Book Review: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

The first book of 2014 was chosen rather unceremoniously. I received Divergent by Veronica Roth as a Christmas gift, and by New Year's Eve I was engrossed in the third installment of the trilogy, Allegiant. With that Allegiant became the first book I finished in 2014.

I usually catch on to book hypes quite late, and this was no exception. By the time I read it, this dystopian young adult novel was a spectacular success, with the movie adaptation of the first book on its way. The upside to my literary trend oblivion is that I got to read all three books in one go, which undoubtedly creates a different effect.

As a whole I enjoyed the series. Like many other books in its genre, Roth’s novels were fast-paced and exciting page-turners. The page turning was also helped by the slightly simplistic language of these books; though well plotted, I found them a bit lacking in rhetorical flourish.

Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins

The premise of the book (a society where people are divided into factions based on their most prominent personality traits) indulges people’s need for taxonomies and compartmentalization. Just like young Harry Potter fans love to ponder which house they would be in (I’m a Ravenclaw…just saying), fans of the Divergent trilogy discuss which faction they would be in; Dauntless, Amity, Erudite, Abnegation or Candor. While this is a fun exercise, I don’t agree with the oversimplification of human personalities. But thankfully, neither does Veronica Roth, and the novels show how this contrived society unravels in the hands of those who don’t quite fit in.

The third installment ventured into slightly different narrative territory, as it was written from the dual perspective of Tris and Tobias, the alliterative lovebirds we met in the first two books. The basic concept was a good one. The two characters, though connected by many things, have very different goals and personalities, so it seems plausible that their separate perspectives would enrich the story. However, I found that the distinction between their respective narrative voices was not clear enough, making the story confusing at times. Although we gain more insight into the main characters motivations, the secondary characters often felt slightly one-dimensional and dispensable. 

The revelations of the third book and the ending of the trilogy have shocked many readers, but I agree with Roth’s choices. The moral message may be didactic at times and the language simple, but there is no denying that she has plotted her novels masterfully.