Welp, I did it! I finished book two in the trilogy (book 3 is due out sometime this year) by Veronica Roth. If you recall, I was let down by Divergent ... I left Insurgent feeling a little less bored and a bit more invested in the story. (This post will contain spoilers and/or a few things that fans of the books might find offensive. It is not my goal to come off that way, but I would proceed with caution.)
One major thing I disliked about this novel, and Divergent as well, is that Roth will have us go through an entire scene with Tris and then she will see someone afterwards (like Tobias) and reiterate through dialogue what we just read. It drove me crazy! Do not do this-- please. I felt like I had already read a couple hundred pages, yet had read nothing-- it was THAT mundane. I yawned. I skimmed. I questioned my choice to continue reading. I "tweeted" complaints. You get the point-- I was hating every second of it.
Why?
Well, Tobias and Tris CONSTANTLY bicker. It's nonstop. It's typical, high school arguments that have no real place in the story. It's distracting! I mean, there is a civil war going on and their insecurities with one another seems so, how should I phrase this? It seemed so... generic/unnecessary. I was unable to form an attachment to these characters and root for them because of it. The types of things that they both worried about and the way they talked to one another made them both seem very shallow and unlikeable. Immature is also another word I'd like to throw into the mix. These are not good attributes for a hero/heroine. I am honestly hoping one of them dies pretty quickly in the last book so I never have to read an interaction between the two of them again. (But, crap-- I can only imagine how annoying Tris would become-- full of guilt that Tobias died-- and referring to it constantly-- so, maybe that's not the best idea either.)
Luckily, most of the time during the second half of the book, Tris and Tobias are separated from one another. Tris becomes a bit more endearing... and the plot isn't taken up by the insecurities of their budding romance and we learn more about why things are happening the way they are *and* there is a lot more action. The plot thickens, people are exposed, overall-- it's much better than the the first half.
The last 3 or 4 pages of the novel is where the writing is the strongest. Pieces of the puzzle fall into place, and some issues I had with the first book (ie- why are there factions? What happened to the rest of the country?) are finally answered. If it weren't for these final pages, I probably wouldn't read the final book when it's released. But, now I will.
I hope that this final book of Roth's is her best one yet. I'm hoping that this book will focus more on the factions and less on the romance between Tris and Tobias. I know that it's a trend to have a love-interest in YA novels... but I really wish this novel did not have that.
Here's to hoping!
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Why?
Well, Tobias and Tris CONSTANTLY bicker. It's nonstop. It's typical, high school arguments that have no real place in the story. It's distracting! I mean, there is a civil war going on and their insecurities with one another seems so, how should I phrase this? It seemed so... generic/unnecessary. I was unable to form an attachment to these characters and root for them because of it. The types of things that they both worried about and the way they talked to one another made them both seem very shallow and unlikeable. Immature is also another word I'd like to throw into the mix. These are not good attributes for a hero/heroine. I am honestly hoping one of them dies pretty quickly in the last book so I never have to read an interaction between the two of them again. (But, crap-- I can only imagine how annoying Tris would become-- full of guilt that Tobias died-- and referring to it constantly-- so, maybe that's not the best idea either.)
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Luckily, most of the time during the second half of the book, Tris and Tobias are separated from one another. Tris becomes a bit more endearing... and the plot isn't taken up by the insecurities of their budding romance and we learn more about why things are happening the way they are *and* there is a lot more action. The plot thickens, people are exposed, overall-- it's much better than the the first half.
The last 3 or 4 pages of the novel is where the writing is the strongest. Pieces of the puzzle fall into place, and some issues I had with the first book (ie- why are there factions? What happened to the rest of the country?) are finally answered. If it weren't for these final pages, I probably wouldn't read the final book when it's released. But, now I will.
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| source |
I hope that this final book of Roth's is her best one yet. I'm hoping that this book will focus more on the factions and less on the romance between Tris and Tobias. I know that it's a trend to have a love-interest in YA novels... but I really wish this novel did not have that.
Here's to hoping!
LOVE that you cut your hair off yourself - so brave. And I gather you had some issues with this book? (LOL!) Anyway, popping by to say hello from Stephen Tremp's blogfest today. Nice to meetcha!
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