Allegiant

Oh Allegiant, how you've frustrated me these past few days. That feeling of not knowing whether to throw you at the wall (thought I'd better not as my kindle would break) or embrace your twisted sentiment.

In advance of delving into Ali Condie's Matched trilogy I thought I would finish the Divergent series first and was hoping it's conclusion would be more satisfying than the conclusion of The Hunger Games which diluted it's enjoyment book by book. I'd already become concerned when the second book in Roth's series, Insurgent, proved less satisfying than the first. I prayed that the third would redeem itself.

We commence immediately after the conclusion of book 2 where the factionless and their leader Evelyn have taken control of the city. Suddenly the factions are in danger and it appears one dictator has been swapped for another, so a group come together and form the Allegiant, with a view to reinstating the factions.

From here I became frustrated as the book seemed to them become a never ending round of people trying to usurp one leader for another, then for another and another. We take a journey outwith the city Tris and Tobias call home and they travel to a world where it seems more of the same is on the cards.

The characters seem to stall a little in this book, their dialogue seems less mature than that of the earlier books and their relationship scenes seem childlike and immature. That said however the ending that Roth have them still had me choked with tears and I liked how she left a real message at the end of the book, concluding it really nicely with a message for life.

I'd like to say I loved this book, I didn't, but neither could I say I entirely hated it either. It was a difficult one, I had to force my way through it at points then suddenly there would be a little spark of genius and I'd read intently for a chapter then that spark would fade. It has been a challenging read, not entirely in enjoyable but I'm glad Roth has concluded the series and won't be trying to dredge another book from her increasingly tired story.