Allegiant

Dear Ms. Roth,

When I first heard that spoilers for Allegiant had leaked onto the web, I was angry. I love the way it feels to uncover a story for the first time, savoring the emotions and the experience. That someone wanted to ruin that for me and those like me caused me pain. I knew, based on the veritable outcry from those who saw the spoilers that whatever it was must be bad but I didn't break. I avoided all mention of your book wherever I went online.

When release day came and I couldn't purchase it right away, I stayed away from Twitter and my RSS feed. I knew better than to go to places where my people – those in the book blogging community – would be talking about your book.

It didn't matter.

One person who had never read your books had seen the spoilers and managed to make an errant comment to me, spoiling the ending. Her rationale was, “I'm sorry. It was all over my Twitter feed so I didn't think there was anyone left who hadn't seen it.”

I was devastated. Not only at learning the outcome of your book without the knowledge of the journey, but at being robbed of the experience that might have helped me be okay with your decision.

It took me nearly two weeks to pick up your book after that. I stared at it every day knowing that it was going to break my heart. But I knew that one day I would need to finish Tris and Four's story. I would regret it if I didn't.

And when I closed the final page of the book there were tears streaming down my face. But I understood. I may have been robbed of the initial experience of your intention, but I still grasped the meaning behind your decision. You stayed true to your characters. And that's when I re-learned that just because a book doesn't end the way I wanted it to doesn't mean the book isn't a good one. Allegiant was a great book.

You gave me back the Tris and Four that I fell in love with in Divergent.

And for that, I say thank you.

Mandi Kaye