*Contains spoilers from Divergent and Insurgent*


With the truth about the city revealed the people are divided and must make a choice. Do they stay in the city or do they venture outside of the walls? Do they return to the faction system or come up with something completely new? Those who want to learn what is outside the city and those who are loyal to the faction system join forces to create the Allegiant. Everyone is at each other’s throats and the problems only escalate. Evelyn, the leader of the former factionless, has become a tyrant and shows displays of her power. The Allegiant cannot accept the way Evelyn rules and the city is on the verge of breaking into another war for power. Johanna, former spokeswoman for Amity and cofounder of the Allegiant, and Cara, former member of Erudite and the other cofounder of the Allegiant, come up with a plan that they share with Tris and Four. Cara wants to lead them outside of the city to see what the world outside really is. Tris and Four decide to join them as do several of their friends. Is it the right choice to see what was hidden from them? What about the choices they make afterward? One choice can transform you. One choice can destroy. One choice will define you.

With the inconsistency of Divergent and the recovery with Insurgent I really wasn’t sure what to expect from Veronica Roth’s finale Allegiant. I’d heard mixed reviews about the controversial ending and sometimes questionable plot choices. I came into Allegiant with an open mind; hoping that it would be a good experience but not entirely sure what was waiting for me. I personally was not disappointed. Allegiant was a fitting conclusion to the trilogy.

Written from the dual perspectives of both Tris and Four Allegiant draws upon the character development of the first two stories. Tris is still dealing with the deaths from the ending of Divergent and Four is dealing with having two parents that don’t care about him and his insecurity. The Divergent trilogy does an incredible job of explaining the psychological development of the characters throughout the story and it is probably my favorite part. Watching Peter struggle with the person he is throughout Allegiant was one of the most intriguing aspects of the novel. If nothing else the books are all worth picking up because of the beloved characters.

The story itself seems mildly inconsistent with the rest of the trilogy. It feels like a completely different direction which may have been the author’s intention. This might throw off some readers but I felt that it transitioned fluidly and still kept the reader hooked. It was compelling and page-turning. It was brilliant and infuriating. It was sad and joyous. The book takes its reader on an emotional ride that is easy to get swept up inside of. Roth’s ability to play on emotions is uncanny and she constantly tugs at the heartstrings.

Allegiant’s ending feels somewhat rushed like Divergent’s but it does not do much to detract from the book’s impact. Roth’s epic conclusion is a journey’s end and it feels like you’ve been a part of that journey all along.

Final Verdict:
Is Allegiant the book of the century? No, it has its faults but it is definitely a book worth reading. It introduces a lot of interesting and thought-provoking ideas. Roth is a phenomenal writer and her characters are her strongest area. Allegiant is infuriating but it is also turns a 526 page book into a world of its own.

Allegiant will obviously have the same recommendations as its predecessors. Insurgent is probably my favorite of the three so it doesn’t get a stronger recommendation this time. The opening reminded me a lot of Anthem by Ayn Rand but it quickly went a very different direction.

Favorite Quotation:
I suppose a fire that burns that bright is not meant to last.