Book Review: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

I decided that I had better do some reviews before I forget what I read.

Allegiant was the third book in a teen dystopian trilogy. The first book was really good. It made me look forward to the second. The second was okay; I still planned to read the third, but not with as much excitement.

The third redeemed the second.

I am having trouble writing a review for this without just parroting what my friend Scott said about it on Goodreads, because he was really right on.  In fact, using the fact that I recently had dental surgery--and houseguests for five straight days--and I still do not totally have my wits about me, I am going to quote Scott:

Written in alternating perspective between Tris and Tobias, the characters deal not only with the groups of people and their city and all the dynamics therein (and out!), but also with profound personal and social matters.

Philosophical and existential issues are wrestled with in the thoughts of the characters. Things like religion sparked by viewing creation, the impact of things like nature and nurture and personal choices in the development of people, racism in the metaphor of "genetic purity," the plans and schemes of governments and those who would govern, evil, freedom, and many other things. --Scott Schreiber

 I really liked the way the characters came up against the fact that humans are born with the capacity for evil. Original sin, while not named as such, was grappled with in the realization that characters just aren't all good or all bad. This book was far more nuanced than most teen fiction is.

And, of course, I always love a nice cheery dystopia. Four stars.