allegiant

Okay, well, when I blogged about Divergent, you must've just known this one was coming. 

Allegiant. The last book in the Divergent series. 

I'm going to take a moment [and some space] to allow you to ignore/leave this post, as major spoilers are ahead. 

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Reading these books has been an enjoyable journey for me. As I was wrapping up the second book I was just barely shy of saying: It's my favorite story. I loved all the action; I loved the 'realistic' feel to the story (as in, it's not a total impossibility); I loved the genetic elements; I loved the daring, free-spirited Tris; and I loved the love story part of it. The bad guys were even the kind of bad guys that you love to hate, in my opinion.

So, when the author killed off her main character, it was devastating. Yes, Tris dies. It was so so heartbreaking. I think her installment of the "Four" stories, just makes it all the more heartbreaking. Like kicking a dog while it's down. Like a oh-you-know-Tris-dies-but-lets-spend-all-the-time-talking-about-just-how-much-Four-loved-her. Okay, not the entire point of the Four stories, but still. 

I've said it jokingly: Veronica Roth hates her characters and her readers. Or hates happily-ever-afters anyway. Come to think of it, I don't think any of the love story lines end happily. Christian's, Uriah's, Matthew's, Four's... yeah... none of the love story lines end well. They all end in death. Huh. How about that.

Naturally, by writing such a bold (if that's the right word) ending, she received quite a bit of criticism. 

Not that she was obligated to explain herself, she did. She writes in a blog! And she addressed the criticism in a post explaining her reasons. The main one being a Tris-has-come-full-circle thing. Tris has finally learned what it means to actually be selfless. 

That's what she was trying to sell?

In my honest, seriously trying to be unemotional, opinion... that was not thoroughly portrayed in the writing. 

I felt like Tris was suppose to be a symbol of freedom, peace, even rebellion. Her parents died to give her the opportunity to do all of those things. So to wrap up her life in a quick, hasty way where her thoughts travel to wanting to be with her parents more than anything, ... it was just... well, unsatisfying. Most of all, because the last book is so geared toward Tris learning to value her own life and learning that she wants to live, because she has so much to live for.

Also, David being so extremely invested in genetic purity, I just can't believe he'd actually kill her after she had just overcome the death serum - something no one has ever been able to do - not even the divergent. I feel David would have been much more fascinated in her genes' ability to overcome even the most deadly of serums. Sure, he'd wanted to have stopped her from releasing the memory serum, but would it really have been at the cost of her life? I don't think so. Not by the way the rest of his character was portrayed, anyway. 

Sure, she accomplished her goal. She released the serum and by some standard saved the city. However, I feel that the symbols she stood for died with her. Her death wasn't just tragic in itself, it was also tragic because of what it did to the story's other main character - Tobias/Four. A person who has, all around, had kind of a terrible life. He finally found another person to connect with. Another person to love, who loved him for who he was.

It was just a crappy ending. It made me too sad. It wasn't the kind of sacrifice that birthed a sad but happy feeling in me. It just birthed sadness. *sigh*