Allegiant

What a let down!

What would have made Allegiant better?

If it were ANYTHING like the previous two!

Would you ever listen to anything by Veronica Roth again?

Probably not.

Have you listened to any of Emma Galvin and Aaron Stanford ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Love Emma Galvin - I have listen to other performances and love her.
Aaron Stanford did an ok job, didnt like his female voice but I went with it.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Allegiant?

I think I have to agree with most of the other reviews - I would totally change "the big event" and the last several chapters.

Any additional comments?

I absolutely loved the first two books! I pre ordered this one and was counting the days! But I truly would of been fine with waiting another year if that would of changed how this book came out. What a let down. Leaves you feeling like you wasted your time investing in the beloved characters and all of what happened in the first two books.
This is a seperate book and doesnt even belong with the trilogy except it has the same characters. I agree that stopping after two and making up your own ending is much much better than listening to this book.

89 of 94 people found this review helpful

I hate it when this happens

I'm judging this book harshly based mostly on two facts: the potential it had and the actual story. Normally I give the performance a greater rating but the great performance could not wash the taste of disappointment from my mouth. Maybe it's because I set myself up with these huge expectations based on the potential I saw in the books prior to this one but then this one...

The narration was great as I stated above, makes it absolutely bearable to listen to the book... Both Emma (who spoke as Tris) and Aaron (the voice of Four) really did awesome jobs at truly giving these characters a voice and even a body in a sense. The pacing wasn't rushed; the tones were great.... there really isn't much that can be taken away from the narration here. A star is removed from narration because even though it's great, a 5 star narration can only be achieved by a combination of great narration WITH a great story... The story let this down.

Now on to the story..... *glares viciously* This book reminded me of another book I had high hopes for which just fizzled.... fizzled into annoyance. Let me start with the MAJOR bone I had to pick with this book.... CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT.... Yes... The major characters grew but every single one of them (and yes I get they should be damaged and scarred or whatever) became way too absorbed in their past and way TOO damaged. I also found them hypocritical, just so amazing hypocritical. I don't want to ruin the story so I won't actually say what happened but you will know what I am talking about when you actually going through it. The author seemed to have been trying hard to NOT be like The Hunger Games and ended up just being completely unbelievable to me (the government would/could not let it go like that if you ask me). The writer wanted to end it bitter-sweet and a bit tragic but by the end of the novel I had gotten so annoyed with the characters I saw the ending downright fitting (albeit unbelievable in a sense, again... you don't mess with a government branch and the government just sits passively by after the fact). The major problem with the trilogy.... it lacked direction.... I came away from this book feeling that the author had no idea how to end this book, she started the trilogy not knowing how to end the trilogy and for the sake of ending it at the trilogy rushed it and butchered what could have been a great novel. I absolutely HATE when this happens.... The good about this book is that it had some really good writing, in terms of the use of words. It also had some really nice quote worthy moments, quotes mostly about human nature that even though a bit cliché but absolutely resounding.

The book had potential but completely failed in realizing its potential if you ask me. A strong first book, an exciting second book and this... this was just upsetting to me.

153 of 165 people found this review helpful

Really, Ms Roth, Really?!

I will do my best to separate my emotions for this review.

I have loved this series from the beginning. I loved the way Veronica Roth wrote and how she told a story. I loved the way she built her characters and allowed us to see both the good and bad in them, and how the characters were not "saved" from consequences of their choices. I always felt the characters were real to themselves, even in their most confusing and self-doubt moments, and that made me love them more. So... despite how angry Tris' decisions made me, it still was "true" to her character (in my opinion). I wouldn't have expected anything less of her.

That said, though, I still felt this couldn't be the "end." To me, it felt there was still unanswered questions, and problems had not yet been resolved. Despite all the characters remaining true to themselves and some of the "big" conflicts being resolved, I felt no closure to the series, and actually found myself searching if there would be another book. It just did did not feel like the right fit to the end, even if the ending was to be a gut-wrenching one.

As an avid reader, to pre-ordered the last two books in the series, I felt like I was strung along, to be hurt and confused by a bad breakup or something. I'm not sure I can recommend this series anymore. I was extremely excited about the movie coming out, too, and now... I'm not sure I want to even bother.

Use caution, if you're debating whether to give this series a try.

29 of 31 people found this review helpful

Heartbreaking

The final installment of my favorite YA series was heartbreaking and disappointing. I'm sad over the ending (like most people) and disappointed by the overall plot and direction this book takes in the final installment. There were just too many gaping plot holes and total character assassinations. What happened to bad-ass Four? He turned into a wimp in this one. What??? Perhaps it was the dual narration and finally getting into his head, but it just didn't work for me. I also didn't buy into the whole "Truman Show" aspect of this one. Seriously? It felt contrived and a bit lazy by the author.

Overall this book broke my heart in so many ways. It could have been so much more but in the end just didn't live up to my expectations.

89 of 97 people found this review helpful

Boooooo... I expected far better.

Is it just me or is everyone writing their storylines in anticipation of a movie deal?

The trilogy was never EXCEPTIONAL; however, it was entertaining UP until this book. I had high hopes for this third installment, and even though I knew Tobias would play a significant role in the last book (I didn't *like* the voice talent for Tobias), it was disappointing the author seemed to take the easy way out by writing 'he said, she said - he does, she does' scenario to the storyline's main characters. The dialogue was stiff and too simple for seemingly noble characters, as it had been in the first two books, and I anticipated it would improve. It didn't. I just wish the characters weren't so boring and one dimensional.

The storyline did make a dramatic upturn with its heart-tugging ending. As painful as it was to commitment to the book in its entirety, I was saddened by the end. It wasn't a surprise 'a-ha' ending; nevertheless, it was the only instance in the entire third book the author really wrote a picture so clear, I cried... :(

Collectively, the story told throughout the trilogy could make a movie I'd be interested in seeing, but I'd rather see adaptations of stories to movies than reading screenplays in book form.

Boooooo... I expected far better, and am I really disappointed the author just didn't take better care of her characters. I really had high hopes for all of them.

58 of 63 people found this review helpful

Disappointing

What a disappointment. After reading and thoroughly enjoying the previous two books, this book was a huge let down. The writing was substandard and the plot just didn’t get it. It was like this book was written by someone else. I’m very disappointed. I did not like the way the book went back and forth between and characters and the clarity of character was not evident in the writing. Very poorly done.

38 of 41 people found this review helpful

Where was she going with this???

Would you try another book from Veronica Roth and/or Emma Galvin and Aaron Stanford ?

I am hard pressed to say no, yet this third book was ALL over the place and the plot is downright hypocritical and ridiculous.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Most interesting: The idea of genetic damage was intriguing, yet the way it was written about was overkill. Least interesting: the story itself, with poor character development and little sense.

What does Emma Galvin and Aaron Stanford bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Well narrated with good emotion. Easy to understand.

Was Allegiant worth the listening time?

I am not sure... this story picked up from two great books and just went downhill. Without giving away much, I did not expect a fairy tale, yet what does happen is downright hypocritical and foolish. The plot is ridiculous and overdone, as if one did not know what to do with this story. Terrible end to a trilogy.

Any additional comments?

Be aware that this book will bring sadness and to many, disappointment. I am not sure if the author knew what to do with the third book as the plot is all over the place and more annoying than interesting. The last two hours of the book are gut-renchingly unexpected and leave me feeling empty with more questions than answers at the end of the trilogy. I am really disappointed with the third book... this trilogy went out with a flat tire!

18 of 19 people found this review helpful

Disappointing mismash

Allegiant is the third book of the trilogy. It is written in a style very different than the first two novels: that is the chapters ping pong back and forth between Trice and Four. I find the perspectives distracting and they do not add depth to the story for the complexity the method brings.

The storyline is Trice and company learn of the basis for the society and the factions. It is a complete let down and not very consistent with the first two novels. Too many underpinning of the first novels are ripped up and discarded like used confetti. There is way, way too much reversal. I especially did not like the deprecation in the characters in the first part of the novel.

This story could have been a whole lot better. It was as if the author picked the first storyline that came to mind. The novel didn't tie things up to my satisfaction. I don't usually recommend this, but you might just stand pat after reading the first two novels and wonder and imagine your own ending -- you'd be happier. If you simply must know --go ahead and read it.

95 of 105 people found this review helpful

What if your whole world was a lie...

...or your first two books? Everything Roth wrote in the first two books is a lie and as a reader you end up feeling as confused and cheated as the characters. The reader who buys into the character development might enjoy the slow pace of this book as Roth delves into Trice and Four's differing reactions to the truth. But if you bought this book based on the fast-paced action of the first two then you will find this sequel with it's navel-gazing teenage narrators to be painful and unsatisfying. Thankfully Audible let's you listen at 2x or 3x speed.
Two questions to ponder:
Can Veronica Roth's career recover from sucker punching her readers?
What are the odds that the Hollywood studio head that bought the rights to this series is searching for a gifted screenwriter to re-write the last third of this trilogy?

66 of 73 people found this review helpful

Anticlimactic and seriously disappointing

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

The first two books were great, but this one made me wish I hadn't read them. The ending to this story was all wrong, the cliff hanger at the end off book two made the reader think there would be an exciting conclusion to the series, there was not. The entire book seemed like Ms. Roth was bored with the characters and just trying to meet a deadline.

Has Allegiant turned you off from other books in this genre?

Just from more books by Roth

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Allegiant?

The entire direction was wrong, I would have told the author she should start over.

Any additional comments?

Don't waste your money on this, unless Ms. Roth decides to redo book three, you won't get what you want as a reader.

82 of 91 people found this review helpful