1st Post of the Third Trimester- Allegiant Book Review

Summary

 

I am nearly finished with the book Allegiant by Veronica Roth.  In this book Tris and Tobias have finally shown the people of  Chicago the "truth" by releasing the Edith Prior video. This video told them that they were part of a genetic experiment to find a cure to "damaged genes".  The Bureau of Genetic Welfare set this experiment up because of what was known as the Purity War between those who were genetically "pure" and those who were genetically "damaged" which devasted the United States. The Divergent are supposed to come to the Bureau when there numbers are large enough. The Divergent are supposed to be genetically "pure".  After the release of the video and the fall of Jeanine Matthews and the Erudite a new dictator came to power. Evelyn Johnson, Tobias' mother, and the factionless.  They want to destroy the factions and make sure that there never are factions again. She has forbidden Tobias and the Divergent from leaving Chicago (although they don't know they are in Chicago) to follow the instructions that Edith Prior-a relative of Tris- has given to them in the video.

A group called the Allegiant have formed to rebel against Evelyn and the factionless. This group along with Tris and Tobias orcastrate a group to go beyond the fence into the outside world. On the way to the Bureau the group lose a member. Upon arriving though they find that not all their friends they once thought to be dead are.  After exploring the compound they find that they have been watched by the Bureau their whole lives and they place they once called home is called Chicago. They learn that there are other experiments just like thiers. Tris meets David the director of the Bureau and learns that her late mother lived her and had volunteered to enter into the Chicago experiment and is handed her journal to look over. She also meets Matthew a scientist who would like to examine her and Tobias' genes since she has the power to resist serums and is aware during simulations, as well as Tobias.  Which leads to some unforseen information. Here we also meet Nita, she is a GD (genetically damaged). She asks Tobias to come and meet her at night so she can show him something. Tobias obliges but just as they arrive to the destination Marcus' verdict has been decided and Tobias rushes to see what his mother has decided to do with his father. Tobias is suprised by her decision. Tobias agrees to meet Nita again and she asks him to come with her to the Fringe. This is a place where the GD'd live. It's a rough and scary place that she thinks he should see, but she also recquires his protection.

Once at the Fringe, Tobias witnesses a boy being beaten to death. Once the boy was dead he was then robbed. Nita brought Tobais in and introduced him to the leaders Rafi and Mary. Immediately after Nita dismisses him to discuss matters with the other two. Nita instructs Tobias not to inform Tris of what he has seen, heard or of the meeting they have just returned from. Tobias not wanting to go back on the promise they made to each other at the beginning of the book to not lie to one another any more tells Tris what is going on. Nita is now forced to bring Tris in on the plan to steal the memory serum- this serum erases peoples memories- from the Weapons Lab.  Tris  doesn't trust Nita. She voices this to Tobias, but he feels he must help the GD's and agrees to be apart of the plan.

The plan is put into motion soon after. Tris was near one of the explosions when the attack started and so was another member of the original group. They received major injuries and now are in critical condition. Tris wants to go find Tobias but she knows there is a bigger issue. Nita. She and Matthew proceed to the Weapons Lab where David is being held at gun point to open the Weapons Lab. Tris must decide how she will defuse this situation.  There are several civilian injuries and casualties as a result of the diversion -the bombs- going off across the compound.  Tobias has been arrested along with his other accomplices.  They are each interrogated, but Tobias was let off on parole for one year because of his "condition" and the fact that Nita had told him that she was stealing the memory serum not the most dangerous serum in the weapons lab.

After this Tris and Tobias avoid each other. Tobias feels guilty about the attack he didn't think he would be hurting any of his friends or civilians. But he also felt guilty because Tris had warned him but he had ignored her when she had been right the whole time. Meanwhile, Tris was summoned to David's office. David survived the attack with a shot to the foot and losing the ability to walk for a long time. He asks Tris to train to become a council member or one of his advisors. She accepts with other plans in mind.

After this Tris takes her trip to the Fringe to see what its like. Upon her return she looks into things that the Bureau may have twisted to make the genetically "damaged" look even more inferior to those who are "pure".  She finds that they were lying about it.  She then calls a meeting with her friends to create a rebellion that would be effective but not as destructive as Nita's. Since Tris is in a high position they agree to wait until she has sat in on the council meeting before they make any concrete plans.

But while Tris was gone at  the Fringe, things in Chicago have developed. A new unexpected alliance among the Allegiant has sprouted. The Allegiant have also captured some on Evelyn's weapons. But what they don't know is that Evelyn has discovered some of what Nita was after.

In the meeting Tris learns that Evelyn has found this dangerous weapon in Chicago.  David has a way to defuse the situation but it would mean starting all over. He can't risk Evelyn using something that dangerous or a war breaking out because the government has already threatened to shut the experiments down. This just fuels Tris'  motivation  to take down the Bureau.

Will Tris and Tobias' group succeed in their rebellion for equal rights and save their home?

Review
The kind of reader that would enjoy this book is someone who likes action and adventure. Their is some romance but not a ton. Someone who likes stories about rebellion and struggles for equality and overthrowing an unjust government. This book is good for both boys and girls. It's not too much action or romance to be targeted at one group or the other.

 

 

I would give this book a 4 out of  5  stars. This is because I liked the storyline. But I felt like the pacing was so slow at some parts and then you would hit sections where things were occurring one right after the other or simultaneously. They characters are very well written though they develop for good or worse through the book and the series. I liked how it was set in the future and how they still have all the technology and big cities , but you can see how things have changed. Cites are damaged from the Purity War and there are no major cities in the west because they are too far apart and it is now known as the Wild. I also like that Veronica Roth sprinkles humor after some serious or really tense parts.
 Again the only real problem I had with this book was the pacing.