*spoilers*
This will be an unusual review for me, because it will be full of spoilers, so only those who have read it should continue. I have never talked about plot points in reviews because I tend to just think that people are interested in opinions on the story overall- however, with this one I feel like I have to talk about the points because they are just that important. Spolier-y bits are in the last paragraphs.
To start, I have to say that the knowledge that this trilogy is moving to the big screen affected the way I read Allegiant, the final book in the trilogy. I LOVED the first two books, and I loved Tris and Four. Tris is a wonderful character, and I continue to be pleased at the tide of strong, powerful, female characters that are hitting the young adult bookshelves. But again, the movie thing. I watched the preview for Divergent and I got literally giddy. Then I finished Allegiant and realized there is no way that they can keep true to the written story on the screen, and that makes me sad. This doesn't necessarily take away from the book, but it is something I considered as I read.
Allegiant was not my favorite of the three books. I really enjoyed it, until the end, but not as much as the first two. I have to say I disapproved of Tobias continually not trusting in Tris' proven instincts, and also of Tris and her apparent death wish. I thought that the "genetically pure" versus "genetically damaged" storyline got a bit heavy handed with the its obvious nods to how the Nazis saw the Jews and how some see African Americans. The big twist of who the factions really are, why they are, and what lies beyond them I thought was more derivative than I would have liked. However, the plot was handled well and the writing has always been exemplary. The added bonus of genuinely liking the characters helped as well.
Now, for the part that I was not happy about. These stories, these characters we fall in love with, become parts of us when we read them, and for the very special ones even after we've turned the last page. So what to do when one half of that love story is no more? This is an issue I as a writer have been struggling with. Is it right to end a story with the death of the most important character if that is how the story is meant to end? Anyone who writes knows that stories write themselves; we have almost nothing to do with how they grow and end except to be the typing monkeys. They have lives-and deaths- of their own. But then you have to think about how your readers will react. Will they want to stop reading right there? Or throw the book across the room, cursing your name? My reaction was somewhere in between. I kept reading because I kept hoping there would be some last minute deus ex machina that would make everything alright...but there wasn't. I didn't curse Ms. Roth's name, but I came close! But then, maybe that is just a testament to the quality of the writing because if you don't love a character, you cannot mourn them, either.
This will be an unusual review for me, because it will be full of spoilers, so only those who have read it should continue. I have never talked about plot points in reviews because I tend to just think that people are interested in opinions on the story overall- however, with this one I feel like I have to talk about the points because they are just that important. Spolier-y bits are in the last paragraphs.
To start, I have to say that the knowledge that this trilogy is moving to the big screen affected the way I read Allegiant, the final book in the trilogy. I LOVED the first two books, and I loved Tris and Four. Tris is a wonderful character, and I continue to be pleased at the tide of strong, powerful, female characters that are hitting the young adult bookshelves. But again, the movie thing. I watched the preview for Divergent and I got literally giddy. Then I finished Allegiant and realized there is no way that they can keep true to the written story on the screen, and that makes me sad. This doesn't necessarily take away from the book, but it is something I considered as I read.
Allegiant was not my favorite of the three books. I really enjoyed it, until the end, but not as much as the first two. I have to say I disapproved of Tobias continually not trusting in Tris' proven instincts, and also of Tris and her apparent death wish. I thought that the "genetically pure" versus "genetically damaged" storyline got a bit heavy handed with the its obvious nods to how the Nazis saw the Jews and how some see African Americans. The big twist of who the factions really are, why they are, and what lies beyond them I thought was more derivative than I would have liked. However, the plot was handled well and the writing has always been exemplary. The added bonus of genuinely liking the characters helped as well.
Now, for the part that I was not happy about. These stories, these characters we fall in love with, become parts of us when we read them, and for the very special ones even after we've turned the last page. So what to do when one half of that love story is no more? This is an issue I as a writer have been struggling with. Is it right to end a story with the death of the most important character if that is how the story is meant to end? Anyone who writes knows that stories write themselves; we have almost nothing to do with how they grow and end except to be the typing monkeys. They have lives-and deaths- of their own. But then you have to think about how your readers will react. Will they want to stop reading right there? Or throw the book across the room, cursing your name? My reaction was somewhere in between. I kept reading because I kept hoping there would be some last minute deus ex machina that would make everything alright...but there wasn't. I didn't curse Ms. Roth's name, but I came close! But then, maybe that is just a testament to the quality of the writing because if you don't love a character, you cannot mourn them, either.
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