Author: Veronica Roth
Genre: YA / Dystopian
Published by: HarperCollins Children's
Originally Published: 2013
Page Count: 526 pages
What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?
First of all, I don't want to spoil anything really and didn't want to publish the real blurb here incase anyone stumbles upon this review and finds out plot points to the first and second book, so I'll keep it simple.
The writing of this book was one that we've come to expect and enjoy with Roth. Her writing is effortless and just keeps you turning the page as she has definitely found her writing style. The characters in the book become slightly more developed, especially in regards to Four. We finally get Four's perspective in the book, allowing entry into his thought processes, and into how he sees the conflict going on around him. He does at times come across as petty, which I feel was Roth's intentions but it fell a little flat at times. Tris has continued to grow throughout the novels. The first novel really saw her develop, the second saw her make mistakes, and this final novel sees Tris learn from her mistakes and essentially become a really strong person, let alone a strong protagonist. We are introduced to new characters from whom, come answers. The whole of the series has been based on the faction system that has dominated society, separating you into either Amity, Abnegation, Candor, Dauntless or Erudite, depending on how your mind works and how you view society. Tris, finding out she's 'Divergent' in book one, and that she doesn't fit into either of these still has much relevance in the third book as it did in the first. I feel like what Roth did is what many writers fail to do, especially with dystopian, and that is explain how everything came about and what everything meant.
It does become pretty complex at times and you become pretty unsure on who are actually 'the good guys' as there are many different groups in turmoil with each other. It does seem like one conflict after another. Yet this conflict provides some brilliant metaphors for today. I feel that Roth perfectly conveyed how corrupt society can become by trying to change someone, trying to fit them into a box of what you see as normal. It's something that's been done many times yet Roth did make it very interesting.
With the dual perspectives the novel found some flaws. Tris and Four are together for a massive portion of the novel, and the chapters continue to switch between the two of them. With Roth having her identifiable writing style, it was sometimes hard to determine whose chapter you were in until it referenced the other protagonist. It became unnecessarily confusing and often tedious. It's when the pair aren't together that this really works and you get to see both sides of their stories and of the action that novel provides (although, comparatively little in regards to the first two books).
I must note how slow the middle became, I feel the only reason I was continuing was because I was on a high from seeing the film that had just come out.
The ending was brilliant, all answers had been provided, all loose ends tied up. And although it was a predictable ending it's one I enjoyed and thought was very powerful. A little slow at times, yet still a good ending to a great series.
4 stars.
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