Tag: Tris

Book Review: Champion by Marie Lu

14290364Champion by Marie Lu

Synopsis

“The explosive finale to Marie Lu’s New York Times bestselling LEGEND trilogy—perfect for fans of THE HUNGER GAMES and DIVERGENT!
He is a Legend.
She is a Prodigy.
Who will be Champion?
June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps Elect while Day has been assigned a high level military position. But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them once again. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything he has. With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.”

Jen’s Review

**Spoiler-free**

So last week I finished the third and final book in the Divergent series (Allegiant). After its bittersweet ending, I was terrified to read the third and final book in Marie Lu’s Legend series, Champion. Like Divergent, Legend has been rife with grim drama, nail-biting action and heartbreaking tragedies. But, unlike Divergent, Legend has had two protagonists that I really cared about–Day and June. I couldn’t bear the thought of these likeable, cheer-worthy characters meeting a similar ending as Tris and Four. I just couldn’t.

But, I went ahead and read it anyways.

And, without giving anything away, here’s what I thought:

As I’ve mentioned before, I feel many series suffer from the “Woo!-Boo! Syndrome”. Woo! for book one, Boo! for book two, and Woo!-Boo! for book three. Great, bad, great and bad. Champion was mostly Woo! Day and June were as likeable as ever, the plot answered all of my questions, and the grim yet optimistic tone matched that of its predecessors. Champion was entertaining, endearing and filled with plenty of oh-god-oh-god-oh-god moments. And Day’s headaches could literally be felt. During his painful episodes, I’d have to stop and rub my own head, scared I too had a tumor about to blow. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a fitting finale to an outstanding series. I highly, highly recommend it to one and all!

Now, as for the ending, the one I feared would be wrought with tragedy and noooooo!…Well, you’ll just have to read Champion to find out. I’m not telling! 😉

“Sometimes, the sun sets earlier. Days don’t last forever, you know. But I’ll fight as hard as I can. I can promise you that.”

Jen’s Rating

4 Star

Read more about Champion here!

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Book Review: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

17383918Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Synopsis

“One choice will define you.
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?
The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.
But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.
Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.”

Jens’ Review

**Warning: I do my best to stay away from spoilers, but since this is the third and final book of a series, I might slip. So beware!**

Let me start off by saying that I enjoyed Allegiant much more than Insurgent. But I didn’t enjoy it as much as Divergent. I think this is a common trend with trilogies. First book rocks. Second book drags. Third book rocks and drags.

Unlike its predecessors, Allegiant went back and forth between two POV’s: Tris and Tobias. Overall, I enjoyed this updated format. In fact, I wish Veronica Roth had written the first two books this way. The varying perspectives added a deeper dimension, propelled the story forward faster, and gave the reader a break from Tris (who, lets face it, can be borderline unlikeable at times). My only complaint about this new format: I kept forgetting if I was reading from Tris or Tobias’s POV. Because it’s written in first person, and because Tris and Tobias are so similar, I’d end up reading entire chapters thinking I was inside the others head. Friends of mine have also complained about this issue. I think a simple solution would’ve been to add Tris or Tobias’s name at the top of each page, or even use the strategy of Marie Lu’s Legend with different font colors.

**Okay, I’m going to tread into Spoilerville here. I must. Sorry.**

The ending. Wow. Just…wow. I’m sure many people will disagree with me, but I liked it. I thought Tris’s fate made perfect sense and fit the book’s theme of “choice”. And, come on, this was never a happy series. Death and despair and WTF-just-happened? moments were always the norm. I’m still trying to figure out if I liked how Tris died. At one minute I think, “Well, it makes sense”, but then the next I think, “Really? Gunshot? Really?” I suppose I’m leaning towards the “Well, it makes sense” side. Just like the death serum, Tris made a choice to get shot. Even though she knew it would mean death if she lunged for the button to release the memory serum, she did it anyways to save those she loved. I liked that.

I must applaud Veronica Roth for having the guts and boldness to kill off her main protagonist. I’m so used to YA series ending in a shower of glitter and flutter of butterflies. Even Hunger Games had a sorta happy ending, with Katniss and Peeta building a life together. But Allegiant ended horribly realistically, and, in this case, logically…At least Veronica Roth gave the reader a sliver of satisfaction by taking us a couple of years into the future with Four to see how he’s dealing with Tris’s death and how the world Tris died for is faring.

Even so, it was a bittersweet ending to a bittersweet series.

Jen’s Rating

3 StarRead more about Allegiant here!

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