Allegiant

Allegiant – Veronica Roth

After overthrowing the Erudite leadership, the factionless implement a new leadership system that strongly resembles the previous system in that it denies freedom of choice to the people in the city. Influenced by the video urging the people in the city to find a way to get outside of the fence, Tris and Tobias join a group of rebels determined to push the outer boundaries of their knowledge and existence. What they find beyond the fence is shocking, confusing, and just as concerning as what is happening within the limits of the city. A bureau of experts has been monitoring not only Tris and Toabias’ city, but many other cities as well. When the rebellion in the city threatens the stability of the bureau, the bureau threatens to take drastic action to maintain the status quo to the detriment of all the residents in the city. To avoid the destruction of their home, Tris, Tobias, and their group of supposedly loyal friends, make hurried plans and spontaneous decisions to subvert the actions of the bureau. With so many variables, establishing a plan with any kind of certainty is impossible, so Tris and Tobias must move forward based on assumptions, hope, and a dream of what the future might be.

“Allegiant” continues the pattern that Veronica Roth laid out in the first two novels of the series. The book moves unbelievably fast, each chapter is filled with unexpected plot twists, and the story has so many complex layers of uncertainty and half-truths that it is difficult to keep track of what is happening. In addition to adding new characters, relationships, and challenges, Roth also continuously broadens the perspective of the story. In the first novel, Tris moved outside her own faction. In the second novel, the city becomes the main level of interaction. In the third novel, the story moves outside the boundaries of everything that has been known up to this point. Tris moves through all these levels of relationships while maintaining integrity in her actions and singularity in her vision despite the changing landscape. By continuing to change the setting and level of interaction between characters, Roth emphasizes the importance of the big picture.

As interesting as the third book was, I also found it a little difficult to keep track and make sense of what was happening. Roth introduces so many new characters and plot twists that not only are the characters in the story unable to have any sense of certainty, but I also felt that as the reader, I was unable to wholly connect to any one piece of the story. Additionally, she changes the narration of the third novel and alternates between the perspectives of Tris and Tobias for different chapters, which was very confusing to me for probably the first half of the novel. Uncertainties aside, I did find “Allegiant” to be a compelling novel because it serves as a reminder not to get too comfortable with what you think you know. Very interesting, very fast, and very exciting.