Book Review: Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth

In case you are looking for my review of Insurgent, I honestly didn't write anything review-ish at the moment but you can always check it out on my Goodreads account. I didn't make an effort because I was so excited to jump to reading Allegiant.

I am planning to write a proper review about Insurgent soon!

Allegiant by Veronica Roth
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Edited :)

It was pretty devastating but it wasn't unexpected. Sacrifices must be made but still, one can't avoid the pain from seething in.

So, the conclusion to the well-loved Divergent series, Allegiant, initially brought me uncertainties, grief and then forced me to just move-on. Honest to goodness, I have doubts with the path this book is taking when I started reading it. Unlike the first few chapters in Divergent and Insurgent which already felt good and compelling, there was something eerie for me in this last book, initially though. I have several things in mind and I'm going to rant about all of them now...

First is the switching POVs of Tris and Four. In the past, it worked for me since I get to enjoy how things happen inside the heads of both leads but since the first two books are written in Tris' perspective, reading Allegiant got me all confused at first, and it took me some time adjusting so that I won't confuse Four's words for Tris'.

Second. What. Happened. To. The. Story. Ok. There's still a flow but so many things happened in between and everything was confusing as a maze. I am guessing that there was some difficulty in relocating the characters. Haha! The factionless vs. Allegiant war was pretty doop to me, now that I have to think about it. I have several situations in my mind which could have helped this book to work but of course, they'll just stay in my mind. Ok, let me say one thing: they shouldn't have killed Jeanine so unceremoniously like that. She was an effective villain for me and I think that she could have pushed the agony even further. The twist (bureau-thing) was okay to me, ambitious enough and I think that the author was able to at least put it in great picture but (and yes there's always a but) I would say that justice was not served, the ride was bumpy enough to get me lost. The story was hole-y and it turned out un-mendable as I continue to turn the pages. Add to that, at several points in the story, the characters tend to end up as ranting machines. Their words became senseless. Ok, there are some catchy lines which I can count in my fingers. In short, I'm so frustrated and disappointed with how the story developed in this book. I ache for the characters in the story because I came to love them so much.




Last. And this one is a huge, damning spoiler.





Why did one of the lead die? The story was depressing enough, in a sense that it was written that way. I know that sacrifices are to be made sometimes BUT, how can she (the author) get that one thing we're desperately holding on to, away from us. It hurts. It's depressing. Well, it's her story but after all this dystopian-crap dilemma, I was hoping to see a light. Well, a brighter light in the end, as I hoped.

Although I said all those things, I still like this series, well enough to make me anticipate for the movie next year! I know that books are not all rainbows and butterflies when they actually end, but one can always make and extended version. By reading we learn to divulge into a world where the author tries to lead us but in the end, I believe, that it is still up to us to make those little editing. Although Tris and Four's story is depressing as hell, I tend to just imagine and look beyond and see a peaceful world that Tris died for.

Ok. I just said her name.
And.
Like what they always say,

"Be brave."

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Book Review: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Yes! Beautiful Disaster is finally in my 'just read' bookshelf! Reading it gave me a pretty good mix of getting swooned and getting mad. That being said, the effect on me is instantly positive.

Where to begin?

In this contemporary, new adult novel of Jamie McGuire, another couple that's initially fire-ice or water-oil, will find their happy ending with each other after facing a road which by the way, I would never want to trod.

Meet the hunky-hot body Travis Maddox-- the badboy. He's got tattoo all over this arms, has got a shaved head and deep hazel eyes which looks to kill, adds to his killer charisma. He lives by fighting-- and I'm saying that in a literal way. He's oozing with sex appeal and his presence is spitting hotness that's why he's so in with the chicks. Travis, being all these made Abby Abernathy, have an indifferent relationship towards him. She doesn't hate him; Abby just doesn't want to be around Trav. Well, I can't blame her because it's a person's natural instinct to avoid anything that spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E and Travis is the living epitome of that. At first Abby seemed to be the typical good-girl heroine depicted in most books with the same plot but lo and behold, my instinct that there's something going on with Abby's character, is right!

The idea is not really new but the setting and storyline sets it apart from the rest. Beautiful Disaster is set in a, what do i call, make-shift university because sometimes at night, underground UFC *laughs* happens in the basement of school buildings. Of course money is involved and all, but what for me really thing was that, 'they were never caught, even once before?' Pushing that thought aside now, I was thinking of the best adjective to describe the entirety of this whole story. I'm struggling but at the moment, at least, the word 'crazy' and all other synonyms seemed to be the perfect adjective. I find the story crazy! Why? Well, first card, would a girl really enter a bet that might make her sleep in a guy's from for a month? CRAZY! Next, do 19 year-olds who fell in love would just decide to fly to Vegas to get married? CRAZY! Third, Abby plays poker to pay his dad's debt. That's crazy, but she's such a kind daughter and cool as well. There are whole lots of other craziness going on inside this book; too much for me to handle, but I find those kind of crazies too sweet. I guess, this is the part of love which I don't really understand. I mean, you just have to be in their own shoes to get why they did it, you know.

The hard-as-rock Trav is head-over-heels in love with Abby and he was tamed. So in the end, you think that these kind of stories aren't new but actually, they never get old. So right now, I just need to read the rest of the series to know what happens next.

Beautiful Disaster isn't a disaster at all! It's a good read and the book is very hard to put down! Soooo recommended!

Toodles!

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Book Review: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This contemporary, young adult novel of Rainbow Rowell depicts how two misfits find their solitary place in each other. It is not an entirely unique story, truth be told. Eleanor lives a pretty fucked up life and Park has his own issues. A typical teenager in America thing; but even though I said that, I would not lie and I'll say with a loud voice that this is a good book.
It reminded me about lots of things. Cliched as it may sound but this book is a good reminder of how weird love can be-- the power of love. Their love is bittersweet and I am warning you that reading from this point on would entail some spoiler...

What struck me the most in this book was the part when they were about to part; when Park reminisce the love of his parents for each other. Let me quote my favorite line during this part. Park was thinking, "What are the chances you'd ever meet someone like that?... Someone you can love forever, someone who would forever love you back? And what did you do when that person was born half a world away?" You see, Park's mom is Korean and his dad is American and it reminded me of how amazing these kind of couples find each other-- chance, fate, magic of love. It's amazing.

And truth time: I can see my self in Eleanor's shoes. Her indifference to the world is so familiar to me and it felt like I would have the same everything that she felt when she first realized she was inlove with Park, who was her first everything. Maybe it's because I never had a boyfriend before that's why I'm saying these things. *Laughs*

All in all, I like this book because although, there's nothing so special in it, it made me think about life, again, in general. It's not a waste of time so I'd be happy to give it a thumbs up! Add to that, the alternating Eleanor and Park's view of the story helped me in setting the mood. It made me realize that this kind of setting appeals to me because I get to understand how the story builds in the head of both leads. The ending is a great hanger also so I was so shocked to read the acknowledgement. I though it came too soon! *Laughs*

For the parting quote: *I'm so affected with this one that I have to instagram it. HAHA*

Park said, "I just can't believe that life would give us to each other and then take it back."
-- It was depressing enough, that said but his positivity makes him so admirable. He then said this, "But it's up to us... It's up to us not to lose this."

Hooray for true love!

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