Teen review of "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Here we are. We’ve reached the end. The end of a series is always a somber occasion, but more so when it’s a series like Divergent. I didn’t know what to expect going into Allegiant. I was excited, nervous, and scared to find out all the secrets we’ve been wanting to know since the first book. Also, the feedback from other readers was making me a little wary to know how it was going to end. But I did it. I read it all. And, oh my, where do I start…

I feel like Allegiant was much more political than Divergent and Insurgent. We get to see what is outside the city and we are faced with a whole new set of problems. I kind of missed them being in the city, but we all want to know what was outside the walls, right? So that kind of evened itself out. The situation they get themselves into, as I said, starts to delve into politics, and morals and ethics. Every character seems to be going through some type of existential crisis through it all. We get to know more of Tobias, with the new POV for half of the chapters. I really liked getting into his head and learning all his thoughts. He very closed off and that leads Tris and Tobias to run into some trouble, relationship wise, which I always like. It makes the relationship and the romance real. I feel that sometimes, especially in YA, the romantic leads have the “perfect” relationship, with outside events trying to tear them apart, and not interpersonal problems.

One thing I love about this trilogy is that it’s not just another dystopian story of survival. We get that aspect of it, but it’s all about the people and how they grow and change. Each faction, and their characters, teach us something. Erudite teaches us about how knowledge and it’s containment can be one of the most powerful weapons. Candor teaches us about honesty and admittance of our crimes. Amity teaches us about how to bring about peace, and that sometimes peace does not mean passivity. Dauntless teaches us the true meaning of bravery, as well as Abnegation. Selflessness and bravery are at the heart of this series and Allegiant in particular. It takes a lot of bravery to be truly selfless.

When it comes to the ending of Allegiant, I have mixed feelings. Upon finishing the novel, I locked myself in the car and cried for about ten minutes. But the more I thought about it, the ending really portrays all the themes that have interwoven in each novel, and I understand why Veronica Roth made the decision to write what she did. I’m okay with it. I’ve made my peace with it. And I guess the fact that I reacted how I did is a testament to the writing and the character creation. I don’t want to let go, but I have to. We all have to move on in the end.

- Caroline
Originally posted on The Attic blog.

Veronica Roth book signing at the Tivoli Theatre

Anderson's Bookshop brought author Veronica Roth to the historic Tivoli Theatre in Downers Grove for a book signing of Allegiant this past Saturday, October 26. October 26 was even declared "Veronica Roth Day" in Illinois by Governor Quinn!

Fans gathered in the theatre to wait for the start of the Q&A. Movie concessions were available, too! Organist David Rhodes provided music.

A very blurry photo of David Rhodes playing the organ.

I did not get any good photos of Veronica when she came out on stage. Sorry! HarperCollins editor Margot Wood asked Veronica questions submitted by fans to EpicReads. Then questions were opened up to fans in the audience. The Q&A was also filmed and live streamed on the EpicReads site. Watch the interview here:



Here are some interesting facts gleaned from the Q&A:

• Veronica does fangirl over books -- she's a Potterhead, and can't wait to see what happens in the third book in Leah Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy.
• She writes on a treadmill desk!
• To pick one character from the Divergent series to help survive the zombie apocalypse, she chose Four, because of his combat experience. The interviewer thought Eric would be a better choice. Veronica's response: "But he would straight up kill you!"
• She would not want to co-write a book because she has to be alone in her own world during the writing process.
• Challenges to writing as a job include listening to the voice of the story while thinking of the  fans interpreting and reacting to the books. "How will I ever make this good enough for them?"
• Short stories about Four (out in February 2014) were written after the movie version of Divergent had been cast. Asked about envisioning actor Theo James while writing, Veronica responded that it was somewhat awkward, as she thought to herself while working on the stories: "I feel like I'm puppeteering Theo James right now."
• Veronica will stick to writing YA, but probably wouldn't write a mystery. She did not talk about her future project.
• Advice for teens who want to be writers: "Write when you want to write and when you don't want to write" and find people who will make thoughtful critiques of your work.

At the end of the Q&A, Veronica was joined onstage by her brother, Karl Roth, to perform his original song "The Mark," about the choice Tris makes in Divergent. You can watch the performance on the Epic Reads site here.

When the autograph signing portion began, the first group of 50 fans were called. Each fan was allowed to receive a personalized autograph on one book (no posed photos) to keep the line moving. I was #242!

The remaining fans waiting in the theater watched Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which was Veronica's choice.

When it was my turn in the signing line I told Veronica that I am a fan of her blog, and enjoy reading her posts about her writing and revision process. Even though this was a packed event, she took the time to listen to and talk with each fan in line.

Overall it was a fun day. Old movie theater + live organ + YA lit + YA lit fans + Harry Potter = Pure awesomeness! I am excited to read Allegiant (I've avoided spoilers, for the most part, so far) and even more excited for the movie Divergent in March.

"Allegiant" is here!

Today the final book in Veronica Roth's Divergent trilogy, Allegiant, was finally released. Are you dying to find out what happens? I can't wait to read it!

Don't forget to place a copy on hold (and do your best to avoid spoilers on the internet!)

The movie adaptation of the first book in the series, Divergent, hits theaters March 21, 2014.