the first is my original review I wrote in January 2013 (not directly after reading) and the second being my new review.

Original Review - January 15, 2013

My rating? 3.5 stars!

I love the unique concept that Roth came up with. If you are fortune (or unfortunate) enough to live in this futuristic setting, you would live in one of five factions. Each faction fosters a certain character trait. The book starts off by immediately captivating the reader into the details of this different society. There was suspense and intensity; the tone was set for each scene.

But near the end, when she (SPOILER ALERT), finds love, my mind feels like its walking through mud. The books seemed to run out of steam. It disappointed me.

Second Review - November 7, 2013

Looking back at my original review, I'm a little ashamed of it. I had no idea what I was talking about. Jeez.

Ladies and gentlemen, THIS is what I call an enjoyable read. Once again, I am reminded that a good book goes by quickly. I was able to finish the book two days earlier than it usually takes me to read an almost five-hundred page book.

Now, yes, the book isn't perfect (thus why I gave it four stars instead of five). There were clichés, and sometimes I detected a bit of the annoying-main-character-syndrome. But the important part is that I fell in love with Divergent all over again. Even though there were some flaws, all is forgiven once the reader falls in love with the plot, the characters, everything!

I am so glad that I reread Divergent (in honor of Allegiant's release). It was so worth my time. If you have not read this wonderful gift of a book, please do. It's fantastic.