Series review: Allegiant and Four by Veronica Roth

I finally got round to finishing off the Divergent series, and I decided to club together the final book and the collection of short stories as one big review!

Allegiant (Divergent, #3)
Allegiant by Veronica Roth
Publisher/Year: October 22nd 2013 HarperCollins
Series: Divergent #3
Source/Format: Hardback | Bought
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

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' 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 to complexities of human nature - and of herself - while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

My review

This series has taken me forever to finish, which may be part of the reason why it doesn't have the highest rating. I found myself losing interest in the series, but I was determined to finish it as I have abandoned so many others, and I am glad I decided to read it.

I did enjoy the whole world beyond the fence, but even though it was meant to be this whole big new thing, it didn't really excite me. I also didn't have high expectations going into this book, so at least I wasn't disappointed. Due to the sheer length of this book, it took me a while to read, especially because I wasn't too invested in the story any more.

I really wanted Tris and Tobias' relationship to finally be perfect, because I did still root for them, but it seemed like they were either arguing, or it was tense between them, or they weren't dealing with their issues and it was frustrating to read about.

If I ever felt attached to one of the characters in Divergent or Insurgent, I didn't any more. This wasn't a bad book by any means, but there are books that I just enjoyed more.

Four: A Divergent Collection (Divergent, #0.1 - 0.4)Four by Veronica Roth
Publisher/Year: July 8th 2014 HarperCollins
Series: Divergent #0.1-0.4
Source/Format: Hardback | Bought
Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Synopsis

Readers first encountered Tobias Eaton as "Four" in Divergent. His voice is an integral part of Allegiant. Readers will find more of this charismatic character's backstory told from his own perspective in Four: A Divergent Collection. When read together, these long narrative pieces illuminate the defining moments in Tobias Eaton's life. The first three pieces in this volume – "The Transfer," "The Initiate," and "The Son" – follow Tobias's transfer from Abnegation to Dauntless, his Dauntless initiation, and the first clues that a foul plan is brewing in the leadership of two factions. The fourth story, "The Traitor," runs parallel with the events of Divergent, giving readers a glimpse into the decisions of loyalty – and love – that Tobias makes in the weeks after he meets Tris Prior.

My review

I didn't really expect to like this as much as I did! It was nice to finally be able know more about Tobias' past, before he met Tris, as despite him being a main character, I still didn't feel as though I completely understood him as a person.

I enjoyed reading this after I finished the Divergent trilogy, and that it didn't really have anything to do with that storyline, because Allegiant wrapped it up pretty solidly. One of the things I enjoyed reading about most in the Divergent series was the whole initiation process, so I was really happy when reading about Tobias going through it too.

Getting the chance to read from Four's perspective before he met Tris really showed me how much she had changed him, for better or worse, which is something I didn't realise before.

I'd say if you were a big fan of the Divergent series then you should definitely pick this up, but it doesn't really add much and some could see it as unnecessary.

Izzy

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